Last Updated on July 9, 2023
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated for 2023. Also, Aldi sold a larger 20-cup rice cooker in November of 2021 for $19.99.
Aldi is pretty aggressive when it comes to kitchen appliances. Throughout the year, we see a number of them rotate through the store’s ALDI Find (Special Buy) section, from the all-in-one programmable pressure cooker to simple one-task devices like slow cookers. As popular as Instant Pot clones are right now, I think there is still a market for devices that do one thing. Cost is one reason: while a programmable pressure cooker probably costs less than all the devices it replaces combined, not everyone wants or needs all the functions of a programmable pressure cooker. In that case, having one or two devices that total $25-$30 might be a better deal.
A pre-2023 rice cooker model at Aldi.
If you’re in the market for a rice cooker and you don’t have or want a multifunction device, Aldi is selling just the thing.
What We Know:
The Ambiano 6-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer (product code 14647) is, like all Aldi appliances, a limited buy, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. In 2020, the rice cooker retailed for $12.99 and showed up in January. In April of 2022, the rice cooker is $16.99. In February of 2023, Aldi sold the rice cooker for the same price of $16.99, although that time with a slightly different look with a bamboo control panel and bamboo handles. This is on the cheaper end of 6-cup cookers we’ve seen.
We’ve seen Aldi sell rice cookers before, including an Ambiano 16-Cup Rice Cooker that Aldi routinely sells in February. If, however, a 6-cup cooker is big enough (and I imagine for many people it is) and you don’t want the bulk of the 16-cup model, this 6-cup model might be for you.
The 6-cup model comes with:
- The rice cooker
- A removable steamer basket for steaming vegetables, meat, or seafood
- A dishwasher-safe measuring cup
- A dishwasher-safe spatula
- A manual
This 6-cup model has the following features:
- The ability to cook rice and steam vegetables
- One-touch operation
- An automatic keep-warm function
- A vented glass lid that allows steam to escape
- Aluminum nonstick cooking pot with built-in measurements
- Available in black or white
This 6-cup rice cooker comes with a three-year warranty serviced by Kalorik, which has provided warranty service for other Aldi products such as the 2019 Ambiano Toaster Oven and the Ambiano Belgian Waffle Maker.
What We Don’t Know:
We haven’t tried this rice cooker yet, so we don’t know how well it works or how durable it is. We write open threads so readers can share about their experiences with a product.
Do you have experience with this rice cooker? Let us know in the comments.
I bought this 6 cup rice/steamer combo and love it. This is my first my first experience using a rice maker so my feedback is limited. But to date I’ve used it for rice, quinoa, steel cut oats which included fruit and to steam veggies. Works perfect and the size us exactly what I need. My surprise was the steel cut oats! The texture was awesome.
Thank you for this review!
Thanks for your review. I just bought it and you gave me ideas!
I bought from aldi and no manual!!! So I’m on my own looking it up😩
Same! No manual! Does it just stop on its own when finished?
No cup. Post instructions sans cup
Please help! Bought from FB Marketplace nearly brand new but no manual. Never had a rice cooker before and now I’m stuck! Does anyone have a link to refer me to or a copy you could email me? Thanks in advance!
I bought this and loved it. Until the 3rd time… the heating element MELTED… Please be careful!
I’ve had one from ALDI for several years. Just saw that they had them again and bought another one to have in my travel trailer. It’s absolutely awesome! I would highly recommend this rice cooker.
No manual – purchased at Aldi’s. I am on the website for Ambiano,
and do not see directions for use
I just bought one and while checking the box, in small print I saw a cancer warning. I couldn’t find out anything more about the warning. Since I’ve had cancer twice I will be returning it.
Manual for the 16 cup ambiano rice cooker:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1335878/Ambiano-Rc15-G.html?page=7
I just bought one the other day but i have not used it yet, i just got it out of the box to clean and look-over… there is a center coil which is attached to a spring and is surrounded by what i would think is the heating element… is the coil SUPPOSED to be raised-up so that the pot kinda sits on top of it? Thanks…
I have the same question. Did you get any answer?
Yes
I did not, no but i believe it’s meant to be like that, to sense when the rice is cooked… the pot gets heavier then depresses the center coil to shut the device off… that’s just a guess… i still haven’t used it (life keeps getting in the way)…
Thanks, Joseph for responding about the center coil, I’m having the same issue. It seems like it should click in place some kind of way but it doesn’t. I also bought another brand of 6 cups rice cooker from Walmart and it does the same thing. But it has instructors that say push down and turn, but if this is a trick I can’t figure it out. I see some responses don’t even mention this little problem. So that’s why I’m looking for assembly instructions. All that to say I haven’t had a chance to use it because of this little issue.
Actually I believe it’s how the cooker senses whether or not the rice is cooked. As the rice gets lighter as it cooks the center coil thing rises and eventually sets the cooker to Warm. I don’t think it explains this very well in the book. But I’ve used it several times for rice, and veggies, and it does such a good job, I love having it 🙂
Just bought the ruce cooker and have a stupud question. Can you use instant rice? Thanks
Used it and really liked it, but after maybe 3 or four uses it just stopped working! Plug in, pouch button down, nothing! Waste of money for sure for me.
I bought this a couple of months ago to cook oatmeal 4-5 times a week as well as rice occasionally. Well it just stopped working for no reason. It won’t light up when I plug in. I have never left it plugged in for more than 40 minutes?!?! I don’t recommend this product
I used mine for the 1st time today and it bubbled and splattered steam all over…did this happen to anyone else or did I do something wrong? It left crusty white stuff all over everywhere the steam got..
mine did the same thing!! I just bought it yesterday and tried it. I don’t think rice cookers are supposed to sputter and leave a huge mess everywhere. I may take it back…
Hello, I have used my Ambiano rice cooker one time. The rice did not burn on the bottom, but it did have a brown crust. I follow the instructions. The only thing I am not sure about is the time that it spent on warm after cooking. I actually forgot about it and it may have sat for more than 15 minutes. The rice tasted okay so the next time I use it I will just be more mindful of the time.
Bought it in 2020, worked great until today. It melted the plastic and stunk. Will not use it again.
Just bought yesterday. It says to run with maximum amount of water first fir 2-3 times. Does anyone know what the maximum water is? Thank you.