Ron Popeil, American inventor who is well known for his direct response company Ronco, will long be remembered for a wide variety of products designed to make life easier. Popeil is a natural born salesman and pitchman. He is able to take a product that for instance, men would not usually be interested in, and in the end, have men convinced that they had to go out and buy an automatic vegetable chopper. Ron Popeil is a self-made multimillionaire whose products have pulled in over one billion dollars.

The Veg-O-Matic was invented by S.J. Popeil-his father’s company and whom Ron worked for as a young man. Ron helped to make the Vego-O-Matic a big hit, thanks to his ingenious marketing and pitching abilities.

One of the most famous products Ron is credited with producing and selling is the Showtime Rotisserie. He starred in commercials as he was impaling chicken on the two-pronged spit rod and popping it into the oven. The product itself was designed to be the star, and not Ron. This is one of the main reasons his products sold so well.

Over the past three decades, Ron Popeil has invented a wide range of kitchen gadgets including the Popeil Automatic Pasta and Sausage Maker. This gadget features s thrust bearing that is made of the same material that is used to produce bulletproof glass.

The Ronco Electric Food Dehydrator is a Ronco invention as well as is the Digital Jog Dial Showtimes which is a spinoff of the Showtime Rotisserie Grill. It also made “set it and forget it” a national catch phrase. The Popeil Pocket Fisherman is another product that is a top seller that has thrilled generations. When ready to use, the small fishing pole is simply unfolded until it snaps into place. The handle is a mini tacklebox that contains a hook, line, sinker and bobber. The Pocket Fisherman was designed with the idea that it would make a great gift for a man.

Ron Popeil’s products are ingrained into the fabric of America. Americans are known for looking for quicker, more efficient ways of doing the most simple tasks and Ron gave that to us with his practical and useful inventions.

A Bit of the Ronco Rotisserie