Get This $19.99 ALDI Find While It Lasts—I Can't Cook Without It

As other Polish kids know, our moms, aunts, and babcias will pick and forage for anything. Mushrooms in the deep woods? Yes! Asparagus in ditches along the side of the highway? Absolutely. Blueberries "the size of your thumb" off of every dirt road? Essential!

Very early on, Mom instilled the canning and preserving spirit in me, taking me out to pick, bringing our finds home, and turning them into something to enjoy. Sometimes we'd do so immediately with plump, blueberry perogies, and sometimes later, with her gorgeous blueberry jam.

The first time I made my own jam, I had to borrow a stock pot to process the jars, but knowing that this tradition will forever be a part of me, I bought my own. It's as basic as they come, and it does the trick, but when I came across ALDI's stunning 12-quart porcelain enamel stockpot, it was a serious level up—something I know my mom would appreciate.

And this particular budget-friendly pot ($19.99 to be exact) bears an uncanny resemblance to a similar Le Creuset version that costs $175. ALDI hit the mark, just in time for canning season!

Why a Stockpot Is An Essential Kitchen Tool

A good stockpot is like a reliable friend who's always there when you need them, even if you don't hang out every day. I don't use it often, but I also don't know what I'd do without mine.

The 12-quart capacity of ALDI's behemoth pot is perfect when you're cooking for a crowd or meal-prepping for the weeks ahead. I use mine to simmer enormous batches of homemade chicken stock, which I then freeze in portions for quick weeknight soups and risottos.

It's also my go-to for boiling mountains of corn on the cob for summer barbecues. The ALDI pot is safe up to 500 degrees, so it can probably even sit directly on the barbecue.

Beyond its soup and stock duties, each year I use it to make two huge batches of chili (meat and vegetarian) for our annual neighborhood party. I've also used it to steam a small army of lobsters for a special anniversary dinner, boil pounds of pasta for my former running group's carb-loading session, and, yes, as a makeshift water bath for canning homemade pickles and jams.

I pick and can summer strawberries to enjoy all year round with my kids. If you think a stockpot is an unnecessary tool, I can't stress enough that making these memories wouldn't be as easy without mine.

My stockpot has proven to be a versatile workhorse that I reach for time and time again. I can all but guarantee that ALDI’s stockpot is an investment that'll earn its keep in your kitchen. And at this price point, you might even have enough left over to splurge on some fancy ingredients to fill it with.