Interview: Sanandan Sudhir, Founder & CEO of On2Cook, Fastest Cooking Device

Interview with Sanandan Sudhir, Founder & CEO of On2Cook, Fastest Cooking Device

Sanandan Sudhir is an Inventor who embarked on an Entrepreneurial Journey with a vow to revolutionize the traditional norms and beliefs associated with cooking and the food industry as a whole.

It was an attempt on an evening to fasten the cooking of cabbage that eventually led Sanandan to create a confluence of conventional as well as modern methodologies and introduce to the world its fastest cooking device – On2Cook.

In addition to being a serial inventor, he is currently the President and CEO of new‐age startup On2Cook India, which focused on disrupting the cooking industry through  its patented game changing inventions.

Engineer by education and hustler by passion, he already has at least 17 granted patents and nearly 20 innovative products in his kitty, even as he has helped multiple businesses develop their product ideas from a thought to a successful business.

An alumnus of Ahmedabad‐based prestigious institution, National Institute of Design, Sanandan Sudhir has earlier worked with General Electric aka GE.

During his stint at the multinational conglomerate, he played an instrumental role in defining the vision for Industrial design, innovation & concept development for organizations like GE Healthcare.

Sandy was also the first Indian to receive an IDEA Silver Award at the 2009 IDSA Design Awards (Category ‐ Medical devices) for the product Discovery MR (Designed at GE Healthcare).

Winner of several other Industrial design, Engineering & Management awards and more than 22 years of Design Excellence and Leadership experience, Sanandan has deep insights of both local & global perspectives in relation to market differentiation and product design practices.

He is a sought‐after Keynote Speaker, Mentor & Jury member across the globe. Every interaction with Sandy is an opportunity to learn & grow!

Can you tell us about your background and how you came up with the idea for On2Cook?

Sanandan Sudhir: An engineer by education and an inventor by passion, I hail from the vibrant state of Gujarat. Following graduation from the National Institute of Technology in Jamshedpur with a degree in Engineering, I attended NID Ahmedabad to specialize in Industrial Design and Product Design.

Being a consistent learner, I am currently pursuing further education from Stanford Seed. I laid the foundation for INVENTINDIA over a decade ago, and that is when my experience as an entrepreneur and inventor began.

Coming to On2Cook, the fastest cooking device that is swiftly disrupting the cooking industry in India and beyond, the invention dates back to before the inception of INVENTINDIA.

When I was living the bachelor life, I decided to get a microwave to make home-cooked food since it was more convenient than setting up a kitchen.

For nearly half a year, I made use of the oven but I eventually understood that it wasn’t practical in the long run, due to not having enough time (and microwave taking a long time to cook India food!).

When I changed to the stove, the finished food didn’t meet my expectations, it was often overcooked, and it had lost its texture, color, vitamins, and nutrients.

During this period, I tried out marrying together the crunchy texture of microwave-cooked food and the caramelisation and flavour from the stove.

It didn’t take me long to understand that this efficient and intelligent cooking method hadn’t yet been put into a product, which led me to invent On2Cook.

Using this combination of microwave and induction / flame cooking, the device enables users to save 70% energy and 50% cooking time – retaining texture, color crunch, vitamins and minerals.

The accompanying app enables a novice user – (who has never cooked before), cook like an expert chef!

Please tell us a little about your entrepreneurial journey

Sanandan Sudhir: As I said before, INVENTINDIA was the start of my entrepreneurial journey; this company specializes in inventing, designing, manufacturing, and marketing new product ideas.

In addition to designing and engineering breakthrough products, we have been providing business development services.

I have been granted 25 patents in the US, UK and India, and I have in excess of 60 patents still pending in other nations.

As a part of InventIndia, we are currently manufacturing 20 innovative products that we have designed.

I have always believed that we need to develop a product idea from a thought to a successful business, and it must always adhere to a need-based proposition.

