Ambiano Electric Hot Pot

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Occasionally, Aldi surprises us by selling products in the middle aisle that haven’t been advertised. We first noticed this happening in 2021 when many retailers faced supply chain challenges. At the time, we at Aldi Reviewer coined the term “stealth release” for these kinds of unadvertised products that popped up at Aldi.

Stealth releases are less common now in 2025, but Aldi still does it sometimes. This week, I spotted an electric hot pot on the shelves at my local Aldi. I decided to pick one up.

(Of note, Aldi has sold a couple of small appliances lately that allow you to cook without needing a full kitchen. Last week, we reviewed a portable electric food warmer from Aldi.)

Let’s take a closer look at the hot pot.

The Ambiano Electric Hot Pot is an Aldi Find. That means it’s only in stores for a short time. Each store should receive one shipment, and after that sells out, it’s gone unless Aldi decides to bring it back later. Aldi does not offer online ordering for this if it’s out of stock at your local store.

We bought this with our own funds. The electric hot pot cost $19.99 in 2025. That price looks competitive compared to other electric hot pots on Amazon.

Here’s more information:

• Features nonstick pot
• Easy to clean
• Easy to use and versatile
• Cook, fry, and saute anywhere without needing a stove
• “Safe, toxin-free, and eco-friendly”
• 425W and 850W settings
• Includes overheat and boil-dry protection
• Cooks fast and evenly
• Compact 1.6-liter capacity
• Household use only

The electric hot pot comes with a three-year warranty serviced by Tempo, which is a common Aldi warranty service provider. For service, call 1-866-235-5020 or email serviceusa@tempo.org.

Unboxing and Using the Ambiano Electric Hot Pot:

When you open the box, you’ll find the main base which has the hot plate component. You’ll also find a steamer basket, a lid, a power cord, a brief user manual, and warranty sheets.

You’ll want to clean the base/pot with a soft, damp cloth before using. This part has electrical components, so don’t submerge it in water.

The steamer basket and lid don’t have electrical components, so they should be good to wash with hot, soapy water.

When you’re ready to cook, plug one end of the power cord into the base and the other end into an outlet. Then, choose your desired heating level. A small button on the base handle slides from O (off) to low heat (I) or high heat (II). When in either of the on positions, a power indicator light will turn on and the pot will start heating.

The manual recommends using nylon, plastic, or wood utensils when cooking to avoid scratching the nonstick surface.

Then, simply slide it back to the off position when you’re done cooking. Let the pot cool, and clean it with a soft, damp cloth after using.

Testing the Hot Pot:

I decided to test the hot pot with something simple: frying an egg to put on top of some avocado toast for breakfast. The cooking surface heated quickly when I put it on the high setting. After about a minute, it was hot enough that when I put some vegetable oil spread on, it melted right away. My egg cooked as expected, and it didn’t stick to the pan.

I noticed the indicator light did not stay on all the time. Instead, it came on and off. Perhaps it’s supposed to do that; I’m not sure. However, the user manual indicates that the light should be on whenever the pot is turned on, so something seems off there. The hot pot itself seems to work fine, though, even if the light doesn’t function properly. (This is not the first time I’ve owned an Aldi product with a faulty indicator light, as I have an Aldi slow cooker that doesn’t light up when it cooks on the low heat setting.)

Later, I also heated a couple of servings of semi-frozen leftover ham and bean soup in the hot pot. Despite the scattered ice crystals, the soup was hot in no more than 10 minutes on the high heat setting.

I still need to try steaming veggies using the steamer basket included with this hot pot. I’ll update this post later once I try that.

I noticed the outside of the hot pot does not get very warm. This might be a good gadget for kids or older people to heat foods or cook in, since there appears to be a lower risk of accidentally burning yourself.

The Verdict:

The Ambiano Electric Hot Pot could be useful in a dorm or office, or anywhere you don’t have easy access to a kitchen with a stove or microwave. This might also be good if you don’t want to cook on an open flame with a gas range. It sautes, fries, steams, and cooks a variety of foods. So far, it works well for us and heats quickly. The indicator light is glitchy, but otherwise we have no complaints.