Nearly all life-science laboratories use some form of temperature-controlled bath for thawing frozen media and gently warming or incubating samples.
Because water is an excellent conductor of thermal energy, heated water baths have long been the go-to choice for performing these functions.
Water baths are not without their challenges though. They require steady care and maintenance to remain contamination free and in top working order.
It is not uncommon for a lab manager to arrive one morning and discover a burned-out water bath because lab members neglected a regular check-in to monitor evaporation.
Water bath manufacturers have made efforts to reduce the incidence of burned out water baths by incorporating features into the design of the laboratory water baths.
Almost every laboratory water bath made these days comes with a lid which features a gabled, or angled, design to allow water droplets to condense on the interior of the lid and drip back into the water bath.
Digital water baths made by Shel Lab pioneered the non-contact, recessed heating element to reduce the likelihood of burnouts if the water level drops.
The two most common considerations we address when discussing digital water baths with our customers are: footprint and capacity in terms of numbers of 500mL bottles of cell culture media or FBS that can be thawed at once.
Because cell culturing activities are most often done in a small, dedicated side-room or area of the lab, space is often the single most important consideration.
Lab managers will sacrifice the expediency of being able to thaw more bottles of media at a time to accommodate not overcrowding the cell culture room.
Larger, well-funded laboratory groups with access to substantial space for their cell culture work have the luxury to choose larger digital water baths for their cell culture rooms.
Capacity of a digital water bath is determined by the geometry of the tank dimensions as well as the design of the water bath lid.
The Benchmark Scientific B2000 MyBath series of digital water baths are among our best-selling water baths for thawing media and incubating samples.
There are four different sized digital water baths in the Benchmark Scientific family which cover three different capacities for thawing 500mL bottles
The small 2L digital water bath is personal sized with a footprint of just 6.5 x 8 x 6 (WxDxH) and with its flat lid removed can thaw ONE (1) 500mL bottle at a time.
The 4L, 8L and 12L digital water bath are all built with a similar design.
The 4L water bath is 7.7 x 13.9 x9 (WxDxH) and can hold TWO (2) 500mL media bottles at a time and comes with a clear, gabled lid.
The 8L and 12L digital water baths both hold SIX (6) 500mL media bottles, feature built in drains for easy cleaning and differ slightly in size.
The 8L model is 10.5 x 17.5 x 12.4 (WxDxH) and the 12L is 10.7 x 17.5 x 16.2.
The increased depth of the 12L Benchmark Scientific digital water bath is needed when thawing 1L or oddly shaped bottles that require additional clearance.
No discussion about digital water baths would be complete without mentioning water-less, Lab Armor bead baths.
There are many differences between a digital water bath and a digital bead bath.
Check out the article we wrote that highlights what you should know before making the switch from water to milled aluminum beads.