Apera Instruments AI311 Premium Series PH60 Waterproof pH Pocket Tester Kit, Replaceable Probe, ±0.01 pH Accuracy, Lcd display

My first ph meter for testing dairy - using it to test super priobiotic yogurts. Was torn between this brand and another well known brand, but went with this one because of the kit, the cap with an O ring and small sponge in the tip that provides wet storage and protection of the probe even when it is on its side. Preventing the probe from drying out seems to be the key to a longer probe life. The Apera storage cap system makes this easy to do. The kit also comes with laminated instructions which are handy. I had been struggling with the paper test strips…never could get a precise reading. Love that this has a 2 decimal point read. I was nervous about the calibration process, but it turned out to be very easy. I’ve used it several times so far and love it. I draw my solution out with a sterile pipette and place it in a small shot glass…insert probe of the meter and very quickly have an accurate reading. Their support/customer service is great too. I called to get some spare sponges for the storage cap (comes with 2 extra), but they don’t sell them. They advised using a piece of any sponge…I found that a piece of small sponge hair roller works well. I would definitely recommend this meter. Hopefully it will hold up well over time.

Really awesome, easy to use & read pen! Thank you!! I was very slightly intimidated by this pen, but once I started using it oh what a dream! I know I can totally trust the results. I keep it calibrated, & stored properly. So glad I got this for the pH paper was inaccurate, causing some lockout issues. It comes in a very nice hard shell case with calibration fluids. Now my girls are very happy. Don’t hesitate to get this one if you grow cannabis!!I was using the cheap pens, which don’t even last a season, & pH paper.

I love the ph pen. Very accurate. Highly recommend

Nicely made and super easy to use, but find that it often can take several minutes to settle on a stable reading. Even when it comes up as stable, it will sometimes start changing again after 10-20 more seconds. Waiting on this probably isnt super important if you are shooting for just a semi-tight range and not a super precise exact value.Also found that every time I go to use it (lets say once a week at this point) when I check it against the calibration solutions, it's a little off and I have to recalibrate it each time. Hoping maybe there is a 'break in' period with the probe or something and that it will eventually hold calibration for longer.The way the tip of the probe section is (the plastic around it) it seems to often trap an air bubble inside it and can be a little tricky to shake the bubble out without just introducing a new bubble inside it.The timer for the backlight is pretty short but you can set it to always on instead in the options, would be nice if you could keep it on a timer but set it to longer so its not constantly turning off on you.The storage cap does not snap on, just press fit around a little gasket. It seems to always want to pop off ever so slightly, so when its laying down in the case sometimes the 3M KCL storage solution will leak out of it. Also seems you need to fill it slightly past the 'fill' line so that when its laying on its side the probe is completely covered. And speaking of the KCL, it comes with the tiniest amount so you'll probably want to pick up some more (which is common thing said in most of these reviews).It comes with a generous amount of the calibration solutions, but with the 3 vials for using during calibration, be careful with the tops. They need quite a decent amount of force (till you hear/feel a hard 'snap') to close otherwise they also will leak out into the case while they are on their sides. Then they are also a bit difficult to get the tops back off, they dont just pop off with ease, you have to force them off and I always feel like I'm going to spill them all over with how much force it takes to open them back up.The case itself is quite nice. The plastic does not feel cheap at all and the latches are nice and secure, except I do wonder if the thin plastic joint where the latches attach to the case will last after a while of them bending back and forth from opening and closing them. Inside the foam seems high quality and solid with the appropriate cutouts for each thing. The instuctions are very well done and simple to understand and follow.Overall this is a massive upgrade from the cheap test strips or testing drops etc. Not having to match up very slight differences in color shades and guessing which is close (especially if you're not testing something that starts off clear, such as a water/nutrient mix). Granted it's also a lot more expensive then those options as well, but the quality of it gives me the impression that it will last for a while (and with the replaceable probe, that should increase the lifespan though I will admit I have not looked at what a new probe would cost).Don't bother with the cheap digital testers that amazon is flooded with, go with quality from the start and you'll be much happier in the long run.

This is a great product very accurate and repeatable . It’s refreshing to know that you get what you pay for.