Where Is The Magic Cook From Shark Tank Today?

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"Shark Tank" contestants and their products generally take one of two paths: They either soar like a rocket or take on water and sink to the bottom of the entrepreneurial sea, never quite achieving the success they desired. However, Sharon Yu's Magic Cook, a flameless cooking container that requires no batteries or electricity for heating, falls somewhere in between. Yu appeared on Season 6, Episode 10 of "Shark Tank" in 2014 to present Magic Cook, a type of futuristic-looking lunchbox made of plastic with a stainless steel insert that, together, can cook food. 

How does it work? A heat pack made of quicklime, also known as calcium oxide, is placed in the plastic box and activated by water. Within a few seconds, it turns to a rolling boil. The metal insert is filled with food to cook and placed into the plastic box. Magic Cook seemed like the perfect product for campers, natural disaster preppers, or individuals on the go. It was even touted for its ability to heat liquids like tea, coffee, or even soup in just 10 minutes and frozen foods in 25. Yu and her product seemed to have all the potential to be one of the biggest food wins to come out of Shark Tank. Unfortunately, that initial flicker of excitement and possibility has since been reduced to nothing but wisps of smoke.

When Sharon Yu made her pitch, the Sharks were in awe at how fast the water started boiling once the quicklime packet was added. For a split second, it seemed there was a glimmer of hope that Shark Mark Cuban would be as impressed with Magic Cook as he was when the camping product known as PowerPot appeared on Shark Tank the previous season. Sadly, that awe did not convert to buy-in. She was asking for $100,000 for 20% of her business, and after a bit of banter, four of the sharks — Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Nick Woodman, and QVC's Lori Greiner — were out for reasons that varied from not liking camping to not feeling its marketability.

Luckily, it only takes one, and Daymond John could see a future for Magic Cook. Yu had leaned into her knowledge of manufacturing during her presentation, which impressed John. She shared that she had already sold 35,000 packs, demonstrating a clear demand; however, it's the profit margin that was truly impressive. It costs $6.50 to make the lunchbox, and she sold them for $29 each. Additionally, the quicklime packs cost $2 to make, and she offered those for $9.99 each. John ultimately offered Yu $100,000 for a 33% stake in her business, and while she initially wanted to call her lawyer, she accepted the offer on air.

So, what happened next? Magic Cook appeared to take off. Sharon Yu made an appearance on Inc. Magazine's "Ask Marcus Lemonis." The CNBC host of "The Profit" and CEO of Camping World was impressed that Yu took a military cooking concept and reimagined it for everyday life. While he was critical of the fact that she produces her products on demand rather than keeping a large inventory, he agreed to carry Magic Cook products in his store. It was a total win for Yu, but her good fortune didn't end there. Yu's primary investor, Shark Daymond John, went on the Home Shopping Network's show, "The Monday Night Show with Adam Freeman," in 2016 to promote the Magic Cook Cup, which quickly sold out. Not too shabby for a product that only caught the interest of a single Shark. 

However, what goes up eventually comes down, and Magic Cook's trajectory seems to be on the descent. While Sharon Yu's deal with Daymond John was a clear victory, what was once a hot commodity appears to have become one of the biggest Shark Tank food fails. Is it still in business? It's difficult to tell. The official Magic Cook website is still functional, but it seems more like a ghost site. The majority of core products that make up Yu's business are all marked "sold out." Instead, the online storefront features items like backpacks with umbrellas and flashlights. 

Additionally, the Magic Cook products that launched Yu's business are no longer available on Amazon. Magic Cook's Instagram account has been inactive for several years, with the last posting dating back to 2020. This could all just be due to COVID-19, a softening demand, or a changing of course altogether, but that remains unclear. Still, it could also be due to some legal issues that Yu encountered with her Magic Cook products that involved possible idea theft.

While nothing under the sun is new, Barocook, a competitor of Magic Cook, made claims shortly after Sharon Yu's appearance on Shark Tank that her product is a copy of its own. According to a complaint posted on the Shark Tank Blog, "Dokdo has information that the Magic Cook product is being produced in China in violation of our Chinese patents."

Truth or fiction? We don't have that answer, but Sharon Yu used the Shark Tank blog to deny these allegations and retained legal counsel; however, nothing seemed to be definitively or publicly settled. That said, Barocook's website features products that are very similar to Magic Cook, but Barocook notes that it has been operating in Europe and Asia since 2008. Barocook also notes on its website that, in addition to Magic Cook, a product called "Kindle Cook" copied two products and took them to China for production, but their inventories became depleted because of the enforcement of patent and copyright laws. This, coupled with the fact that Barocook is thriving and Magic Cook appears to be out of the game, gives consumers pause to consider whether the litigation may have contributed to Magic Cook's slow but steady demise.

"Shark Tank" is available for purchase on Prime Video.