Ramen noodles may be one of the most common foods kept in dorm rooms at colleges all across the United States.

Chris Johnson is the inventor of a new product called the Rapid Ramen Cooker, which hit shelves just last November.

“Ramen noodles, still to this very day, are an undisputed college staple,” Johnson said.

Johnson, as a student at UC Davis, was a consumer of instant ramen and it was there his idea for a faster and easier way to cook ramen was born.

Though ramen is supposed to be an instant meal, he found that the twelve minutes that it usually took to make ramen on the stove was a tedious wait. Another challenge Johnson found was that schools require students to live on campus their first year and most dorm halls do not allow stoves inside rooms.

Microwaves however, are perfectly acceptable.

“[They] allow students to eat in the comfort of their own dorm room instead of going down to the community kitchen,” Johnson said.

In comparison to the lengthy twelve minutes on a stove, said Johnson, the Rapid Ramen Cooker allows for a quick four minute spin in the microwave to produce “perfect, stovetop quality ramen every time.”

“Instead of having to smash the noodles in the microwave, having to guess how much water is needed, and having to use oven mitts to remove the steaming hot bowl, students can now simply use the Rapid Ramen Cooker,” Johnson said. “The process is super easy. You put the block of ramen in the cooker, which is a perfect fit, add water and pop it in the microwave.”

Liz Richley, sophomore, said using Rapid Ramen would make things easier.

“It would be easier to make ramen with something that would actually go into the microwave,” she said.

Created out of high grade plastic, the cooker is BPA free, dishwasher safe and microwave safe. One of the reasons that this innovative new product has been such a huge success is attributed to its health factor, Johnson said.

“[This is] the world’s fastest, easiest and healthiest way to cook ramen noodles,” he said, “allowing for a 50% reduction of sodium.”

A typical package of ramen is prepared with two cups of water and an entire packet of seasoning.

The Rapid Ramen Cooker is different.

“Only one cup of water is used, which means that just half of the seasoning packet is necessary to produce the same delicious taste,” Johnson said.

Prices for the cooker at retail stores run at $5.99 and just $6.99 on Amazon.com.

Lacey Richardson, sophomore, agrees with Richley.

“I feel like it would be beneficial to college students because I know a lot of people that eat ramen,” she said.