For larger households, dual basket air fryers offer far more scope to cater for several people at once, meaning they're often a better option than a single basket model. But with so many to choose from, picking the right one for you can be an overwhelming task. Cosori is a trusted brand, so-much-so that two of its single basket models have already made it onto our best air fryers list.
The Cosori Dual Basket 9Qt air fryer is the first two zone model we’ve seen from the brand. With two independent cooking zones and six cooking modes to choose from, it’s loaded with all the tech you’d expect. And there are some nice added extras like the windows that allow you to watch your food while it cooks.
I’ve been impressed with Cosori air fryers in the past, so I had high hopes for the brand's new dual basket model. To test it out, I set it up in my own home for a week and tried to use as many of the functions as possible for normal everyday cooking. Here’s how I got on.
COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer: Key specs
COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer: Price & availability
With a list price at $169.99/ £199.99 the COSORI Dual Basket air fryer is readily available from Amazon. It’s reasonably priced for a dual basket model with this capacity. And it’s likely you’ll find it on offer at various times of year.
Score: 5/5
COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer: Setup
The air fryer arrived securely packaged with styrofoam inserts in the box. And while this reduces the chances of damage in transit, it’s not the best choice from an environmental standpoint. That aside, once out of the box, the big black air fryer looks pretty similar to most other dual basket models around.
When switched off, only the power button is illuminated, so in the absence of any physical dials or buttons, it has an uncluttered and streamlined appearance. What’s more, the angled control panel makes it very user friendly.
The two baskets are labeled with either an ‘L’ or an ‘R’ on the handle, so you can quickly see which side they each slot into. There are removable perforated crisper plates for both, and my review unit also came with a skewer rack and a baking rack. But it’s worth noting that since I tested the UK version of this air fryer, accessories may vary depending on your location.
COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer: Design
Despite its somewhat simple and uncluttered appearance, this dual basket air fryer is loaded with thoughtful design features. The first being windows in the front of each basket, combined with an internal light so you can quickly check your food without opening it up.
There are optional functions such as an inbuilt preheat function, and a reminder to shake foods mid way through cooking. A ‘sync finish’ button takes the thinking out of getting both sides to be ready at the same time. And sync cook allows you to set up one side and copy the selections to the second side, for easy batch cooking of the same foods.
The baskets and crisper plates are both non-stick and dishwasher safe, so cleanup shouldn’t be a problem. As with most dual basket air fryers, it’s not a small appliance, but it’s wider than it is deep, so when not in use, you can push it towards the back of the counter out of the way.
Score: 4.5/5
COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer: Performance
First up I used just one of the baskets to air fry some frozen breaded chicken goujons. I set it to air fry at 200°C/ 390°F and made use of the automatic preheat, which took three minutes. I put the chicken in after the preheat and with a turn halfway through, it was cooked to perfection in just 12 minutes. The breadcrumb coating had a satisfying crunch, while the frozen chicken meat was cooked and succulent.
To try out the bake function, I used it to bake a big batch of my homemade granola, which is something I bake weekly in my usual air fryer. With the bake function set to 160°C/ 325°F on the left basket, I used the ‘sync cook’ button to mirror the settings on the right basket.
The preheat stage took four minutes and I split the large batch of granola between the two baskets. It took 18 minutes to bake and brown to the level I like, which is pretty good going.
Interestingly, when I removed a basket to give the granola a stir, I noticed that it only pauses the timer for that basket, so even though the cook time programmed at the start was the same, they can become out of sync if you open each basket for different lengths of time.
To me there’s no greater air fryer food than homemade fries, which I cooked alongside frozen breadcrumbed fish fillets. I followed my usual method and soaked the freshly cut chunky fries in cold water for 30 minutes before drying and lightly coating in oil.
I set the air fryer to 200°C/ 390°F with the timer set to 25 minutes for the fries and 15 minutes for the fish. I also selected the ‘sync finish’ so that they’d be ready to plate up at the same time. The automatic preheat started first for the fries and took three minutes. Once the fries had been in and cooking for a while, the second side began preheating.
