The $70 Aldi Splurge I Can't Live Without (It's Worth Every Penny)

If you're anything like me, your day runs on tiny rituals—small, happy habits that make everyday life a bit better. For me, cold drinks are part of my ride-or-die list.

Whether it's a giant glass of icy cold sparkling water on a warm afternoon or a perfectly chilled iced strawberry matcha to kickstart a busy morning (or both most days), ice is an essential element of my overall happiness. For most of my life, I preferred room-temperature drinks, but after having kids, something shifted in me (hormones? chaos?), and I fell in love with icy beverages.

To get those drinks down to temp, a proper ice tray is essential. For years, my freezer's basic ice trays weren't cutting it. So last year, I treated myself to Aldi's $70 Ambiano Countertop Ice Maker.

A year later, it's one of my favorite appliances—it churns out ice cubes in 8 minutes (or less) and produces up to 26 pounds of ice daily, which is far more reliable than the old system of, ahem, regularly forgetting to refill trays. For what it’s worth, unlike most things, Aldi’s current ice maker hasn’t gone up in price.

Why I Still Love Aldi's Countertop Ice Maker

Whether making my morning drink or hosting friends on the weekend, I use Aldi's Ambiano Countertop Ice Maker almost every day. Last month, my sister and her crew stopped by unexpectedly, and we had eight people and limited freezer ice. Before I got this machine, I would have panicked a bit; this time, however, I started the machine and we were back in business with drinks on ice in half an hour.

For someone who loves ice as much as I do, the biggest selling point is that in the day-to-day, I never have to think about not having ice. It takes care of itself, humming along in the background while I go about my day, stopping when the basket fills up, and picking back up once I use some ice. If I forget about it overnight, the melted ice just cycles back into the reservoir to be made again.

Every morning, I fill the reservoir with filtered water (from a basic home filter) and let it run while I tackle my to-do list. By lunchtime, I have a basket full of fresh ice ready for my sparkling water break. Then, I transfer any excess ice to freezer bags, which gives me backup ice for impromptu guests (I've learned my lesson well).

I love that the Ambiano ice maker has virtually eliminated some of my daily frustrations, like discovering empty ice trays at the worst moment, playing freezer Tetris with overfilled ice trays, and rationing ice during dinner parties. For $70, this "splurge" has been worth every penny, and I'd buy it again in a second.

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