Ambiano 2 Quart Slow Cooker

Last Updated on November 3, 2023

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My brother and sister-in law often host groups of friends and relatives, and they are masters of cooking meals for a small crowd. They’ve developed a list of go-to meals over the years that includes grilled meats, baked potato bars, and a traditional holiday ham dinner. I’ve written before about the amazing pasta bar they put together for a family Christmas gathering.

One of the most popular meals they serve is a taco/nacho bar. They’re known to set out a spread that includes hard taco shells, soft tortillas, chips, seasoned ground beef, salsa chicken, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, and that favorite of nacho toppings … queso. Often, the queso is served in a small slow cooker, allowing for some advance prep work and freeing up the microwave for other things.

You can find slow cookers of all sizes at retailers from Target to Amazon. I even bought a medium-sized one at the local hardware store years ago. These days, my slow cooker collection consists of that older hardware store slow cooker along with a larger 7 quart slow cooker from Aldi.

A recent Aldi ad featured a small 2 quart slow cooker, and it looked like just the thing for pulling out on in my own kitchen on nacho nights when we want warm queso. Small slow cookers like this one are also good for various other dips such as spinach and artichoke or buffalo chicken. They’re also useful for gravy or sauces. In addition, they can be great if you’re only cooking for one or two people, and you can halve a traditional slow cooker recipe.

I bought the 2 quart slow cooker from Aldi and put it to use.

The Ambiano 2 Quart Slow Cooker (Product Code: 709726) is an Aldi Find, so it’s only in stores for a short time. Each store receives one shipment, and after that sells out, it’s gone unless Aldi decides to bring it back at some later point. Aldi does not offer online ordering for products not currently in stock at your local store.

This Aldi slow cooker cost $12.99 at the time of publication. For comparison, 2 quart slow cookers on Amazon were priced mostly between $15 and $30 at the time of writing.

The back of the box. (Click to enlarge.)

Here’s more information about the Aldi slow cooker:

• Available in Matte Black or Stainless Steel (I bought the black version … because no smudgy fingerprints.)
• Capacity: 2 quarts, or 64 ounces
• Features three settings: low, high, and warm
• Includes removable dishwasher safe pot and dishwasher safe lid for fast and easy cleanup
• Lid includes ventilation hole
• Bears the ETL Intertek mark indicating product compliance to North American safety standards
• Voltage: 120 V, 60 Hz
• Rating wattage: 100 W
• Comes with a three-year warranty

The included manual and warranty sheet. (Click to enlarge.)

The warranty for this slow cooker is serviced by Tempo, a common Aldi warranty provider. Tempo has provided warranty service for other Aldi products including an electric s’mores maker, wireless earbuds, and an upright bagless vacuum.

For warranty service, you can call 866-235-5029 or email info@customercareusa.com.

The slow cooker unboxed.

Inside the box, you’ll find the corded slow cooker base with temperature control knob, along with a ceramic pot, a glass lid with knob handle, a manual, and a warranty sheet.

Using the slow cooker is pretty intuitive. I hand washed the ceramic bowl and the lid and dried them prior to using. I like that the bowl and lid are dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze.

The manual gives the usual instructions:

• Use on a level, stable, heat- and flameproof work surface with enough room for ventilation all around the slow cooker.
• The first time you use the slow cooker, the base unit may emit some smoke or odor, but it’s not cause for concern. It is due to the element and components being new.
• Add ingredients of your choice into the ceramic bowl. Do not fill the bowl to the rim.
• If cooking meat and vegetables, ensure the vegetables are placed in the ceramic bowl first. For best results, hard vegetables should be cut into similarly sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
• Place the ceramic bowl in the base and cover with the lid. Plug in the power cord, and turn the knob to the desired temperature between Low and High, according to your recipe. Allow ingredients to cook for the time specified in your recipe.
• After cooking, you can turn the knob to Warm to keep food warm. Don’t leave food in the slow cooker on the Warm setting for more than four hours.
• When done cooking or keeping warm, remove the food, turn the control dial to Off, and disconnect the plug from the socket.

Also, the manual notes the ceramic bowl is ovenproof and microwave safe. However, don’t use the lid in the oven or microwave. In addition, do not use the bowl on a gas or electric stovetop burner or under the broiler.

Testing the Slow Cooker:

Loaded with queso dip.

I decided to start with something simple, so for this slow cooker’s trial run, I put in two 15-ounce jars of Aldi Casa Mamita Salsa Con Queso, filling the slow cooker almost halfway, for a family nacho night.

The electric slow cooker base heats pretty quickly once you turn it on. I put it on the Low setting, and it was warm to the touch within five minutes or so. This does not have an on-indicator light, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and you’ll know when it’s on.

I did notice a mild odor because it was the first time the base had been used, but that went away in a few minutes.

My salsa con queso was plenty hot after an hour and a half on the low setting, so if you’re heating dips, this gets them hot reasonably quickly. If you’re cooking raw meat or veggies, it will obviously take longer. It was still a little while before dinner time, so I turned the slow cooker to the Warm setting until then.

So far, I’m happy with this slow cooker. I’ll update this post if that changes.

The Verdict:

The Ambiano 2 Quart Slow Cooker is a good size for heating dips, sauces, or gravy. It’s also great for cooking for just one or two people. It heated queso quickly in our initial trial, so we like it. The three-year warranty is a nice bonus.