Euhomy Bottom Loading (WC-C) Water Cooler Dispenser Review
Overall Verdict
The Euhomy bottom-loading water cooler dispenser was a mixed bag, but not entirely disappointing. Many of its features show quality, original, and thoughtful design. The cabinet door has an easy-to-open pocket handle and magnetic lock.
The water probe and bottle cap were much better than the standard generic types. Also, the rough-edged sides of the machine were of excellent quality, and the pump and water tank designs were neat and clean. The only external we didn’t like was the design and traction of the buttons.
However, with this Euhomy, the major drawback was the mechanical design. Hot and cold water performance didn’t measure up to the highest standards. The flow rate was much slower compared to other button machines, and we were uncertain if the UV function actually worked.
Overall, the Euhomy is a nice machine, except it disappoints where it should matter the most.
Things We Like
- Material quality
- Magnetic door lock
- Pocket handle
- Panel & spouts
- Silicone bottle cap
- Tidy interior design
Things We Don’t Like
- Stiff buttons
- Lack-luster performance
- Slowish flow rate
Euhomy is a small manufacturer of mainly countertop ice makers and car refrigerators. They only have two water cooler dispenser models, this bottom loading model with buttons and a POU filter model with faucet levers.
7.4 Performance
Both hot water and cold water tests revealed different quirks of the Euhomy. Cold water was the better performer, yet it failed to measure up to the temperature standards of other machines. Likewise, the hot water temperature was not in line with the normal average. While temperature is more an issue of personal preference, the slower flow rate was an indicator of poorer mechanical design.
6.7 Hot Water Test
Initially we were excited about the Euhomy considering its external design features. However, the hot water test didn’t really measure up to standard. While heating times were competitive, the temperature and the flow rate were disappointing.
Heating Time Acceptable (7.5 / 35%)
The Euhomy took around 2 min 55 sec to heat 8.5 fl. oz. (250 ml) of water or a standard cup size. Despite the lower-than-average temperature, it wasn’t as fast as the Avalon A1 top loader.
Compared to a similar bottom-loading machine, the Avalon A4, the Euhomy heating time was faster. However, with a lower temperature and volume, there was comparatively not much difference. On average, it took around six minutes to reheat after dispensing all the water back-to-back or until the heating light switched on.
Temperature Lower Than Average (6 / 45%)
The top continuous draw temperature recorded for the Euhomy was only 189 ℉ (87.2 ℃). For similar freestanding machines, this was one of the lowest temperatures recorded although only slightly below the Avalon A1 (192 ℉).
This may not be a disadvantage if you prefer a temperature good enough for drinks like instant coffee or hot cocoa—rather than piping hot water. While the temperature suits more delicate teas, it may not be the best for standard English tea.
Serving Capacity on The Higher End
The hot water single draw capacity of the Euhomy is a good average. It dispenses 22.7 fl. oz. (670 ml) before the tank refills and the heating light switches on. That’s enough for three small 220 ml paper cups or two larger cup mugs taken back-to-back.
In one hour, the machine can provide around 4.9 L of hot water at its maximum temperature or the equivalent of 165 fl. oz. This is more or less in line with what the product specifications advertise (5 L/h) and somewhat higher than most other machines.
Flow Rate Noticeably Weak (7 / 20%)
For a free-standing machine with buttons, the flow rate of the Euhomy was one of the lowest recorded. It measured only 28 ml/sec (0.9 fl. oz.) against the benchmark standard of 34 ml/sec. While not too slow as to be an irritation, it was nonetheless noticeably weak.
We felt the poor flow rate was another indication of overall lower-quality mechanics in the design. The serving capacity for hot and cold water, however, is not bad.
7.8 Cold Water Test
As with hot water, the cold water performance of Euhomy doesn’t rank high compared to our best freestanding water cooler dispensers. We also found that this machine functions quite differently from other water cooler dispensers.
Not Like Other Machines
During our tests, we measure the continual flow and final temperature after stirring the water a little. Thermometer readings for the Euhomy showed wide sporadic fluctuations suggesting that chilled water is mixed with ambient water at the dispensing point.
While most machines established a stable working pattern at 52‒54 ℉, for Euhomy this was not really possible. Under continual use, the Economy's core temperature stabilized at around 55‒57 ℉. Its performance between different test batches was also somewhat erratic.
Decent Capacity at a Compromise
In our final scoring, we accepted a core cold water temperature of 57 ℉, for which we penalized the machine slightly. The Euhomy could produce 172 fl. oz. / Hr (5.1 L/Hr) of water chilled to an average temperature of 57 ℉. That’s enough for around 17 people.
There are more suitable water cooler dispensers for an office than Euhomy such as the Frigidaire EFWC519. However, if you prefer a lower hot water temperature with a decent serving capacity, the Euhomy is worth a consideration.
8.4 Design
We really liked many of the external design features as well as the build quality of the Euhomy. Unique features include the rough fingerprint-free sides of the side panel, the door and cabinet design, and the water probe and bottle cap. However, this more original design did not succeed so well with the button design and the overall performance.
In the Box
- Assembled machine
- Water probe with bottle cap
- Detachable drip tray
- English language manual
The Euhomy came with the drip tray wrapped in plastic inside the cabinet together with the user manual. The manual is only in the English language, but it lacks detailed information on how to do periodic descaling as well as a complete listing of technical specs.
