Here's What Happened To Rapid Ramen Cooker After Shark Tank
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Some of the best kitchen tools we've seen on "Shark Tank" take something totally simple and taken for granted — like the humble sponge — and make a product people feel like they can't live without. The Scrub Daddy, which got an investment deal with Mark Cuban, is one product from the show that sticks out. Now, Scrub Daddy is an Amazon best-seller, and after going viral on TikTok, the company is expected to surpass $100 million in sales in 2022 (via the Philadelphia Business Journal).
But that's not the only intriguingly simple product viewers have seen on "Shark Tank." What about the Rapid Ramen Cooker? It might seem to most people like cooking a package of ramen couldn't get any quicker. After all, that's why it's such a popular convenience meal (15 packets of ramen were sold for every person on Earth in 2010, according to Vox).
But Rapid Ramen Cooker creator Chris Johnson invented a product that makes it possible to cook a package of ramen in half the time. The patented design of the Rapid Ramen Cooker ensures that the noodles are cooked in just 3 minutes in the microwave (via Amazon). Mark Cuban was impressed enough to invest in the company; per Shark Tank Tales, he invested $150,000 for 15%. But where is the Rapid Ramen Cooker today?
The Rapid Ramen Cooker continues to succeed
If you look at the Microwave Oven Parts & Accessories Best Sellers list on Amazon, guess which product you'll see gracing the #1 spot? That's right — it's the Rapid Ramen Cooker from Rapid Brands. Since appearing on "Shark Tank" in 2012, Rapid Brands has been very successful. The company developed a second product, the Rapid Mac Cooker, which cooks macaroni and cheese in the microwave in just five minutes compared to 20 on the stovetop, and it's also an Amazon best-seller.
Being on television and getting an investment from Mark Cuban certainly helped the business, says Rapid Brands CEO Chris Johnson, but the journey didn't stop there. "That's where that work ethic comes in. You got to continue to build this without the exposure, without the 10 to 15 million viewers," Johnson shared with ABC10 in 2016.
It seems like he was adept at bridging the gap between television and reality. According to the Shark Tank Blog, as of 2022, Rapid Brands had an annual revenue of $5 million, and has made more than $55 million in total sales since its "Shark Tank" debut all those years ago.