The meter is simple to use and set up. I was in a real bind to get an instrument and their response/shipping time was excellent. I have enjoyed using it.

great pH meter. I use it to test vinegar. Fast, accurate, and easy to use. Would buy again.

I'm an amateur chemist and as such have found this very useful. It's more accurate than strips but requires much, much more work, maintenance, cleaning, expense etc.

If I were to make a criticism-- it would be that the operation of the meter is somewhat complex. There are quite a few flowcharts in the manual describing the operation. Why not instead, put a color screen on the meter itself and have the machine walk you through the steps necessary?

I'm a science geek at heart, having worked in various laboratories doing a lot of wet bench chemistry. I used pH meters when working in water, micro, and dairy labs. When this came available on my list of items I could review I jumped on it. I don't work in a lab anymore, but I still like to fiddle with science equipment every chance I get. I've been wanting to to be able to take my own pH readings of my garden soil and rainwater. My kids can now do much more exotic science fair experiments which I will be prompting them to do.

Actually, there really isn't anything more I can add to say about this pH meter that the other reviewers haven't already succinctly said. It works well, it comes with everything you need to begin testing liquid samples, it's easy to use and seems to be very accurate according to the included pH calibration solutions. I have already put more pH buffer solutions on my wish list. I think this pH meter is as good as any I have used in the past when I was a lab tech.

Before trying this Apera PH700 pH Meter, I had only used one other PH tester -- one of those low cost battery-operated pen/pocket-sized meters where you remove the cap and dip the electrode into the solution. For my household kitchen lab and children's science fair needs, I thought that tester worked pretty well, but I was worried about some reading discrepancies that would occasionally occur. The Apera PH700 is light years beyond that. It is, afterall, a benchtop scientific instrument designed for use in laboratories. That said, for a home dabbler in assorted areas from garden soil testing (in solution) to kitchen/ food use (checking canning acidity levels) or for your science fair whiz kids who want to take things up a notch, this Apera pH meter is definitely the way to go.

As with most instruments where some assembly is required, I strongly recommend reading the instruction manual. This set comes nicely packaged with both an instruction manual and a laminated "Quick Manual" to keep nearby as a handy reference during testing. I would start on page 2 of the manual where there's a list of what's in the box, then turn to page 5 which covers preparation, including assembling the electrode holder, connecting the power adapter, and other items you'll need to set up. I would then go back and read the instrument description section starting on page 2 and the remainder of the manual. Be sure to pay special attention to the calibration-related instructions as that will make or break your readings. The set comes with 3 pH Calibration Buffer Solutions (pH 4.00, pH 7.00, and pH 10.01). You'll need to have some distilled water on hand for rinsing the probe instrument between uses.

I found the Apera Meter easy to use. Once you have the electrode in the solution you're testing for a few seconds, simply turn on the power. The bright and easily readable screen comes on and gives you both the pH and temperature readings. When the smiley face icon appears and stays on, you're ready to record the reading. Pressing the Mode/Setup button will give you the conductivity in mV. The meter has a memory function that will allow you to save up to 50 readings.

Other features I like about this meter are the covered connector ports at the back which prevent random liquids from splashing into the device. The screw-on stand base and supporting pole are sturdy. The electrode clip easily slides up and down to your desired height along the support bar by pressing and holding the yellow release button, then holds in place well. Finally, I really appreciate having a self-diagnosis trouble-shooting guide on page 10 of the instruction manual. It explains all the error codes and how to fix each problem. All in all, this is a terrific piece of lab equipment that is accessible enough for use by the lay person. But definitely read the instruction manual.