I found a double-stack air fryer that gives Ninja a run for its money

The first air fryer brand I ever tried was Ninja while visiting my parents, who own the Ninja MAX Dual Zone air fryer. I really enjoyed using it, but I quickly realised it was far too big for my small, galley-style kitchen counter. That’s exactly why the Cosori Turbo Tower Compact caught my attention straight away, and I was curious to see if it could offer a similar experience in a more practical size for my space.

Much like the Double Stack from competitor brand Ninja, the Cosori has two cooking drawers stacked one on top of the other. There is a larger version of the Turbo Tower, with 10.8 litres of cooking capacity, but the Turbo Tower Compact is the slightly smaller option at 8.6 litres. For someone like me, who wants a dual cooking zone without sacrificing too much counter space, it feels like a great middle ground. Despite the “compact” name, it still holds a surprisingly good amount of food and feels more than capable for everyday meals.

In terms of size, the air fryer measures 36.5cm in height and 27.5cm in width, with each basket offering a capacity of 4.3 litres. It comes in a versatile black finish and looks exactly as you’d expect a double-stack air fryer to – simple and modern without being too flashy. On top, there’s a button panel with a digital screen that clearly shows the settings, temperature, and time. Each drawer has sturdy handles that make it easy to pull in and out.

According to the brand’s independent research, its three fan speeds and customisable airflow mean it can cook up to 33% faster than some standard ovens. In theory, that could also mean lower energy usage, since it doesn’t need to run for as long (though I can't speak on that from experience). With that in mind, I was keen to see how it performed in real-life use.

How it works

The Cosori Turbo Tower Compact is essentially a smaller version of the Cosori Turbo Tower 10.8L Air Fryer, offering 8.6 litres of cooking space instead. At its core, it works like any air fryer, using rapidly circulating hot air to cook food. What makes it different is the stacked design, which saves space by placing the two cooking compartments vertically rather than side by side.

Inside, powerful motors drive fans that push hot air downwards and around the food at high-speed, creating a convection effect. This helps cook food quickly and evenly, often with little to no oil.

It comes with six cooking modes: air fry, roast, bake, grill and reheat. The dual-zone setup means you can cook two different foods at once – chips in one drawer and vegetables in the other, for example. There are also sync and match functions, so you can either mirror the settings across both drawers or have them finish cooking at the same time, even if they’re set differently.

Everything is controlled through the digital screen, where you can easily adjust the mode, temperature, and cooking time.

How we tested

Before even unboxing the Cosori Turbo Tower Compact, I paid attention to the packaging, setup process, and how it looked overall. I also considered how much space it would realistically take up on my countertop.

For testing, I cooked a range of foods, including frozen chips, Quorn Southern Fried bites, and veggie sausages. As I don’t eat meat, I also tried tofu and a variety of vegetables to see how it handled everyday vegetarian cooking.

I compared cooking times and results with my traditional oven and my previous experience with a leading brand air fryer. Ease of use, clarity of instructions, and cleaning were all important factors in my overall experience, too.

Cosori Turbo Tower review

The Cosori Turbo Tower Compact arrived in a sturdy cardboard box. While it wasn’t heavier than expected, it’s definitely not lightweight – it weighs around 9.6kg. The week before, I had been testing the single-zone Wonder Oven by Our Place, which felt noticeably lighter at 5.3kg. That said, the Cosori is still easily manageable to lift onto the counter alone, and you could store it in a larger cupboard if needed.

Setting it up was refreshingly simple. Once unboxed and placed on the counter, it’s pretty much ready to go. It comes with instructions, a quick-start guide, and a recipe booklet, which is helpful if you’re new to air frying (or not much of a chef, like me). That said, I found the controls intuitive enough that I didn’t really need to rely on them.

Before cooking, Cosori recommends running a 10-minute test cycle to make sure everything is working properly, which I did without any issues.

I was immediately pleased with how neatly it fit onto my countertop. The stacked design is a big win for a smaller kitchen like mine. The only thing to keep in mind is vertical space. If you have cupboards above your counter, it’s worth measuring beforehand to make sure it fits comfortably.

Using it day to day has been straightforward, which I really appreciate as someone who isn’t the most confident cook. The six cooking functions are easy to select, and the control panel lets you adjust temperature, time, and sync settings without any fuss.

What stood out straight away was how quickly it heats up and how evenly it cooks. With help from my partner, our household’s more experienced cook, we tried a mix of favourites like Quorn sausages, Quorn Southern Fried bites, and chips. Everything cooked faster than in our oven, and even compared to the Our Place Wonder Oven I tested previously, the Cosori’s “turbo” function felt noticeably quicker.

Having used a Ninja air fryer before, I’d say the overall performance is very similar. Cooking speeds and ease of use are on par, and the results were just as good. Quorn Southern Fried bites were ready in around 12 minutes, while veggie sausages took about 10 minutes at most.

Chips that would usually take around 45 minutes in the oven were done in roughly half the time, with a crispy outside and fluffy centre. If you’re less focused on crispiness, you could probably get away with around 20 minutes.

Another thing I noticed was that I didn’t need to shake the baskets as often as I have with other air fryers, which made the whole process feel a bit more hands-off.

While I mainly stick to the air fry setting, I did try the bake function for cookies. It worked well and was quicker than the oven, though you don’t get quite as much space as on a full baking tray.

The brand also highlights its performance with meat and fish. In a review on Amazon, one shopper said: "You can finally cook an entire chicken or a large batch of fries without having to do multiple rounds. It’s a huge time-saver." As vegetarians, we didn’t test meat or fish, but I did try crispy tofu, which turned out really well in about 12 minutes.

There’s also a useful dehydrate function for things like fruit, which is a nice bonus if you enjoy making your own snacks.

If I had to nitpick, the stacked design can feel slightly less convenient than side-by-side drawers when checking on food, simply because you’re working vertically. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it does mean opening one drawer at a time.

Cleaning has been fairly easy. The baskets and crisper plates are dishwasher safe, although I tend to wash them by hand with soapy water. For tougher grease, the brand suggests using a mix of water and bicarbonate of soda, which works well.

Final Verdict

Overall, if you’re looking for an air fryer that offers many of the same benefits as a Ninja but at a slightly lower price, the Cosori Turbo Tower Compact is a strong option. It retails for £160 on Amazon (down to just £129 at the time of writing on a limited-time deal), making it a competitive alternative to Ninja’s Double Stack two-drawer air fryer, which costs £176 at full price.

It’s easy to use, speeds up cooking, and has genuinely reduced how often I need to use my main oven. With six cooking functions, it’s more versatile than just a standard air fryer, and I’ve found it delivers consistent, even results.

For someone like me, with limited counter space, the design is a real advantage. While there are cheaper options available from brands like Dunelm, this feels like a well-balanced choice in terms of price, performance, and practicality – especially if you can pick it up on sale.

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