When it comes to figuring out the best approach for any catering-based business, one of the first questions people ask themselves is ‘Should I rent or buy kitchen equipment?’. Both options do of course have their advantages and disadvantages, and there’s no perfectly right or wrong answer for any given set of circumstances.
For many individuals and enterprises though, catering equipment rental can be the much more cost-effective and efficient option - certainly in the short-term, and often far beyond. The most obvious factor in this is, of course, the steeper initial buy-in cost of purchasing everything outright.
Fitting out your own catering business kitchen with a suite of products, gadgets and food service machinery bought new isn’t cheap. For some companies and individuals, the last thing they want is the added pressure of adjusting balance sheets around heavy investments before they’ve even started turning a profit. It probably goes without saying that this is often the case for people just starting out, or trying to expand an existing catering business into new areas of opportunity.
Looking beyond those initial outlay factors, there are numerous other reasons why catering equipment rental might be the better option for your company. In the sections below, you’ll find a list of what we think are some of the most compelling arguments for commercial kitchen rental vs buying.
We’ll identify a few of the products that may offer their best value through leasing, whether it’s commercial dishwasher rental or efficient and cost-effective professional glass washers. We’ll also examine what we believe a good catering equipment rental model should look like, as well as how renting professional kitchen appliances can be a great option in terms of sustainability and the environment.
Why rent commercial catering equipment?
Appliance rental can be a very attractive long-term option for catering businesses of all sizes and types. In addition to the obvious advantage of greatly reducing your initial investment costs, long-term rental also offers some compelling benefits around other costs and charges. Some of these may be less apparent when looking at sticker prices alone - taxes and service cover are two that spring immediately to mind.
As we’ve already noted, initial buy-in cost is one of the first things any catering business tends to weigh up when making a decision to purchase or rent. It’s an equation that will typically be at the forefront of most people’s minds when exploring long-term rental of a kitchen setup, either in full or in part.
However, there are many more considerations equally worth bearing in mind when it comes to catering equipment rental . Depending on the type and size of your operation, some other major pros of renting your catering equipment might include:
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Owning catering equipment outright means taking full future responsibility for the costs (and speed!) of fixing any and all problems.
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Renting can give you access to better-quality brands and appliances that you may otherwise not be able to stretch to, certainly as a growing or startup business.
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Similarly, when buying your own equipment, you’ll often find yourself needing to limit yourself to fewer individual items or multi-function pieces in order to keep costs down.
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Rental agreements give you an easy and cheap way of upgrading certain items you're already familiar with when you feel it’s time to step up to a bigger, higher capacity or more productive version.
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With lease options, making smaller payment installments at more regular short-term intervals tends to make it easier to manage budget. Higher costs will likely need to be spread or absorbed across an entire business year (or several), which could involve a degree of guesswork.
On top of all that, there’s also a strong ecological argument for renting catering equipment vs buying it. Not least of these is the idea of minimising waste. As we all seek to move towards a less wasteful society and achieve better balance in our consumer habits, a gradual move from goods ownership to goods access will play an increasingly central role.
When it comes to the health of our environment, more people being able to make use of fewer newly manufactured items is an inherently more sustainable approach. Rented goods are used more efficiently than pieces owned individually, saving considerable resources and reducing long-term pressures on manufacturing, recycling and landfill systems.
Moreover, the growing popularity of rented catering equipment has been shown to have a knock-on effect on product design. It leads to rental equipment providers liaising more effectively with manufacturers, encouraging the development of products with improved reliability and sustainable performance. As noted by the ERA (European Rental Association), ‘specialised equipment rental companies are well positioned to maintain high standards of quality, maintenance and operating guidelines, leading to better performance in health and safety, energy efficiency, and noise reduction’.
Rental companies increasingly find themselves needing to be aware of - and responsive to - customer demands around sustainability, resource consumption and the ecological impact of supply logistics. This is a win-win for the environment and users alike: by choosing the right rental supplier, you’ll be helping to steer access to wider availability of eco-aware catering products and services in the future.
Commercial dishwasher rental
You’ll find a wide variety on offer when it comes to the general availability of catering equipment for rent. Among the most common requests are commercial dishwasher rental and glass washer rental. Both are supplied in various environmentally conscious models as part of the Hobart Ecomax, Ecomax Plus, Profi and Premax lines, with popular options for our clients including:
- Commercial glass washers
- Undercounter dishwashers
- Hood dishwashers and pass through dishwashers
- Rack dishwashers
Undercounter dishwashers
Undercounter dishwashers often make for ideal lease equipment. Hobart commercial dishwasher rental gives users cost-effective access to advanced features including extremely high efficiency (throughput and water use), separate rotating wash and rinse arms, anti-block jets, Vaporinse technology, and automatic soil sensing debris removal to allow for high performance at greatly reduced tank capacity.
