Where Is Handy Pan From Shark Tank Today?
When entrepreneurs appear on "Shark Tank," most of their inventions try to solve a problem many people face in their lives. One invention claims it can make cooking in the kitchen a breeze. Handy Pan wants to be the go-to cooking pan in the kitchen, whether you're stir-frying veggies or cooking pasta.
According to its website, Handy Pan is a two-in-one cooking appliance: a cooking pan with a built-in strainer. Although it looks like a typical pan, with a push of a button, the pan transforms into a strainer when you need to get rid of grease or water.
The clever invention is the brainchild of childhood friends and entrepreneurs Adam Chaudry and Josh Conway. According to the two, the idea for Handy Pan came from a design sketch on a napkin (via YouTube). The duo launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for their invention, but only raised $9,277 — failing to reach their goal of $40,000. Will the entrepreneurs be able to convince the Sharks to invest in their product?
Handy Pan nabbed a deal
Adam Chaudry and Josh Conway appeared on "Shark Tank" Season 13, Episode 21. The entrepreneurs sought $10,000 for 20% equity of their company. The inventors of Handy Pan demonstrated the use of their pan, showcasing its versatility by straining grease and water. After the demonstration, Robert Herjavec quickly questioned the entrepreneurs' ask of $10,000, as it is unusually low for contestants on the program. In reply, Chaudry explained that they came up with that low number so a deal wouldn't be hindered in any way.
As it turns out, Chaudry likely knew exactly what the weak points of the pitch were. At the time, Handy Pan had completed just over $7,900 in sales with limited production of the pans. The Sharks seem displeased and confused about the low sales, but Chaudry explained that the sales were strictly coming from their website. He also admitted that Handy isn't available to purchase on Amazon. Conway added that marketing is not their strong suit — they only spent $533 on advertising. Still, they both said that they would like to see the pan sold in retailers.
Not all the Sharks saw the appeal of Handy Pan, especially Kevin O'Leary, who didn't believe the pan was sellable. However, Lori Greiner disagreed with O'Leary. While Herjavec thought Handy Pan was a great product, he was unimpressed. Before anyone else could voice criticism or drop out, Greiner said she would give the entrepreneurs their deal as she had nothing to lose, which they quickly accepted. Was the deal enough for Handy Pan's sales to sizzle?
People got their hands on Handy Pan
Not much can be found about Handy Pan's status after appearing on "Shark Tank." According to Techie + Gamers, Handy pan quickly sold out of its products after the episode's airing. The Handy Pan was sold for $29 at the time of the taping. It looks like the price has skyrocketed since then; the pan is now listed for $69.99 on the company website. At the time of this writing, the website currently offers a holiday special sale. If you order 10 Handy Pans, the company will give a $50 discount on the total.
It appears the website is the only place to buy Handy Pan. Despite the Sharks' criticism, Handy Pan still is not sold on Amazon. Whether Handy Pan is sold in retailers is also unclear. The Sharks criticized the lack of advertisement for Handy Pan on the show. All these years later, it doesn't seem like Adam Chaudry or Josh Conway have made any attempts to boost Handy Pan's social media presence. Besides a sparsely updated Facebook page, there are no signs of any additional social media accounts.
Despite the lack of social media activity, Handy Pan is still available to purchase on its website.