Open Thread: Ambiano 2-in-1 Electric Grill and Griddle

Last Updated on July 9, 2023

This post is an open thread and contains affiliate links.

If there are two surfaces I get a lot of use out of — especially in the spring, summer, and fall months — they’re a grill and a griddle. Grills are, of course, the centerpiece for cooking meat during those months, whether it’s burgers, steaks, hot dogs, brats, or wings. Grills, be they gas or charcoal, allow for searing and sealing in the juices.

Griddles serve a complementary but distinct function. Griddles are great for foods that would otherwise fall through the cracks, literally, of a grill. That makes them ideal for cooking breakfast foods like eggs, sausage, and bacon, and they can also be deployed for sautéing veggies. In a pinch, griddles can also be used to pan-fry burgers.

If you have a home and enough cash, there’s a good chance you have a grill on the back patio and a griddle in your cabinet ready to use over the kitchen stove. But if your situation is different — maybe you’re in an apartment, or you’re strapped for cash — perhaps you don’t have a grill and you haven’t gotten a griddle yet. What then?

Turns out, there is a device that can function as both.

What We Know:

The Ambiano 2-in-1 Electric Grill and Griddle (Product Code: 707452) is an Aldi exclusive. Ambiano is an Aldi house brand, which means it’s made by a company that Aldi contracts with to supply under an Aldi label. Ambiano is not a separate company, and we don’t know who the exact manufacturer is behind the product, although warranty providers can sometimes yield a clue.

This grill and griddle is an Aldi Find, which means it’s only in stores for a limited time. Once it’s sold out, you won’t be able to find it in stores again until it comes back, whenever that might be. Aldi doesn’t ship products online, so if you can’t find it in your store, you’re out of luck.

At the time of this post, the appliance cost $54.99. Aldi is known for competitive prices, and this grill and grillde certainly appears to be in the range of other 2-in-1 electrics on Amazon. It’s not the cheapest, though; I was able to find several models, including name brands, that appeared to cost less with the same or similar feature sets.

Here’s more information on the grill and griddle, according to Aldi:

• Removable and reversible grill with 2 different surfaces (smooth and ribbed)
• Includes removable and dishwasher-safe oil drip tray
• Features a tempered glass lid
• Nonstick interior
• Cool touch exterior
• Automatic shutoff, overheat protection
• Thermostat controlled up to 450 °F
• 1800W

What We Don’t Know:

We haven’t tested out this particular combo appliance, so we don’t know how quickly it warms up, how evenly it cooks, how simple cleanup is, or how long it lasts. We’ve created this open thread for users to share their experiences.

Do you have experience with this grill and griddle? Let us know in the comments.