Aldi's £12.99 heart shaped mini cast-iron pots just dropped

(Image credit: Aldi)

I'm finding excuses wherever I can this January to reward myself to a little treat to get me through the month and the next thing on my wishlist is Aldi's £12.99 mini heart cast-iron ramekin dish. Available from the 29th of January in store, I reckon these tiny casseroles are bound to be a hit with shoppers.

Many regard the best cookware to be made from cast iron, a material that's recognised as a kitchen essential by professional chefs and casual cooks alike, but the price tag of brands such as Le Creuset can understandably put people off. So if you've been wanting to dip your toe into the cast iron way of cooking, these mini dishes are a great place to start.

IN STORE

Aldi

Heart Shaped Mini Casserole

Launching in-store on the 29th of January, these mini dishes are bound to be a hit with Valentine's Day shoppers.

ON SALE

Le Creuset

Petite Casserole

Le Creuset quality is unbeatable so if you want to opt for the real deal over Aldi's version, this on-sale petite pot is just a couple of pounds more expensive.

According to Aldi, these mini cast-iron pots are suitable for all stovetops and ovens and in terms of variation, there's two choices: either the round or heart shaped versions in pink or red.

Though Aldi claims that these mini dishes are 94% cheaper than Le Creuset's version, that is slightly disingenuous due to the fact that the French heritage brand hasn't released any mini heart coccotes as part of its Valentine's Day collection this year. Its full sized heart shaped casseroles will set you back £225 (via Le Creuset) but seeing as these are full-sized as opposed to petite, it's not the fairest comparison out there.

Nevertheless, one of these mini cast iron buys is a worthwhile thing to add to your kitchen if you're looking for versatility with what you can cook in single portions. Not only do they look great for serving when friends come over but for puddings for one, they're just the right size. I've been using ramekins in my air fryer for years but these heart shaped versions are too cute to pass up on.

Will you be getting into the Valentine's Day spirit with a trip to Aldi's Specialbuys aisle?

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Molly is Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor, the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Appliances. An all-around cooking and baking enthusiast, she loves finding the next must-have product for readers that will their kitchen a better place. She joined the team in September 2022 after working on the editorial teams of Real Homes, Homes & Gardens and Livingetc.

For the last 4 years, she's been reviewing hundreds of small appliances; conducting tests at home or in the Ideal Home test kitchen. She would be hard-pressed to pick a Mastermind specialist subject but air fryers are her ultimate area of expertise, after testing just about every single one released since 2022.

To keep ahead of trends and new releases, Molly has visited the testing and development spaces of multiple kitchen brands including Ninja Kitchen and Le Creuset as well as attended consumer shows such as IFA, hosted in Berlin to see the cooking innovations of the future.