So at present my complete focus in to Bring On2cook on a global map, and help this combination technology reach every household that can afford!

How does On2Cook work and what sets it apart from other cooking devices?

Sanandan Sudhir: On2cook is an all-in-one solution for cooking. It helps keep the shelf space from getting too cluttered and it’s far more sustainable – it can replace a microwave, a combi-oven, an instant pot, a deep fryer, and a flame stove or an induction hob.

On2Cook uses a combination of microwave and induction / flame cooking to cut cooking time by 70%.

Traditional cooking methods don’t come close to this in terms of energy savings, which brings it up to at least 50%.

Different cooking methods combined guarantee that the food is soft and cooked through the middle while staying crisp and golden brown on the outside.

What challenges did you face while developing On2Cook and how did you overcome them?

Sanandan Sudhir: They we two types of challenges that we faced in the whole on to cook product development.

1. Initially, people had questions about the feasibility of the technology. It is conventionally believed that metal containers are not suitable for microwaves, and plastic or Silicon containers cannot be used on open flame or induction.

Many people had questions about integrating the two Technologies because of this confusion. They typically make the outer casing of a conventional microwave oven of metal, as is the front lid.

The problem occurs only when you place another metal container inside this metal box that has microwaves.

It’s safe to put the food right into the metal chamber of the microwave. We experimented with this idea many times, and eventually on2cook was created.

2. The second major obstacle was controlling flame and induction heat in combination with all the electronics necessary for induction, microwaves and IOT to work.

We have gone through 14 different versions in various shapes and designs to address thermal and safety issues before reaching the final production Version.

We experimented a lot with the materials for the enclosure, the positioning of the Magnetron and other electronic components, technology to regulate the temperature and safety aspects, and consulted with experts from all over the world to improve the design and engineering solutions.

How do you see On2Cook impacting the cooking industry and changing the way people cook?

Sanandan Sudhir: There hasn’t been a technological shift in the cooking appliances space in the post-industrial world for decades, if not centuries.

On2Cook brings cooking into the 21st century. It will initiate a revolutionary transformation in an industry, and even in the lifestyle of all.

Additionally, the device is highly efficient in terms of sustainability and energy conservation, while also keeping the nutritional content of the food intact due to rapid cooking.

What has been the response from consumers and the industry to On2Cook so far?

Sanandan Sudhir: The AI-based, voice-enabled and intelligent combination cooking device is perfect for domestic as well as commercial kitchens.

Tested by 100 chefs and culinary experts across the globe, the device has successfully made dishes like samosas, French fries, chicken as well as cake.

Our vision was confirmed when On2Cook was honored with several awards such as the iF Design Award and the British Invention Show’s Invention Award for Best International Invention.

Our greatest accomplishment is that our fast cooking device is making cooking an effortless job and with app compatibility, a variety of dishes can be cooked, while reducing the amount of thinking required.

 While the domestic kitchen owners have shown a keen interest in this device, commercial kitchens too have realized the importance of fast cooking device.

Consumers came in droves to our booth at MENA’s most significant hospitality and Food Service event, Gulf Host 2022 at World Trade Centre in Dubai and other subsequent global events.

How did you fund the development and production of On2Cook?

Sanandan Sudhir: On2Cook had been bootstrapped for several years until the Hong Kong-based accelerator Brinc stepped in February 2019, right before the pandemic.

In 2022, we secured Rs 17 crore in funding, with the company’s valuation being Rs 100 crore – the same value that had been laughed at on Shark Tank India.

Our production is complete and we are testing the pilot units in the business to business environment. Soon, we will introduce the product on a much larger scale!

What is your success tips for young and aspiring entrepreneurs

Sanandan Sudhir: Every product has a market. Pinpointing the proper market fit for the product area you are in – at the ideal cost – with quick access to clients is the route to succeed in the beginning stages. 

Later, don’t let go no matter what. Need to do whatever it takes!!! 

Read also: How technology is making you adopt a healthy lifestyle

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