The COSORI Turbo Tower Compact has become one of the appliances we leave on the worktop because we use it so often. In the top drawer, we cooked a whole sweet potato, a chilled pie, chicken mini fillets and broccoli. The results were crisp, the controls were easy to use, and washing the basket was much less work than cleaning the oven. We recommend it for quick family cooking. We have now used both drawers at once: Parma-ham-wrapped chicken in the top drawer and broccoli in the lower one. Both came out well.
What we cooked in the top drawer
Whole sweet potato
We cooked a whole sweet potato at 180°C for 30 minutes. Its skin came out lovely and crisp. It felt much quicker than using our oven, although we did not run a timed side-by-side test. The size of a potato will change the time it needs, so this is the result of our cook, not a fixed recipe.
Pie and chicken
A chilled pie bought from Waitrose took 12 minutes at 170°C. The pastry was crisp, and it was the sort of quick meal for which switching on the oven would have felt like more effort. We also cooked raw chicken mini fillets at 180°C. They took 10 minutes in our test, and we checked that the meat reached the correct temperature. Fillet size and starting temperature vary; do not rely on our time as a safe cooking instruction. Check your own chicken is thoroughly cooked.
We did not need to change the settings or add extra time for these meals. The top drawer had room for those earlier foods. Each basket is relatively modest, though, as our later two-drawer meal made clear. If you often cook a large batch of one food, check the basket dimensions before buying. Our air-fryer size guide is useful for judging capacity rather than going by the combined litre figure alone.
Broccoli with the edges we wanted
We cooked broccoli until it was deeply browned, just as we wanted it. It reminded us of the crispy “seaweed” you get in a Chinese restaurant. We did not record the temperature or cooking time, so we are not presenting it as a recipe.
Both drawers together: chicken and broccoli
We have now cooked in the top and lower drawers at the same time. The top held chicken wrapped in Parma ham at 180°C for 12 minutes; we measured the chicken at 76°C, and the ham was crisp. That is what happened with our batch, not a cooking-time guarantee: check the temperature of your own chicken before serving.
In the lower drawer, broccoli tossed with olive oil and salt cooked at 180°C for eight minutes. It came out lovely and crisp, with browned edges. Both dishes were better than we expected from cooking them together.
We started the drawers manually at different times because the foods needed different cooking times. We did not use Sync or Match, so we cannot judge those functions. The top drawer could not fit all the wrapped chicken at once, and we cooked it in two batches. We did not mind, but anyone hoping to cook a large single batch should pay attention to each basket’s dimensions rather than the combined 8.6-litre figure.
Speed and crispness in everyday use
The two things we like most are speed and texture. The sweet potato skin, pie pastry and broccoli all had the sort of crisp finish we wanted. Compared with our oven, meals felt faster even if we set aside the time the oven takes to heat up. That is our household impression, not a measured oven comparison or an energy-saving claim.
The convenience has changed how often we use it. We keep it out on the counter, choose it for everyday food and have less washing up afterwards. For more general timings, our air-fryer cooking-times guide gives starting points, but food size and doneness still need checking.
Controls, noise and cleaning
The controls are easy to read and use. Both drawers slide smoothly and fit into place. Our later chicken-and-broccoli meal showed that the lower drawer cooks well alongside the top one, too. The machine is not especially noisy in our kitchen. Air blows out at the back, but we have not found it intrusive; leave the clearance specified in the instructions rather than pushing it against a wall.
Cleaning is a big part of why we like it. After the foods we tried, the drawer and crisper plate were easy to wash. It is far less of a job than cleaning our oven. Our air-fryer cleaning guide covers routine care without damaging the coating.
The stacked design: useful, with a trade-off
The vertical arrangement does not take over our worktop, and we are happy to leave it there. Storing the whole machine in a cupboard would be less convenient: it is still a substantial appliance, despite the compact footprint. COSORI describes this as an 8.6-litre model with two 4.3-litre baskets. That combined capacity does not mean one drawer can hold 8.6 litres of the same food.
Cooking chicken above broccoli showed why the two drawers are useful: each food had its own space and timing. We used both drawers together but did not test different temperatures or automatic finish-together timing. If capacity or dual-zone features matter most to you, our dual-zone air-fryer guide explains the alternatives. For a lower spend, our lower-cost air-fryer shortlist compares other drawer layouts, but the cooking results described here are specific to the Turbo Tower.
Our verdict
We would highly recommend the COSORI Turbo Tower Compact for a household that wants crisp food quickly and does not mind giving it a permanent spot on the counter. It has been easy to operate, fairly quiet and pleasingly simple to clean. Using both drawers together worked well for our chicken-and-broccoli meal. The chicken needed two batches, so the combined capacity should not be mistaken for a large single basket, and cupboard storage may be awkward. Sync and Match remain untested.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much food fitted in one drawer?
The top drawer handled our earlier cooks, but the Parma-ham-wrapped chicken needed two batches. Each basket is fairly modest, so check its dimensions if you often cook a large batch of one food.
Is the air fryer noisy in use?
We did not find it especially noisy in our kitchen. Air blows out at the back, but it was not intrusive; leave the clearance specified in the instructions.
How long did the whole sweet potato take?
Ours took 30 minutes at 180°C and developed crisp skin. That is one household result, not a guaranteed time for every potato.
Can I cook chicken mini fillets in 10 minutes?
Our raw mini fillets took 10 minutes at 180°C, and we checked that they reached the correct temperature. Do not assume the same time will cook a different batch safely; check your own chicken thoroughly.
Is it easy to clean and store?
We found the drawer and crisper plate easy to wash, and we keep the machine on our worktop. Its stacked footprint is manageable there, but the full appliance may be awkward to store in a cupboard.