Many models also boast additional benefits such as Thermostop rinse control to ensure optimal temperatures for cleaning and hygiene, and a handy self-flushing cycle to keep things ticking along smoothly even during intense periods of heavy use. Intuitive soft-touch electronic controls are simple and accurate to use, dramatically reducing potential for error even when running up to 60 cycles per hour.
Hood dishwashers
Hood dishwashers, also called pass through dishwashers, are ideal pieces of rental catering equipment for many commercial kitchen setups. The specification and performance of the many appliances available for hire in our popular Hobart range can vary considerably, from an economic single tank system through to an almighty twin tank, twin hood warewasher. This makes them suitable for busy shifts in a very wide range of venues and locations.
Advanced features on certain models include automatic water-softening, the efficient Drain Heat Recovery function, the revolutionary INTENSIV wash system, and Thermostop rinse control technology for optimal cleanliness and hygiene without wasting energy. Hyper-efficient pre-wash, wash and rinse cycles make for exceptional throughput during intensive use periods, giving you the ability to tackle dozens of wash cycles and hundreds of plates per hour.
Glass washers
Hobart glass washers are favoured as rental options by many professional clients in the catering industry. They offer a flexible range of compact, high-performance units with a comprehensive array of features and specifications while remaining exceptionally simple to use. These commercial glass washer rentals have all been meticulously designed to deliver sparkling clean glasses at high cycle rates.
Advanced functions on various models include soft-touch intelligent electronic control panels, small low-volume water tanks for increased efficiency and reliability, anti-block jets, and integrated drain pumps for flawless hygiene. In built detergent and rinse aid dosing systems are standard, and back-to-back cycle times start from as little as one minute.
More on the Hobart Ecomax, Ecomax Plus and Premier Ranges
Hobart Ecomax
Introducing the German built Hobart Ecomax glass washer and dishwasher range. Renowned Hobart quality at value for money prices has been the driving force behind the development of Ecomax.
The Ecomax range has been enhanced further to give even better, more efficient performance. Production of the successful Ecomax range takes place at Hobart’s German factory, alongside the Hobart Ecomax Plus and Hobart Premier (Profi and Premax) warewashers. Many of the components, features and specifications found in the Ecomax range are taken directly from the company’s premium-tier products.
All come with fully automated electronic control systems, and peristaltic dosing pumps for more accurate dispensing. An integrated water softener is available as an option for all glass washers, front-loading, undercounter and hood dishwasher models. Each unit is multi-phase, so most machines can be switched from three-phase to single-phase and from 25amp to 13amp when installing (13amp on undercounter units only).
These warewashers deliver improved wash and rinse performance due to the innovative design and the increased power of the wash pumps. They employ both lower and upper rotating wash/rinse arms, another key feature taken from other leading Hobart product lines. Drain pumps are fitted as standard throughout the range, and include an automatic self-flushing feature.
The hood or pass through dishwasher comes with a unique four-sided hood, a feature exclusive to Hobart. This negates the need for a condense canopy over the washer, and minimises heat loss from the unit, helping to reduce energy consumption. This makes the units especially economical to run, and a class-leading choice in this sector.
The Ecomax range has been designed with performance, durability and efficiency at its heart. The equipment is easy to use, clean and maintain, and offers a winning combination of robust design and flexibility to suit any kitchen size or layout.
Hobart Ecomax Plus
Industry-leading reliability and superb energy efficiency make the Hobart Ecomax Plus range of warewashers a go-to choice for many of our professional clients. Precision German engineering combines unrivalled energy-saving technology with several unique innovations.
With a wide variety of options available, these robust units offer complete flexibility to suit any layout or commercial kitchen size, coupled with the ability to withstand the most rigorous conditions. Your busy kitchen will welcome the class leading features incorporated in these Ecomax Plus dishwashers and glass washers.
The intensive wash process removes 20%-40% more food soil. Upper and lower rotating wash and rinse arms aided by Vector, a new design in wide-angle jet washers, aim to deliver a powerful searching action to eliminate masked areas.
Ecotherm maintains wash temperature above 63°c for optimum, detergent performance, while Accurinse uses less water per cycle, saving up to 30% on overall energy and detergent costs.
