I bought the Cosori TurboBlaze on Prime Day for ~$119.99. Since then I've bought three more as gifts and I've cooked the same 40 staple foods in it that I cook in every machine that lands in my shop. It's the best air fryer I've tested this year, but at 6 quarts it holds about 9 taquitos, not 12, and small fries can slip between the grates. No machine is perfect. This one just comes closest.
Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer, 9-in-1, 6 Qt, PFAS-Free Ceramic Coating
With TurboBlaze Technology, this air fryer hits a powerful 3600 rpm fan speed and heats up to 450°F, so you get perfectly crispy outsides and juicy insides every single time.
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Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, 8 Qt DualZone, 6-in-1, Grey, DZ201
The DualZone is the machine you buy when you need to cook two things at once.
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Cosori Air Fryer Pro LE 5 Qt, 9-in-1, Ceramic Coating, Shake Reminder, Grey
This one ran 10 degrees hot, so I had to shave a few minutes off every recipe.
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Ninja Air Fryer Pro, 5 Qt, 4-in-1, Grey, AF141
Meet the powerful and versatile Ninja 4‑in‑1 Air Fryer Pro—designed to deliver crispy, delicious results faster than traditional cooking methods while using little to no oil. Powered by advanced Air C
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Chefman Crispinator Air Fryer 6-in-1 with 8 Qt capacity, 450°F Max Temp with TurboFry Pro Technology for Fast and Even Results, Viewing Window, Nonstick Ceramic Basket
Quality pick in this category.
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Chefman Air Fryer – 6 QT Compact Airfryer for Quick & Easy Meals in Minutes, Features Hi-Fry Technology for Extra Crisp, Touchscreen Controls with 4 Presets, Nonstick & Dishwasher Safe Basket - Black
Meet the powerful and versatile Ninja 4‑in‑1 Air Fryer Pro—designed to deliver crispy, delicious results faster than traditional cooking methods while using little to no oil. Powered by advanced Air C
Visit on Amazon →How I tested
I ran every unit through my standard battery: the frozen fry test, the chicken thigh crisp test, the cake test, and a 30-day daily-use trial where I cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the machine until I either want to buy a second one or throw it out the window.
I keep a spreadsheet of cook times for 40 staple foods per machine, so when I say a unit runs hot, I've got data.
I measured the real cooking surface of every basket, not the marketing numbers. I've had machines run 25 degrees hot and ruin half my meals.
The cake test catches that every time.
Temperature accuracy
The Cosori TurboBlaze held temperature within 5 degrees of the set point across all 40 foods. That's exceptional. The Chefman Crispinator ran 15 degrees hot on the preheat, and since it has no preheat feature, I had to account for the drift manually. The Cosori Pro LE ran 10 degrees hot. The Ninja DZ201 held steady but took two extra minutes to reach temperature.
Usable footprint
The advertised size lies. The Chefman Compact 6 QT measures 4.8 quarts of real cooking surface. The Ninja DZ201's two 4-quart baskets are honest, but the machine itself takes up more counter space than anything else I tested. The Cosori TurboBlaze's 6-quart basket actually fits six chicken thighs without crowding.
Coating durability
The ceramic coating on both Cosori units survived the full 30 days without a scratch. Melted cheese came off with relative ease. The Ninja DZ201's non-stick started showing wear on the basket edges by week three. I've seen cheaper machines where the coating flakes by week two.
Ease of cleaning
Every basket went in the dishwasher. The Cosori baskets came out spotless. The Ninja DZ201's baskets collected grease in the corners. The Chefman Compact took the longest to line up when putting it back in, which gets old fast.
Best Overall: Cosori TurboBlaze
I bought mine on Prime Day for ~$85. I've since bought three more as gifts. It's quiet, so quiet I sometimes have to check if it's even on. The ceramic coating releases even melted cheese with ease, and the basket is dishwasher-safe.
The touchscreen is intuitive, the preheat feature actually works, and the recipe book that comes with it is a lovely little book with 24 recipes plus a cooking times chart.
It's the machine I reach for when I want to reheat pizza better than it was delivered, make taquitos, or cook coconut shrimp from frozen in 8 minutes at 400°F. I've dehydrated chicken for my dog in it.
