Ambiano Air Fryer

Last Updated on July 9, 2023

Ambiano Deep Fryer

EDITOR’S NOTES:

  • Are you reading about the right air fryer? Read about the Ambiano 8-Quart Air Fryer here. Read our review of the Ambiano 6 Quart Air Fryer here
  • This review was updated in November 2019 with more impressions, updated September 2020 with a 1-year progress report, and updated in November 2021 with a 2-year progress report video.
  • In 2021, Aldi sold a slightly tweaked version of this air fryer. While the button layout is a little different, it appears to have the same features and operate the same. The price is also the same.

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Let’s face it: deep fried food tastes awesome.

Just a day before I first started writing this piece, my family went out to eat with some friends at a local restaurant, and I ordered the fried chicken. It was so good that my kids — who don’t particularly care for fried chicken — poached all the fried chicken I couldn’t eat, with a little help from my wife. Deep frying things seals in the flavor and gives them an extra crispiness and taste that baking can’t duplicate, much less microwaving.

Let’s also face this: deep fried food isn’t good for you.

We know this, too. The problem is that deep frying food seals fatty oils into your foods, infusing them with things that make the food more likely to be a health problem.

An air fryer offers something of a potential solution. It promises to give food the taste and texture you get with a deep fryer without the added oil.

Sometime in the fall months, Aldi sells one.

Ambiano Air Fryer

The Ambiano Air Fryer (product code 98655) is an ALDI Find, meaning it’s only in stores for a limited time. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. The air fryer runs $49.99, which is cheaper than just about all of the air fryers we’ve seen online.

The fryer comes with the following:

  • The air fryer
  • The fry basket insert with cool-touch handle
  • The fry basket
  • The manual

The air fryer’s features include:

  • A 2.6-liter frying basket (about 2.75 quarts)
  • A 60-minute digital timer
  • Eight preset cooking programs: french fries, bacon, chicken, shrimp, steak, cake, veggies, and fish
  • An adjustable temperature control
  • Touch control
  • Backlit touch display

The fryer is backed by a 3-year warranty, serviced by Wuensche USA.

Unboxing and Setup

Setting it up isn’t hard, although you’ll want to read the manual carefully before getting down to business. The most important things to do are 1) make sure all the packaging is removed and 2) wipe down the inside and outside of the fryer with a “slightly damp” or “moist” cloth. The manual advises special care when wiping down the fan and heating element at the top of the inside of the air fryer.

From there, it’s a matter of plugging it in and getting to work.

As the feature set suggests, the air fryer uses a touch screen menu, which I found to be simple and responsive. A menu button lets you cycle through a list of presets, while other buttons let you configure the time and temperature if you want a more manual approach. While it’s not the most important thing, the air fryer does have a nice clean look to it, including the display.

Differences from a Deep Fryer

Ambiano Air Fryer

The components. (Click to enlarge.)

Now, if you’re familiar with a traditional deep fryer, one of the first things you’ll notice about an air fryer is that the space is configured differently. Where a deep fryer is mostly the basin, heated by an element, an air fryer uses a heating plate and a fan, and the fan in particular takes up a lot of space. The downside is that, for all the space an air fryer takes on a counter, it translates to a smaller fry basket than you’d get from a regular deep fryer of similar size. It’s not too small, though — based on my testing, the basket ends up being a little bigger than it looks, and it should be enough for most families to make decent quantities of food.

Another difference: cook time. Most prepackaged products that can be deep fried do come with deep fryer instructions, but few come with air fryer instructions. The manual offers a number of suggested cooking times, temperatures, and tips for various foods — and there are a wealth of resources out there to help people make the conversion — but for prepackaged foods there is necessarily going to be a bit of guesswork. One important point is that air fryers are closer to ovens in terms of temperature, since they both use air (the liquid of a deep fryer cooks faster at a lower temperature), although an air fryer will often be faster and may use a slightly lower temperature than an oven.

Testing the Fryer

Ambiano Air Fryer

Some of our test subjects. (Click to enlarge.)

We tested a couple of different items in the air fryer. For my initial test, I fried up some Aldi curly fries, the ALDI Find cousin to Aldi seasoned fries. I went ahead and just used the preset for french fries, which called for 400 degrees over 18 minutes. Following the tip in the manual, I pulled out the insert and fry basket about halfway through, shaking the fries a little, before putting them back in. The handle was cool to the touch, and the fryer stopped almost immediately when I removed the insert. When I put the insert back in, it picked up where it left off. Once the time expired, it beeped and shut down.

