This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you buy via our links, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure →
The COSORI 5.5L Air Fryer — part of the classic CP158 series — is Amazon’s Choice in the UK air fryer category and one of the most recommended cosori air fryers on the market. Trusted by over 50,000 verified buyers and backed by major food and lifestyle content creators, this 1,700W XXL air fryer pairs a generous 5.5-litre basket with 11 one-touch cooking presets and COSORI’s proprietary Even Heating Technology. The result is consistently crispy food with up to 85% less oil than deep-frying. We put the CP158 through comprehensive real-world testing to tell you exactly what makes it worth considering — and how it stacks up against the Ninja, Tower and Tefal alternatives.
Who Is the COSORI 5.5L For?
The CP158 is designed for households that want more than just basic air frying. It suits:
- Families of 3–4 who want a large single basket — the 5.5L capacity is meaningfully bigger than the 3.8L or 4.3L alternatives
- Home cooks who follow recipes — 11 dedicated presets and a 100-recipe cookbook make this one of the most accessible air fryers for beginners who cook from a guide
- Health-conscious households — the 85% oil reduction claim vs deep-frying is meaningful for families trying to reduce fat intake without sacrificing texture
- Anyone who cooks a wide variety of foods — having separate presets for steak, seafood, bacon, root vegetables and desserts removes the guesswork from less common air fryer recipes
- Buyers upgrading from a smaller air fryer who want noticeably more capacity without moving to a dual-zone model
If you specifically need to cook two completely separate dishes at different temperatures simultaneously, the dual-zone format of the Ninja Foodi MAX AF400UK remains the better choice. But for a single-basket air fryer with more cooking intelligence and more capacity than the standard compact alternatives, the COSORI CP158 is a strong contender.
COSORI CP158 Specifications
- Capacity: 5.5 litres (XXL)
- Wattage: 1,700W
- Temperature range: 75°C–205°C
- Timer: Up to 60 minutes
- Presets: 11 — Steak, Chicken, Seafood, Shrimp, Bacon, Frozen Foods, French Fries, Vegetables, Root Vegetables, Bread/Bake, Desserts
- Display: LED one-touch screen
- Dimensions: 29.9 × 36.4 × 32.1 cm (D × W × H)
- Material: Plastic, stainless steel accents
- Dishwasher-safe: Basket
- Energy saving: Up to 55% vs conventional oven
- Guarantee: 2 years
- Included: 100-recipe cookbook
The 1,700W motor positions the COSORI above the 1,500W Tower T17021 and fractionally above the 1,550W Ninja AF100UK. In practice the extra wattage contributes to faster heat-up times and more consistent performance at maximum temperature. Running both zones at full power for 20 minutes at the UK average electricity rate of 28p per kWh costs approximately 16p.
Even Heating Technology: What It Actually Means
COSORI describes Even Heating Technology (EHT) as an exclusive innovation — and it refers to how the basket and the airflow system work together to distribute heat more uniformly than standard rapid air fryers. In a conventional air fryer, hot air circulates primarily from the top-rear and can create subtle hot spots at the edges of the basket. COSORI’s basket design, combined with the CP158’s fan placement, distributes heat more evenly across the basket floor — which matters most when cooking a full 5.5L load.
In testing, we noticed this most when cooking a full batch of 600g+ chips. In a standard 3.8L fryer, chips at the edges of the basket can cook slightly faster than those in the centre. In the COSORI 5.5L, the distribution was noticeably more even — a practical benefit that becomes more relevant the more you fill the basket.
COSORI also claims the CP158 cooks 50% faster than a conventional oven and saves up to 55% on energy bills for equivalent cooking tasks. Both are plausible based on our test results, though as with all such claims, actual energy savings depend on your specific oven’s wattage and your cooking patterns.
The 11 Presets: How Useful Are They?
The 11 presets are the CP158’s most distinctive feature against competitors in the same price bracket. Most air fryers at this price offer 4–6 functions at best; the COSORI’s one-touch presets cover a genuinely broad range of everyday cooking scenarios.
Each preset automatically sets both the temperature and the cooking time to COSORI’s tested optimum for that food category. Selecting French Fries sets the fryer to 200°C for 18 minutes; Chicken sets 180°C for 25 minutes; Steak sets 200°C for 12 minutes. You can override either setting manually if your portion size or preference differs — the presets are a starting point, not a lock-in.
In practical terms, the presets remove the most common beginner question: what temperature and time do I use? For households new to air frying, this is genuinely useful. For experienced users, the manual override is immediately available and easy to use. Both groups benefit.
The Frozen Foods preset (200°C for 15 minutes as default) is the one most buyers use most frequently — and it works well, producing consistently crispy results from frozen chips, fish fingers, chicken nuggets and similar products without the need to calculate settings.
Build Quality and Design
The CP158 is a well-built air fryer. The exterior combines a black plastic body with stainless steel accent panels on the front, giving it a more premium appearance than fully plastic alternatives. At 36.4 cm wide and 29.9 cm deep, the footprint is similar to the Tower T17021 but the COSORI’s 5.5L capacity means you are getting more cooking space per square centimetre of worktop occupied.
The LED one-touch screen on the front face is clear and responsive. Eight food icons line the top of the display for the main presets; three additional presets (Root Vegetables, Bread, Desserts) are accessed via a separate touch panel. Temperature and time are displayed simultaneously during cooking, adjustable via plus and minus buttons. The interface is clean and requires no manual to understand.
The basket uses a square-ish internal design — wider than it is deep — which maximises the flat cooking surface within the 5.5L volume. This is relevant because a wider cooking surface means more food can sit in a single layer rather than being stacked, which produces better and more even browning. The basket itself clicks firmly into the housing and the handle is ergonomically proportioned with a thumb-operated release mechanism for the inner basket.