All machines across the range benefit from a one touch control system, allowing for filling, cycle start and draining functions with a single button press. Built-in rinse aid and detergent pumps ensure precise dosing every time. Higher power on all new Ecomax Plus units means shorter recovery time and maximum performance at lower running cost.
Wash tanks and chambers come with polished interiors and rounded corners, giving easy access and preventing dirt traps. The more powerful pumps fitted as standard are fully protected by a 2-stage strainer/filter system, ensuring improved efficiency and reduced risk of damage. Integrated water softeners are optional on each model.
Larger kitchens looking for more capacity will find their needs met in the powerful Ecomax Plus H615W Hood dishwasher. This unit is quick to fill and heat, and has the power to wash up to 60 racks per hour. The unique 4-sided hood means heat and steam loss is prevented, coupled with a variety of other performance and efficiency features that help keep running costs to a minimum.
All warewashers in the Ecomax Plus range boast well thought-out design features. They’re built around maximum performance and durability, yet are simple to use, easy to clean, and allow easy access for maintenance.
Hobart Profi & Premax
Regarded as the most efficient and durable commercial warewashers on the market, the award winning Profi and Premax range of Hobart dishwashers and glasswashers lead the way. Offering crystal clear wash results whilst using the absolute minimum in water, electricity and warewash chemicals.
Patented features such as the Genius X Filtration and Soil Removal systems combined with steam cleaning cycles and drain heat recovery create unparalleled efficiency. Dishwashers so effective they use less than 1 litre of water per cycle.
Premax glasswashers, such as the Hobart GPW-10 have a unique inbuilt dryer, offering sparkling clean results that are ready for immediate use. These glasswashers can be coupled with a Reverse Osmosis system offering absolutely crystal clear glasses without the need for polishing.
The AMX hood dishwashers are offered in a range of power settings and specifications to enable them to cope with the busiest sites. With increased power, Turbo Wash features, secondary wash pumps and twin hood options, the Hobart AMX range has every site covered.
An easy to use, comprehensive digital control panel, found across the entire range, offers complete synergy across multiple pieces of equipment. The intelligent controller means trouble free operation. From ‘Low Salt’ water softenerwarnings and ‘Hygiene Cycle’ notifications to onboard diagnostics, these warewashers are incredibly simple the work with and maintain. Operator time and potential user errors are kept to a minimum.
With onboard Wifi, you can monitor your units remotely and Hobart technicians can easily access the machines diagnostics on site or remotely and quickly pinpoint any issues. This significantly reduces service time and costs, avoiding unnecessary, costly, call outs and even help guide operators in best practices when it comes to machine operation and maintenance.
The Hobart Profi and Premax lines are perfect for sites where throughput, efficiency and results are an absolute priority.
How Hobart dishwasher rental works
Renting shouldn’t mean you’re limited to lower-quality units - quite the opposite, in fact. We believe you should be able to use the best commercial dishwashers and glass washers on today’s market, without a daunting initial outlay.
Furthermore, we understand it’s often better for your business in the long-term to invest more of your money in other areas, rather than in the basic equipment you need to get up and running. That’s why we offer the very latest products in the advanced Hobart warewashing range as rental equipment.
So far, Hobart finance options have helped more than 18,000 independent businesses to thrive. Alongside our interest-free 12, 18 and 24 month purchase plans, we’re pleased to offer an attractive contract rental plan. Offering competitive rates, designed around supplying your enterprise with the right hire option to compete in a fast-changing business landscape.
Our rental plan offers an alternative way to manage cash flow, and help you choose the right machines for your specific business needs. They include annual statements to assist with claiming back VAT, and at the end of your contract term, you’ll have the option to start a new contract with the very latest Hobart warewasher, give the machine back and end the contract or pay a fee to secure indefinite ongoing use of the equipment.
Whether it's a Hobart Ecomax G404W glass washer, or the industry-leading Hobart Profi AMX-10A hood dishwasher, opting for a catering equipment hire model gives you direct hassle-free access to class-leading performance and efficiency.
As ever, choosing a quality supplier for your equipment rental needs is the first step to a successful leasing partnership that benefits your business.
At Ecomax Catering, we believe that catering equipment rental should be a simple and straightforward process. Our aim is for you to benefit from easy access to industry-leading equipment, tailored precisely to your ongoing business requirements and individual project needs.
For more information or enquiries about catering equipment hire, you can contact a member of our support team today. Email us at [email protected], or call on 01582 865050, and we’ll be happy to help any way we can.
