5 Reasons to Buy Hobart Equipment

Hobart: Quality Kitchen Equipment

Hobart Corporation, part of the ITW Food Equipment Group, was founded in Ohio in 1897. The company began as Hobart Electric Manufacturing Company building motors, but by 1905 had expanded into foodservice equipment with its electric meat choppers. From there, the company grew rapidly, holding sales conventions and expanding internationally to offices in Canada, Australia, South Africa, and South America by 1915. Hobart's long history has allowed it to develop a reputation in the foodservice industry for innovation and customer satisfaction, as well as a wide selection of products that are known for their durability. With these accomplishments in mind, here's a list of our top five reasons to invest in Hobart products.

1. Reliability

1913 Hobart mixer in Winian Chocolate and Coffees

Hobart has long been known for its durable, resilient products. That reputation continues to this day, with reliable construction and a large network of more than 1,700 factory-trained service representatives available for service and repairs. The company uses strong, durable stainless steel in the construction of most of its products to ensure they will last as long as possible, resist damage, and be easy to clean.

As an example of the kind of long-lasting service one might be able to expect from Hobart kitchen equipment, in 2006 the company conducted a search for the oldest piece of Hobart equipment still in operation. The national search found a 1913 model of a Hobart mixer that was still being used every day in Ohio at Winian Chocolates and Coffees. Hobart now has a dedicated technology center in Troy, Ohio, where products are developed and tested to help ensure that they can withstand extreme uses and environmental conditions that they will likely never encounter in a commercial kitchen.

2. Innovative Designs

Hobart food equipment has some of the most innovative designs available in the foodservice industry, with designs that make life easier for operators. Some of these designs improve safety, cooking time, or just make the product easier to use. Some of Hobart's more recent innovations include:

  • Hobart slicer ring guard covers to capture food debris and make cleaning simple.
  • Safety interlocks on food processors to prevent the blades from rotating without pusher plates being in place
  • Swing-out bowls on mixers that make it simple to add or remove products.
  • Shift-on-the-Fly™ controls on mixers that allow you to change mixing speeds without stopping.
  • Service scales with colored graphic screens visible to the customer and the user for product verification and advertising.

3. Technology

In addition to the physical designs that make its products easier to use, Hobart has always been on the leading edge of developing the newest technology for the foodservice industry. The company began using digital displays as early as 1970, helped pioneer the technology that would lead to barcodes, and introduced the first scale that could work with store computer systems in 1983. Hobart food equipment is still some of the most technologically advanced available, as the company works to develop systems and software that integrate seamlessly with kitchen and retail operations.

Winner of the 2010 and 2013 Kitchen Innovations awards, Advansys™ dishwashers help conserve energy and in many cases eliminate the need for an expensive ventilation system by recovering steam to use for heating incoming water. Advansys models also feature smart displays and lower water consumption than comparable washers.

Hobart kitchen equipment is not the only technologically-advanced line of products the company produces. To help retailers, Hobart has developed HTe Lite and HTe Pro scale management software that creates labels, exports totals, configures settings, and completes remote diagnostics all from a PC. Data GateWeigh is another piece of software for retail scales that allows single-source data entry, and it works with all networkable Hobart scales and many other brands.

4. Safety

All Hobart kitchen equipment is made with the safety of the user in mind. Safety interlocks are common on Hobart equipment, as are guards to protect hands from blades and moving parts. Hobart slicers feature zero-exposure knives, as well as a no-volt release feature that prevents the unit from starting up unexpectedly after a power failure. Cutter mixers, food cutters, and food processors all have safety interlocks that prevent the blades from turning if the bowl cover is not closed. Larger Hobart mixers also feature a sturdy bowl guard and a safety interlock that won't allow the mixer to operate unless the guard is in place.

In addition to operator safety, Hobart food equipment is also made for food safety. Warewasher units that use hot water sanitization feature easy to read thermostats to help operators ensure each load is properly sanitized, and many models actively monitor temperatures and send the results to a linked PC. Cleaning is also important in maintaining food safety. Features like the Stay-Clean™ ring guard cover on Hobart slicers and the self-cleaning feature on the rotisserie oven help ensure the equipment can be easily maintained to help prevent foodborne illness.

5. Environmentally Friendly

For kitchens that are working to become more environmentally friendly, Hobart has equipment to help you achieve your goals. The company's ENERGY STAR® offerings include a full line of dishwashers that are 25 percent more energy and water efficient, and steamers that use 90 percent less water than comparable units. As of 2015, Hobart's parent company, ITW Food Equipment Group, has won ENERGY STAR's Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award for six consecutive years.

In addition to working with ENERGY STAR, Hobart also works to be environmentally friendly in its own operations, working to reduce and reuse packaging. All stainless steel used in Hobart products is 100 percent recyclable, and the company offers incentives for employee-led initiatives aimed at making the company more environmentally friendly. Hobart also has a research partnership with Ohio State University to help reduce water usage. The company began the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability to help foodservice and food retail operators with sustainability planning, and in 2006 Hobart joined the U.S. Green Building Council supporting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).