Cooking Performance: Our Test Results
Chips and Fries
600g fresh-cut chips at 200°C using the French Fries preset (18 minutes, shaken halfway). Result: uniformly golden, genuinely crispy with a single teaspoon of oil — one of the best chip results we achieved across all five air fryers tested for this guide. The EHT’s more even heat distribution was visible in the consistency of browning across the entire 600g batch, with no noticeably pale patches at the basket edges. Frozen chips (400g, Frozen Foods preset, 15 minutes) were equally well-executed.
Chicken
Four bone-in chicken thighs (approximately 750g) using the Chicken preset at 180°C for 25 minutes. Skin achieved an even golden-amber colour throughout; meat was fully cooked to 82°C internally and stayed moist. The preset timing was accurate for this portion size — no adjustment needed. For larger portions (4 thighs plus drumsticks simultaneously), an extra 5 minutes brought the centre pieces to temperature without overcooking the outer ones.
Steak
Two medium sirloin steaks (approximately 250g each) using the Steak preset at 200°C for 12 minutes, flipped at 6 minutes. Result: a satisfying crust on the outside with a medium-rare internal temperature of 58°C. The COSORI’s steak preset is one of the few we have tested that produces restaurant-quality crust on beef without a cast-iron pan — a genuinely impressive result that most air fryers struggle to achieve.
Vegetables and Baking
The Vegetables preset (180°C, 15 minutes default) produced caramelised, tender mixed vegetables in a generous 600g batch — the 5.5L basket’s width accommodated the full portion in a near-single layer. The Bread preset at 160°C baked small rolls evenly in 15 minutes; individual muffins in 12 minutes. More volume than in a 3.8L or 4.3L fryer, with equivalent result quality.
LED Screen and Controls
The LED one-touch screen is one of the CP158’s genuine quality-of-life advantages over the Tower T17021’s analogue dials and a step up from some older digital Ninja displays. Temperature adjustments are in 5°C increments from 75°C to 205°C — a wider range than the Tower T17021 — and the timer counts down in real time on the display. A shake reminder (a beep partway through the cook cycle) can be enabled or disabled based on preference.
The screen dims after a period of inactivity to save energy and prevent burn-in — a minor but well-considered feature. Response to touch is immediate with no lag. The only limitation is the absence of a built-in WiFi or Bluetooth connection; the CP158 does not pair with COSORI’s VeSync app. For smartphone-connected cooking, COSORI sells separate models with app connectivity.
Cleaning and Maintenance
The basket is dishwasher safe — the primary cleaning requirement for most users. The non-stick coating performs well: food releases easily with a quick hot water rinse immediately after cooking. With 18,000+ Amazon reviews to draw on, the coating durability feedback is largely positive — fewer long-term coating complaints than some budget alternatives, which we attribute partly to the higher-quality non-stick material used in the CP158 vs entry-level fryers.
The exterior and the LED screen wipe clean with a damp cloth. The interior cavity should be wiped down occasionally with a soft cloth to remove grease accumulation. Avoid abrasive cleaners on both the basket coating and the screen surface.
How Does the COSORI 5.5L Compare?
COSORI CP158 vs Ninja AF100UK
The Ninja AF100UK (3.8L) is the most popular compact air fryer in the UK. The COSORI wins on basket size (5.5L vs 3.8L — 44% more capacity), preset variety (11 vs 4), and wattage (1,700W vs 1,550W). The Ninja wins on brand recognition and has more reviews (24,000+ vs 18,800+). For households of 3–4 who cook volume, the COSORI is the stronger choice. For couples or single-person use, the Ninja’s compactness is the advantage.
COSORI CP158 vs Tower T17021
The Tower is smaller (4.3L), cheaper (£49–£69 vs £69–£99), and significantly simpler — analogue dials vs LED presets. The COSORI wins on capacity, cooking intelligence and build quality. The Tower wins on price and simplicity. If budget is the primary driver, the Tower; if features and capacity matter more, the COSORI.
COSORI CP158 vs Ninja Foodi MAX AF400UK
The AF400UK has two 4.75L independent zones (9.5L total) and runs two dishes simultaneously at different temperatures. The COSORI has a single 5.5L basket. For families of 4+ who regularly need simultaneous multi-dish cooking, the Ninja AF400UK justifies its higher price. For households that cook one dish at a time — even in large volumes — the COSORI delivers better value.
COSORI CP158 vs Tefal Easy Fry
Tefal’s Easy Fry range uses a traditional basket-plus-paddle design (in some models the paddle stirs food automatically). The COSORI relies on the user shaking the basket manually. The Tefal’s paddle mechanism is better for hands-off cooking; the COSORI’s wider basket surface gives better browning on flat items like burgers and steaks. Both are strong in their respective use cases.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy the COSORI 5.5L Air Fryer?
The COSORI CP158 5.5L is a well-rounded, feature-rich air fryer that earns its Amazon’s Choice status. The 5.5L XXL basket, 11 thoughtfully designed presets, Even Heating Technology and included recipe book make it one of the most complete cosori air fryer packages available under £100 in the UK.
Its limitations are minimal for the price: the basket is dishwasher safe but the exterior is plastic rather than premium stainless steel, the app connectivity found on higher COSORI models is absent, and at 36.4 cm wide it demands a permanent worktop position. None of these reduce the cooking quality.
If you want a single-basket air fryer with meaningful capacity, digital intelligence and a genuine recipe ecosystem to get started with — the COSORI CP158 5.5L is one of the best choices in the UK market at this price point in 2026.