The fries came out really well. They were crisp and tasty, with a texture a lot closer to a deep fryer than an oven. At the same time, they weren’t oily the way fries from a deep fryer are; I didn’t have to put them on a paper towel to blot the oil off of them, for example.

I also tested some of Aldi’s excellent hash brown patties. I used the same temperature as the french fries for the hash browns, pulling them out a few minutes earlier than the 18-minute default time. They came out perfectly crisp and tasty, just as the fries did.

UPDATE #1 (November 2019): Since we first published this review, we’ve tested a number of things in the air fryer — chicken drumsticks, diced raw potatoes, vegetable samosas, mozzarella cheese sticks, and bacon, just to name a few — and they’ve all come out really well. There remains a bit of an art to the cook times and temperatures, but the end result is undeniable: the air fryer produces crisp, tasty food. We expect this to be a keeper in our kitchen for a long time.

UPDATE #2 (September 2020): We’ve now owned this air fryer for close to a year, and it’s become one of our favorite go-to cooking appliances. There’s still an art to it with some foods, but things we cook in it are crispy and hot. We use it for a lot of things: French fries, onion rings, diced potatoes, hash brown patties, chicken patties, and samosas, just to name a few. We’ll sometimes toss in our buns to toast them for a minute, and we also like using it to reheat takeout food like crab rangoon or egg rolls that might get soggy in the microwave. In short, we’re glad we have it.

UPDATE #3 (November 2021): see video below.

The Verdict:

If you’re in the market for something that can deep fry without all the oil, this is an awfully interesting option. It’s easy to use, responsive, and makes a decent amount of food, all things considered. The Aldi fryer is also a fair bit cheaper than most other air fryers out there, so as models go this one definitely has that going for it. We don’t know about longevity yet, but a 3-year warranty definitely adds some peace of mind.

About Joshua

Joshua is the Co-founder of Aldi Reviewer. He is also a writer and novelist. You can learn more about him at joshuaajohnston.com.

56 Comments

  1. There is no option or setting for dehydrating foods.

    Also, deep frying in oil has been a healthy option for cooking for the longest time. The problem is the type of oil that is used. Cooking in beef tallow, chicken fat or bacon grease and you’re all set. Vegetable oils are a different matter.

    • I’m experimenting with homemade, skin-on, tallow fries in the air fryer. Starting with hand sliced Russets, thoroughly rinsed and dried then tossed in liquified tallow. Tallow solidifies on contact with fries allowing it to stick nicely for freezing in ziplocs so I can cook a few at a time for “the boys”.

  2. Does your air fryer bottom lock in securely and not slide out? I bought one and this is my first air fryer and the bottom seems off track like it doesn’t slide in or out easily. When it’s pushed in, I can still slide it out easily, there is no secure lock taking place. I don’t know if I have a bad one or if this is normal.

    • If I put it in correctly, it clicks and stays put. There’s no release mechanism for it, though. You just sort of pull it out.

    • Just purchased one. Very excited. Waiting on 1st batch of homemade fries. Could only put 2 potatoes (following recommended weight of 14 oz). Hope this will be enough for two. Seems like little… but certainly a good thing healthwise.

  3. I don’t hear the audible click in mine. And it’s off track because it enters at a downward angle and the side of the machine has little gaps where the components don’t line up evenly : (

  4. Joseph Leonard Milashius

    The manual calls for preheat for steaks. How do you preheat?

  5. I recently received my air fryer as a gift and had never used one before. Upon opening the box, there was no instruction manual inside! Very disappointing and not able to return it with no receipt.

  6. Did you find that it was large enough for your family?

    • In general, yes. If you have, say, four people, I think you can cook enough for that situation in this air fryer.

      • Purchased the air fryer a week ago. When I turn it on it sounds like a motorcycle taking off very loud. Call service and left email no answer. No help

        • Sometimes It takes a little longer for them to respond but as in my case they responded within about four days and they made the product good without me having to send it back.

  7. what is the power consumption is it less than a conventional electric fan oven?
    my electric bill hit the roof from using the oven 🙂

    Also can fry a turkey stakes?

  8. Where can I get vegetable kabob skewer? For this oven

  9. Great review, we bought one as well and have been using it at least a few times a week. Love it!

  10. I bought this brand, but not the one pictured, at Aldi’s on 12-16-19 and paid $99.99+tax. Can’t find reviews anywhere. I think I will return as the box has not been opened.

  11. I purchased this air fryer @ Aldi’s on clearance for $34.99, all I have to say is that it’s been one of my best purchases. Works perfectly, food turns out great. Even my sister uses it.