I added the fish when the second side prompted me to. But it was immediately obvious that there was a few minutes difference between the two sides, so frustratingly hey wouldn’t finish exactly in sync. And as I noticed with the granola, the time difference was made worse because I removed the chips a couple of times to shake them, and it only paused cooking on that side.
Worried I’d done something wrong, I tested out the sync cooking on another occasion and had the same problem. Realistically though, for my fish and fries, waiting the extra few minutes for the other side to finish didn’t really make much difference. And the result was worth the wait, tender, moist fish with a crunchy crumb. The fries were fluffy in the centre, while the outside was crisp and golden.
Roast tomatoes and mushrooms were next on the menu. I set the roast function to preheat to 190°C/ 375°C on both baskets, which took six minutes. In one side I added halved tomatoes that I’d seasoned and topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Then sliced mushrooms, drizzled in oil went into the second basket.
During the 15 minute cook time, I gave the mushrooms a couple of good shakes, but left the tomatoes alone. The vegetables cooked beautifully, no complaints.
Not wanting to ignore the included accessories, I made some chicken skewers. And though there are five skewers, it was quickly obvious that unless the chicken was cut into very tiny pieces, I wouldn’t be able to thread all five skewers with chicken and still fit them on the rack, so I made three.
My plan was to use the broil function to cook the skewers as well as some sliced halloumi in the second basket. However I quickly discovered that the broil function can’t be selected for both baskets simultaneously, only one at a time.
With that in mind I selected broil at 220°C/ 425°F for 10 minutes for the chicken skewers. Then chose air fry at 200°C/ 390°F for six minutes for the halloumi slices. I selected the sync finish and allowed it to preheat, which took four minutes.
Despite turning both half way through the cook time, neither time was long enough. So at the end of cooking I switched both sides back on for a couple more minutes, which did the trick. Though my tip here is don’t forget to deselect the preheat function, because in my hurry to get dinner on the table, I didn’t realize that when I added the extra couple of minutes, it had gone back into preheat mode, which I think is more fierce. Hence why my halloumi looks a little more well done than I had planned.
Cleaning was always easy, when the baskets were really greasy or dirty I cleaned them in the dishwasher. But sometimes that seemed unnecessary, so if they weren't too bad, I washed them by hand, which was super quick thanks to the non-stick coating.
Score: 4/5
COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer: User reviews
The Cosori Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer is a popular choice among Amazon customers due to its large capacity and dual basket feature, allowing for cooking different foods simultaneously. Users appreciate the air fryer's ease of use and versatility, with various cooking functions available.
The 360 ThermoIQ technology is a standout feature of this air fryer, as it evenly redistributes heat, ensuring well-cooked meals. The visible windows are also appreciated, as they allow users to monitor their food as it cooks.
However, some users have reported issues with the non-stick surface peeling or rusting when the basket is washed in a dishwasher. To maintain the non-stick surface, it is recommended to hand wash the basket.
Should you buy the COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How does the COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer compare?
If you like the idea of two separate cooking baskets but you’re not totally sold. I highly recommend you check out the Ninja Foodi DualZone FlexBasket. This huge capacity air fryer allows you to use the basket as one single zone, or split into two independent zones. It offers the best of both worlds, but the catch is that it’s pricey in comparison.
Or, if you prefer the idea of cooking your food on trays instead of in a basket, you should consider the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. This countertop oven offers far more functionality than the Cosori air fryer. And the familiar oven style layout means you can stay in your comfort zone for lots of your favorite recipes
How I tested the COSORI Dual Basket 9Qt Air Fryer
I used this air fryer in my own home to cook common everyday foods. Using it at home gave me the opportunity to assess what it’s like to use in day-to-day life. This includes assessing the cleaning as well as how much space it takes up and any quirks I noticed along the way.
From frozen fish, to fresh meats and veggies, I cooked a variety of different foods. And I tried to use as many of the cooking modes as I could during the time I had the air fryer in my kitchen.
See more about how we test.
