Cosori Dual Blaze TwinFry 10L Air Fryer

Summary

Is it worth spending more on a two-zone air fryer when plenty of single-drawer models already sort out dinner? With the Cosori Dual Blaze TwinFry 10L, the answer depends on how many of you there are at home and how much worktop space you have, because it’s one of the few we’ve tested where the second zone genuinely changes the way you cook rather than being a gimmick. On Amazon.co.uk the listing is headed ‘Cosori Smart Air Fryer 10L’, with Dual Blaze TwinFry further along in the title; it’s the same model.

What impressed us most is that it has four heating elements, with heat from above and below in each half, whereas most air fryers only heat from the top. In practice, that meant we didn’t have to shake the basket halfway through with either chips or vegetables, and the browning was even from the centre to the edges.

The basket adds up to 10 L and splits into two 5 L halves with a removable divider, with 2,800 W of power, a range of 40 °C to 240 °C and six functions (Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Grill, Reheat and Dehydrate). With that much room, a whole roasting chicken or four chicken breasts without overlapping fit easily, so it suits large families or anyone who cooks several portions at once.

The feature that makes the difference day to day is the one that coordinates both zones so that both dishes finish at the same time, even with different times and temperatures. You set the side and the main each with its own settings, and it delays the start of the faster zone without you having to watch the clock.

The main drawback is its size: at 33.8 cm deep, 51.8 cm wide and 31.3 cm high and 9.2 kg, it takes up as much room as a microwave and isn’t one you’ll put away in a cupboard after every use. If your kitchen is small, you’ll have to give up a good chunk of worktop to keep it to hand.

Analysis and verdict

Cooking results – Score: 9.1/10

This is where this air fryer pulls away from single-drawer, single-element models. Because it heats from below and above in each compartment, the underside of the chips or vegetables gets direct heat rather than relying only on air coming down from the top, which greatly reduces the pale pieces against the walls that we often see in smaller baskets.

We also tried the zone coordination, setting one half to 205 °C for 20 minutes and the other to 195 °C for 25, and the appliance held the shorter zone back until the remaining times matched. Although Cosori talks about cooking without preheating or flipping, it takes a little practice to calibrate times for each food; our first batches of fish and nuggets came out well, but we fine-tuned the settings in the following ones.

One detail we really liked is that you can open the drawer mid-cycle to check how things are doing, and cooking stops by itself and picks up exactly where it left off when you close it. Compared with other brands’ models with a single top element, the result is more even, although we can’t say how the non-stick will fare after months of heavy use.

Capacity – Score: 8.6/10

The 10 L in total are designed for up to ten people, and Cosori states that a chicken of up to 4.6 kg or a 40 cm pizza fits using the whole basket without the divider. In our tests, a 1.5 kg chicken came out with crisp skin and juicy meat using the full space, even without the crisper plate, so the room left around it isn’t just theoretical.

The flexibility comes from the divider, which you can remove for a big batch or fit to cook two things with independent settings, or both with the same time and temperature if you prefer. The sides of the divider are rubber-edged, and in our case that kept it in its track even when tilting the drawer, something that hasn’t always been the case with flimsier dividers in other dual-drawer air fryers.

The price of that capacity is the size of the appliance, which is as big as a microwave and vents heat out of the back, so it needs space behind and at the sides. If there are only one or two of you, a single-drawer 5 or 6 L model will do the same job in half the space; this one makes sense for families of four or five, or if you often batch cook for the freezer.

Cleaning – Score: 7.8/10

The basket, divider and tray are non-stick, BPA-free and dishwasher safe, and in our tests the grease came off with a gentle pass of the sponge without a long soak. The non-stick stood up well to several dishwasher cycles without losing its sheen or marking, which is often the weak point of parts like these. The UK listing describes the coating as a PFAS-free ceramic one.

What we liked least is that the drawer is so big that we had to take the cutlery basket out of the dishwasher to fit it in, and the bottom tray collects a ring of grease in the corners that needs more sponge time than the rest. It’s not a big deal, but in an air fryer you’ll use daily for several portions, that extra going-over is more noticeable than with a small one.