  12. Does anyone know is the basket made on safety material ?Is this Teflon ?

  13. The first time I used my hot air fryer I had no problems today I went to cook some potatoes chips and it starts them the display say E2 and shuts down

  14. This airfryer has a 7″ diameter basket like most available – though some manufacturers make 8″ models). It works well but do consider it as a small rapid fan oven (makes whizzo baked spuds 40mins at 200c)
    One minus point is the blue LED control illumination on black doesn’t really work well – if orange LEDs were used, you’d be able to actually see the symbols.

  15. Hello how can I get a copy of the manual… I lost mine! 🙁

  16. Hi,

    I need to change the little rubber plug that is in the bottom of the pan.
    I broke it while what I was trying to put it after cleaning the pan.
    Do you know where I can find it?

    Thanks and Regards

    Mehdi

  17. Anyone knows how to fry eggplants in this thing?

    I want to see if it can be done the same as pan frying with much less oil. Should I rub oil on eggplant before putting it there?

    I want to make Persian style fried eggplant if you are asking.

  18. HI,
    there is a small rubber or sillion stopper on the bottom of the pan, is this safe ? do i leave it on or take it off thanks

  19. Hi Alan,

    you have to leave it to avoid the oil to leak if the level gets to high.

    Be carful when cleaning the pan, I almost broke my rubber stopper.

    Do you know by any chance where can I buy more of these rubber stopper?

    Thanks

  20. elizabeth auchterlonie

    when might this aldi airfrier be available again just missed 2021march

  21. How can I get a new instruction manual for the air fryer i bought it in march and haven’t used it yet because the manual is missing

  22. I just opened the box of my new Ambiano air fryer, and there was no manual. I don’t have a printer to obtain a hard copy. Can you help me with getting a paper copy?

  23. Catherine Petersen

    Are the removable parts of an Ambiano air fryer dishwasher safe?

  24. How many quarts is Ambiano Compact air fryer?

    • Aldi has not yet shared details about the compact air fryer that’s scheduled to arrive in stores the week of August 11th, so we’re not sure.

      • Does it have a filter to clean. We have had ours for a while but I notice when my wife uses it it still gives that bar/ greasy smell off filling the house. I thought maybe the filter need cleaned but I don’t see one.

  25. I would have a recipe book to know how long to air fryer different foods i’m afraid of under or over cooking food

  26. Any cook book or recipe websites you suggest?

  27. Is there any way to order replacement parts? Our fryer basket took a dive and will not fit properly now. We would like a new one. Thank you.

  28. Week of April 27, these are available again.
    From the comments, it sounds like these break easily.

    My biggest question, not mentioned in the article, is how hard is this to clean?

    • It’s pretty simple — just soap and water for the basket and tray. We’ve found they clean easily and things usually come off without much hassle.

  29. Easy peasy. Just wipe down or hand wash, depending on your dish you prepared.

  30. Does anyone use their air fryer to cook vegetables? We don’t eat alot of potatoes or chicken nuggets etc. Also, can it be used to replace the microwave for reheating food?

    • We use ours for all sorts of veggies. I like to put some cut-up fresh cauliflower, broccoli, or asparagus in with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and air fry until tender-crisp. You could do the same thing with other veggies like carrots. Sometimes I add some Parmesan cheese to the veggies toward the end of the cooking time as well. If you’re looking for more healthy foods to air fry, salmon is great in the air fryer, but keep an eye on it because it cooks faster than in a regular oven.

      And you can definitely reheat food in the air fryer, depending on what kind of food you need to reheat. I reheat leftover egg rolls or other types of fried food in the air fryer. I also reheat oven-baked chicken (I have a recipe where the chicken is coated in flour and seasonings) in the air fryer.

  31. Thank you, Joshua. I recently bought the more simple version of this, the Aldi Ambiano Digital Air fryer 3L AF2503. Our model is very uncomplicated .. has only 5 buttons on the digital screen for on, temp up/temp down and time up/time down.. That’s my kind of machine 🙂 I have only one issue with it which is that other than the basket itself and the one flat holed plate there are no accessories.. i’d happily buy some, but they all seem to come as 8″ diameter, and I dont know that they fit into the just 8″ diameter space of the basket.. have you found any of the 3-tier stackable stainless/steel basket/trays in a smaller size? Perhaps 17.5 cm or 7″? If such things in the right size were available it would be my new favourite kitchen thing.. 🙂 Thank you.

  32. Hi, couple of questions please. The basket of this has gone rusty! Can it still be used? Is this normal? Can I use a silicon cover? Can I get a replacement? Any ideas? Thank you

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