Summary

Hobart’s budget range have been popular since they launched for a very simple reason: they are reliable and they do the job.  A great value purchase.

Pros

Well made

Easy to use

Simple to take apart for cleaning

Integrated drain pump

Good to Know

Single skin body, double skinned door

Hobart

Hobart are an American company, started in the Victorian era, and now part of a larger group, mostly made up of brands that are only big across the pond. But Hobart has built an enviable reputation for warewashing across the world. Along with Winterhalter and Meiko, they are a premium brand that everyone else is trying to emulate.

Ecomax

However, wanting to look after different areas of the market, Hobart brought out Ecomax in 2003 as its budget warewashing brand. The machines are simpler than Hobart and use less expensive materials – but the machines have done very well and sold bucket loads.

Ecomax is a very simple range – there is two options for glasswashers and one for dishwashers, which you can augment with detergent dispensers, water softeners and drain pumps.

Build qualities

They have a flat, touch control panel that is easy to use – which also features a simple two program setup – short and long. All the machines, like much of the market, are made from pressed metal shells, which reduce the joins which in older machines can become traps for mould and bacteria – making them easier to clean. They have a button to drain and ‘wash’ the interior of the machine – but be aware this does NOT mean you get away without cleaning it! You must properly clean the inside of the machines daily to ensure that they are hygienically clean. 

The doors are double skinned on the machines – reducing heat loss and noise – and single skinned over the rest of the machine.

Both dish and glasswashers in this range have a system called Thermostop – which ensures the machine is at temperature to give the best possible clean.

All the machines we’re talking about today have an LED readout showing the temperature of both the wash and the rinse, making it easy to see if your machine is performing at its best.

Glasswashers

The compact model in the Ecomax glasswasher range is the G404 to which you can add a drain pump, a detergent dispenser and an integral water softener. All these need to be specified before you purchase – they can’t be added later.

The G404 is a small machine, perfect for smaller businesses and pubs  – you can fit 16 pint glasses inside the machine thanks to its 390x390mm baskets.

The G404 has two wash programs: short and long. The short is 60 secs and the long 120. When you look at the a spec sheets, Hobart say that the machine can do 60 baskets an hour – but that is just an hour divided by the shortest program cycle! We’ve referred to this before, the industry standard of measuring hourly rates is unrealistic, but this is one of the quickest cycles on the market, and will be very efficient. However, do remember this is NOT for heavily soiled glasses, but for a quick, hygienic rinse

The G504 is a larger machine, which gives you room for 25 pint glasses and its cycle times are 60 and 180 secs. It uses 2.3litres of water with every wash and its tank holds 25 litres.

Dishwasher

There’s no compact dishwasher for the Ecomax – instead you have the F504 machine, which takes a standard 500x500mm tray, which can hold 18 plates, 20 cups and a good amount of whatever else you need washing!

The machine can come with an integral softener (look for the ‘S’ on the end of the name for this feature) and you get a drain pump and detergent dispenser as standard, as well as an installation kit, so you can install and get started quickly and easily.

The machine has two program cycles – one of 60secs and one of 180. The 60 secs wash is perfect for a final clean of your dishes if you rinse them off first. If the plates are very dirty, only use the 180 second one.

Conclusion

Both the Hobart Ecomax Glasswashers and dishwashers are well made, easy to use and very affordable. There is the choice of the compact or standard on the glasswashers – or the choice between 16 and 25 pint glasses, but the main choice is between water softener and non water softener versions. In most cases you are going to need water softening, the only choice you have to make is whether you have an integral or external system.

All in all the Ecomax machines are very good quality and very good value.

Learn More

If you are interested in the range of Hobart Ecomax Dish and Glasswashers, have a look at our website. We offer a variety of flexible procurement methods meaning that whatever your situation, and whether you want to rent, we will have something that will suit you.  Click on the link below to see our range of Hobart glasswasher equipment and more.