Dimensions
8.5 Build Quality
Euhomy is a water cooler dispenser that immediately sets itself apart with material quality. The metal sides have a rough textured carbon coating that is completely fingerprint free. There are typical vent slats on either side. The front panel is a hard type of fingerprint-free plastic, while the door is colored silver on the outside.
A few things we really liked were the pocket handle, magnetic lock, and quality of the cabinet door interior. The base, however, is plastic whereas some competitive machines have a metal plate.
The only drawback to the overall build quality is the performance. Working parts in heating and cooling seem not to be such a high standard. For the Euhomy, it is more the mechanics that don’t match up to standard.
7.5 Panel & Indicators
The panel is well-designed with a stylish look. Particularly the logos indicating hot, cold, and normal water have an original design. The use of the space is also well-balanced. The dispensing points are also clearly marked with black arrows against a silver background.
As for the working icons, they are logically positioned. However, there is no dedicated empty bottle alert. Instead, the heating and cooling indicators will flash—which is an ergonomic design.
9.5 Water Inlet Controls
The Euhomy at least shows a higher design standard for the water inlet controls. The water probe is much thinner than other designs, and the bend is more significant. This probably doesn’t affect the usage with a standard five or three-liter bottle.
The bottle cap is stretchable silicone so it fits smaller bottlenecks well. It’s additionally more airtight than other designs we have encountered.
A noticeable feature is how the water pump is not hanging from the cabinet roof but is installed one level above out of sight. The pump also has additional rubber rings for vibrational support.
The cold water tank area is also very neat with minimal wires protruding and no wires attached to the lid panel of the machine. This makes cleaning a much easier task. Likewise, the water baffle was also very easy to take out and replace and the tank area was roomy and comfortable for cleaning.
Water Dispensers
Instead of being at the highest point of the machine, the dispensing buttons are placed in the front, slightly below the top of the machine. The look is different, but we didn’t find issue with the buttons in our ease-of-use and cleaning evaluations.
The dispensing nozzles are relatively small with a neat design. We like the easy-to-see contrast to the stainless steel plate. Black arrows point to the dispensing positions which is a nice safety feature.
8.0 Drip Tray
The hard plastic material is quite comparable to other drip trays. The fixture is very secure and it’s impossible to yank the drip tray out—which is not always the case with other machines.
You have to lift the drip tray up to remove it. The top is easy to remove to reveal the water level, but there is no color contrast. For the overall good design quality, the lack of a water float is noticeable.
Rear Switches
The switches are color coded with clear contrasting white text. The Night Light is positioned below the switches for the tanks and not typically on the top left-hand side. This makes it a little harder to access by simply reaching your hand over the top of the machine. There are appropriate user tips and safety warning stickers on the back.
Door and Cabinet
The door quality is noticeably different from other manufacturer’s designs. The silver-colored plate adds an extra feel of quality, however, it’s prone to gathering fingerprints. The pocket handle and magnetic door are rare features.
Because of a raised edge support feature, the internal width is less than other machines, but the height is considerably more. This may be significant if using non-standard bottles. The pump switch is to the top right of the cabinet door and not the top left as in other machines.
Cord and Plug Standard
The cord outlet is a typical 26 inches from the ground with the water drainage port about 4 inches below. There is a warning sticker below the port to indicate the danger of dripping water. The length of the cord and the plug type is very standard.
7.8 Ease of Use
Despite its less than average performance, the design and usability of the Euhomy fared a lot better. We liked the ease of changing the bottle and periodic descaling compared to other machines. However, the hot water safety mechanism was not the best, nor was the design of the dispensing buttons.
7.5 Dispensing Water
For the buttons in general, we found they required a little more pressure to push than other machines—which some people may not like. The buttons also make a clipping noise when you release them.
The hot water button tended to be noisier than the cold water and the cold water flow rate was slightly weaker. The lower-than-average flow rate coupled with a less-than-ideal button design resulted in a comparatively low score.
7.0 Hot Water Safety
The hot water safety mechanism requires at least two fingers, or the thumb and a finger to operate. It was not the most comfortable mechanism we have come across. As such, it didn’t compensate for the weaker-than-average flow rate. While the Euhomy has some nice design features, the button design didn’t make the list.
9.0 Bottle / Filter Changing
A couple of features make changing the water bottle easier on the Euhomy compared to other bottom-loading water cooler dispensers. We really liked the side pocket handle and also the magnetic door lock.
There is no empty bottle indicator as such on this machine. Instead, the heating and cooling lights will flash when there is no water left to pump.
The bottle cap also has a very convenient design. Unlike other machines that use a harder type of plastic, the Euhomy has a very adaptable silicone cap. We appreciated the non-generic design.
The cabinet is also quite neat since the pump is concealed in the chamber above rather than hanging from the cabinet ceiling.
8.0 Cleaning
The key sanitary feature on this machine is the UV light function. The purpose of this feature is to further sanitize the water. Unlike ozone, there’s no downtime required after using it.
According to the user manual, UV automatically operates for 20 minutes every two hours. However, during our testing, the UV light remained continually on, so there were questions about its proper functioning. If the power and UV indicator flash together, there could be a malfunction—which was not the case
Another sanitary issue we found was with the design of the buttons. The space between them is rather narrow and difficult to clean. However, the front panel is virtually fingerprint proof as too are the rough sides of the machine.
A nice thing about periodic descaling is that the holding area of the tank is much neater and roomier than most other similar designs. There is no wiring attached to the top cover of the machine. Overall, the only downside to cleaning is the design of the buttons.