The most significant Japanese invention isn’t some portable electronic device or hybrid compact car or astronomical telescope, it’s instant ramen. A humble food solely responsible for keeping alive millions of starving, broke college students, instant ramen is easy (just add hot water!), fast (cooks in 3 minutes!), and, for under a dollar, satisfying enough to make you think you’re eating “real” food.

In Japan, there are so many varieties of instant ramen that an entire aisle in the supermarket is devoted to them. There are some that come in a plastic bowl with a soup base packet, a packet of chili-flavored oil, a packet of spices, a packet of freeze-dried green onion, and a freeze-dried sponge on top that magically reconstitutes to a fluffy, tasty tempura patty.

Alas, man cannot live (long) on instant ramen alone, so when you’ve graduated to using the microwave, try the Cook-Zen cooking pot by Skater Co., Ltd. A cooking pot designed especially for microwave ovens, it was developed with Japan’s leading cooking advisor. The Cook-Zen pot enables you to cook, simmer, steam or boil food using your microwave, so it’s perfect for college students. It’s easy to use, creates healthy, tasty dishes, and is even popular in restaurant kitchens and amongst professional chefs…as well as professional instant ramen cooks.