Handling, noise and energy use

The touch panel responded well even with slightly damp hands, with no double presses, and the interior light helps you look without opening it. The timer runs from 1 minute to 48 hours, which only really makes sense with the dehydrate function, since you’ll never go past half an hour for air frying. You can also control it from your phone over Wi-Fi with Cosori’s VeSync app, which has recipes and guide charts, although you need home Wi-Fi and an account in the app; without that, it works just the same from the panel. The UK listing points out that, due to UK regulations, cooking has to be started manually on the appliance, and Alexa isn’t supported.

On noise, Cosori states a maximum of 60 dB, and in our kitchen it was discreet, with no peaks that make you raise your voice. On energy use, we saw around 1,700 W with one zone running and about 2,700 W with both, figures similar to a conventional oven, with the advantage of no preheating and finishing sooner. Watch out for the cable, which is short if the socket is far away, and for the metal sides, which get quite hot after long sessions.

Pros

• Four heating elements with heat from above and below in each zone, so browning comes out even without shaking the basket halfway, which you’ll notice most with chips and vegetables.
• 10 L basket that splits into two 5 L halves with independent settings and a synchronised finish, ideal for getting the main and the side out together for a big family meal.
• 40 °C to 240 °C range and a timer of up to 48 h, so you can go from dehydrating fruit at a low temperature to high-heat roasting in the same appliance.
• Pauses and resumes by itself when you open the drawer, so you can check the meat without losing track or reprogramming anything.

Cons

• It’s 51.8 cm wide and weighs 9.2 kg, so in a small kitchen it takes a big bite out of the worktop and isn’t one to put away and get out every day.
• The large drawer won’t go in the dishwasher with the cutlery basket in place, and the bottom tray collects grease in the corners that needs more scrubbing than the other parts.

Our test

Test 1: Cooking results – 500 g of chips without touching the basket

We tested the TwinFry in Spain, with exactly the model sold on Amazon.co.uk. We spread 500 g of chips across the whole basket without the divider, without preheating, on Air Fry at 200 °C, and compared the centre with the edges halfway through and at the end without shaking once. We repeated the test with six wings at 190 °C and a tray of diced broccoli and courgette at 180 °C, never moving anything, to compare it with what we usually see from similar air fryers with a single top element.

The chips came out the same shade in the centre and next to the walls, and the vegetables finished evenly without any stirring; only with the wings was one piece stuck to the rear side slightly less browned than the rest of the batch. We noticed that it doesn’t prompt you to turn the food because it doesn’t need to, but it does make a metallic clunk at the end of each cycle that you can hear from another room. If you cook several portions and don’t want to keep checking, this is its strong point; what we can’t guarantee is how even it stays with the basket filled to the top with thick pieces.

Test 2: Capacity – a whole chicken and four chicken breasts with the divider

We filled the whole basket up to the visual maximum with chicken thighs and, in another batch, put in a whole roasting chicken. Then we fitted the divider and placed four chicken breast fillets in one half and a portion of chips in the other, checking whether anything overlapped or spilled into the neighbouring compartment.

The whole chicken went in without forcing and with air around it, and the four fillets fitted in their half without touching, with the chips filling the other half without encroaching. The divider locks into place firmly and doesn’t move when you slide the drawer out, but lifting it with the basket full of cooking juices takes care so you don’t tip liquid into the other side. It pays off if you cook for four or more; if there are only a few of you, you’ll use one half nearly all the time and the total size will be more than you need.

Test 3: Cleaning – marinated wings with a thick sauce

We cooked marinated wings in a thick sauce, let everything cool for an hour and washed the basket, divider and bottom tray with a soft sponge and hot water, without abrasive products. We noted which parts released residue first time and which needed more effort, then put the basket and divider through the dishwasher to see whether the non-stick held up.

The grease and sauce came off with one pass of the sponge, without soaking, and the parts came out of the dishwasher unmarked. The tray, which catches all the drips, was the only one that resisted in the corners. If you often cook greasy food, expect that extra going-over; what we can’t say is how long the non-stick will last after many months of daily dishwasher use.

If you’d like to know more about what to look for, take a look at our guide to the best air fryers, where you’ll find the best models we’ve tested and help choosing the right one for you.