The chicken thigh crisp test passed with flying colors: skin crackling, meat cooked through to 165°F, no pink at the bone.
I had to flip it at the 10-minute mark, but that's true of almost everything.
It's not perfect. Small food items like fries can slip between the grates. The handle button took a bit of getting used to. But for ~$85, with the ceramic coating and the quiet operation, it's the closest thing to a small miracle I've found in a kitchen appliance. My 87-year-old mom made salmon cakes on day one with hers. My neighbor's 101-year-old husband uses his himself.
Editor's Pick: Ninja DZ201 Foodi 8 Qt DualZone
The DualZone is the machine you buy when you need to cook two things at once. I made chicken thighs in one basket and taters in the other, and the smart finish timer had them both done at the same time. That's a genuine feature I haven't seen done this well elsewhere.
The baskets are honest 4-quart each. The machine itself is huge, so measure your counter before you commit. It's also the loudest unit I tested. I had to raise my voice to talk to my HungryMan while it ran.
The touchscreen smudges easily and the non-stick coating showed wear on the basket edges by week three. At ~$130 it's a serious investment, but if you're cooking for a family and you're tired of staggering cook times, the DualZone earns its space.
Best Value: Cosori TurboBlaze 6 Qt
This one ran 10 degrees hot, so I had to shave a few minutes off every recipe. Once I adjusted, it cooked beautifully. The shake reminder actually works, which matters because almost everything needs to be flipped during cooking.
It's not the TurboBlaze. There's no preheat feature, so I just waited for the temperature to reach the desired level. But for the price, it's a solid everyday machine.
Ninja Air Fryer Pro 5 Qt
The dial controls are simple and the cook times are reliable. It's a good beginners machine, but the feature set is basic and there's no preheat. If you want something that just works without fuss, this is it.
Chefman Crispinator 8 Qt
The 450°F max temperature gets real browning, the best in this lineup. The basket is huge. But it runs hot and the buttons feel cheap. I burned my first batch of fries before I learned its temperament.
Chefman Compact 6 QT
I bought this one at random just because it was a good deal. The auto shake prompts are genuinely useful and the compact size is big enough for the family but still counter-friendly. But the basket just won't go back in sometimes.
Like it just doesn't slide in well and takes a minute to get perfectly lined up. There's no off button, so it just waits to be fired up.
I unplug it usually cause it'll blink for a while. And there's no preheat feature. It's a good deal, but you get what you pay for.
Should you buy the Cosori TurboBlaze?
If you want a quiet machine with a ceramic coating that cleans up in seconds and a preheat that actually works, yes. I've bought four of them. One for me, one for my mom, one for my neighbor, one for my sister who swore she'd never use one. She uses it every day now.
Should you buy the Ninja DZ201?
If you need two baskets and you have the counter space, yes. It's the best dual-zone machine I've tested. If you're short on space or sensitive to noise, look elsewhere.
Should you buy the Cosori Pro LE?
If you're on a budget and you don't mind a machine that runs hot, this is a steal at ~$70. Just shave a few minutes off your cook times and you're golden.
A note on paper liners
Spend the ~$11 for the magnetic strips that hold the paper liner in place. Otherwise it really slides around. And do not put a paper liner in the basket during PreHeat. That's a fire risk. I've seen people blame the machine for a fire that was really a liner error. The liners are a convenience, not a necessity, and the ceramic coating on the Cosori units means you don't need them anyway.
My old air fryer had exposed wires. I didn't replace it because I wanted an upgrade. I replaced it because it was a hazard. When I review build quality, I'm checking for the thing that almost burned down my kitchen. The Cosori units feel solid. The Chefman Compact feels like it might not last as long. That's the difference between a machine you use daily and one you shove in the back of a cabinet.
The best air fryer is the one you'll actually use. For me, that's the Cosori TurboBlaze. For you, it might be the DualZone or the Pro LE. Just don't buy the Chefman Compact without knowing about the basket alignment issues. That one takes me back to the old days of frustrating appliances, and I don't miss those days at all.