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Looks aren’t everything, but they do a lot to help this smart air fryer live up to its name.
Plastic is a big part of the traditional air fryer designs, which have their share of problems. Plastic has the potential to collect grease, dirt and fingerprints. Aesthetically, plastic doesn’t always complement other kitchen appliances, especially if you splurge on high-end showpieces. That is why many air fryer brands are on the rise today GLASS their products or transfer to toaster oven combos to reduce the use of plastic.
VeSync is betting on something more classy: a premium stainless steel look. Its latest model, the 6.5-quart Cosori Iconicrecently shown on CES 2026. I’ve been testing the Iconic for the past few weeks, and I’m very impressed with the design. Jump right into what I like and don’t like about the Cosori Iconic.
The Cosori Iconic design is unique
Aside from the touch controls, the Cosori Iconic almost feels like a deliberate throwback to vintage toaster designs from the 1940s.
I don’t usually think about aesthetics when it comes to small kitchen appliances because functionality comes first. But even I have to admit that the polished stainless steel curves of the Cosori Iconic are the key to its appeal. The vertical exterior surfaces feature a brushed stainless steel non-reflective finish. The flat, black glass control panel on top of the unit is equally impressive, though I had to stop myself from storing things on it more than once.
The exterior is easy to clean with a damp cloth, although you’ll need a stainless-steel cleaner to remove stubborn fingerprints and sap from the brushed steel. In most cases, I find a dry, soft cloth is more than enough to polish the glass and the circular section just above the basket compartment.
Every surface inside the Iconic air fryer is polished steel, except for the heating element, which has the same nonstick coating as the inside of the basket.
Unlike the nonstick coating on my current air fryer, I’m happy to report that you can wipe most of it off wool and wipe with a rag or paper towel. For everything else, you can put the whole basket and crisper plate in the dishwasher. I usually wash it by hand to leave room for other dirty dishes.
I cooked several things in a row without cleaning the basket, and there were greases on the sides of it. These stubborn sap stains take a few minutes with a nonstick safe scrubbing pad to remove. I highly recommend washing the basket after the last batch of each air fryer food to prevent sticky buildup.
In terms of features, Cosori Iconic is not far from other air fryer models of the brand.
Unlike CNET’s current top air fryer picks, the Crispy NinjaIconic’s 6.5-quart basket isn’t something you can throw in the fridge.
The footprint of the Cosori Iconic is roughly 15 by 12 inches, so you’ll need a spacious countertop or cabinet for storage when not in use.
The basket gets very hot during cooking, so place it on a hot pad or safe from a hot surface when you take it out. Although the manual says not to touch the sides of the air fryer while running, I didn’t notice any overheating of the case during my time with the unit. However, it is always wise to play it safe by avoiding the sides of the machine while it is in use.
Great controls and a handy mobile app
As long as you have counter space, it doesn’t hurt to display this beautiful machine.
The 90-degree to 450-degree Fahrenheit temperature range covers the expected air fryer modes: air fry, roast, bake, dehydrate, proof and reheat. You can also connect the smart air fryer to your Wi-Fi network to unlock smart home controls and recipes in the VeSync app. It’s possible to scan barcodes on items with the app to find baking instructions, but it doesn’t work for a package of chocolate chip cookies.
Using the VeSync app, I make chicken drumsticks without any recipes — all I need is seasoning salt and food weight. Then Iconic selects the best setting and temperature. In air fry mode at 395 degrees F for 19 minutes, the drumsticks become crisp and juicy.
While the included user manual and recipe book cover the basics of using the Cosori Iconic, the mobile app is the best way to find specific cooking instructions.
One thing to note about the app controls (and Google Home integration) is that you can’t start the cooking cycle with your phone. You can send preset cooking settings to the machine using the VeSync app, but only the control panel can start the cooking process. This important safety feature prevents the unit from automatically switching to cooking mode after 2 hours of proofing.
Solid cooking performance
It works great for frozen French friestater tots and taquitos, though I usually need to add a few minutes to the app’s suggested cooking time for extra crispiness.
In addition to the cookies and drumsticks, I tried every setting on the Cosori Iconic except the dehydrate mode, although I plan to dry some fresh herbs when I have more time. Fresh roasted potatoes and pork chops turned out well, without additional settings to tweak.
Proving frozen cinnamon rolls is a bit tedious, as I think the max temperature of 110 degrees F is better for fresh dough than frozen. I expected it to take about 90 minutes, but it took two and a half hours before I was happy with the result. Aside from the extra proofing time, the finished cinnamon roll has a nice, pillowy texture that isn’t too dry.
While Totino’s frozen pizza is hardly a gourmet experience, there is plenty of room in the large fryer basket.
Seeing as my current air fryer — a special air fryer lid for my Instant pot — because it’s small, I want to try cooking something that doesn’t fit in that unit: frozen pizza. My pizza attempt was a bit overdone due to my inexperience, but it was edible and cooked equally well.
Is Cosori Iconic worth it?
The aptly named Cosori Iconic will definitely make you consider investing in your next air fryer.
At $249, the Iconic fits easily into the premium air fryer category and is Cosori’s most expensive model. Even among the competition, many of the more expensive units are multicooker or air fryer ovens. That said, the Cosori Iconic’s five-year warranty is a major highlight compared to the relatively weak one- and two-year coverage that is typical of smaller kitchen appliances.
Despite being a fully capable machine, I think many people will be happy with an average air fryer in the $100 to $200 range.
the Cosori Iconic’s The aesthetics are undoubtedly the best part of it, and I wish more brands would make air fryers that look better. In addition, easy cleaning and a long warranty help to soften the higher purchase price.
