The BSH300 is the cooling variant of the myBlock Mini Dry Bath family — extends the chassis from heating-only to heating AND sub-ambient cooling (likely Peltier-element-based cooling, supporting temperatures below ambient down to ~4 °C or lower). Sold at $893 ($530 step over the standard BSH200 at $363, $339 step over the BSH200-HL heated-lid at $893.00). Critical workflow extension: many enzyme reactions, antibody storage, ligation reactions, and sample-prep workflows require sub-ambient temperatures that standard heated-only dry baths can't deliver.
Author confidence note (MEDIUM): No specific BSH300 brochure in available corpus. Specs sourced from universe label. Confirm exact cooling range (typical Peltier-element dry baths achieve ~4 °C minimum, some down to ~-10 °C) and cooling-cycle specifications with Benchmark Scientific technical support.
Voltage options: This unit can be ordered with European voltage requirements (230V/50Hz). Contact us to order.
Key Specifications
| SKU | BSH300 |
| Type | Compact digital dry bath with sub-ambient cooling capability |
| Cooling mechanism | Peltier-element (likely — confirm with Benchmark Scientific) |
| Cooling range | Sub-ambient (typically ~4 °C minimum, possibly ~-10 °C — confirm at order) |
| Voltage | 100–240 V universal, 50 W |
| Sister chassis variants | BSH200 (standard Mini, $363), BSH200-HL (heated-lid Mini, $893.00) |
| List price | $893 |
| Safety flag | Thermal hazard — block surface heated OR cooled (condensation risk in cold mode) |
Why a Cooling Dry Bath — Sub-Ambient Workflow Extension
Many laboratory workflows require temperatures below ambient room temperature (~22 °C): ligation reactions at 16 °C (T4 DNA ligase optimal temperature), antibody-substrate incubation at 4 °C (overnight workflows), enzyme storage / pre-cooling at 4 °C (many enzymes are stored / used cold), cold-shock workflows (heat shock followed by rapid cooling), and sample chilling for downstream cold-temperature processing.
Standard dry baths (BSH200, BSH1001 family) only heat — sub-ambient temperatures require ice buckets, cold rooms, or refrigerators. The BSH300's integrated cooling eliminates the need for separate cooling infrastructure for these workflows.
Pick the BSH300 (cooling) when:
- Workflow includes sub-ambient temperature steps (4 °C, 16 °C, etc.) — ligation reactions, antibody / enzyme cold incubations
- Cold-shock / heat-shock cycle workflows
- Cell-culture facility workflows requiring small-volume cold incubation
- Method-development comparing temperature effects across the heating + cooling range, eliminating ice-bucket dependence
Stay with BSH200 standard ($363, heating-only) when all workflows are at ambient or above — cooling capability is excess at $530 premium.
Stay with BSH200-HL heated-lid ($893.00) when high-temperature condensation control is the priority instead of cooling.
Cooling vs Heated-Lid vs Standard — Decision Matrix
| Feature | BSH200 standard | BSH200-HL heated lid | BSH300 cooling (this product) |
| Heating | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heated lid | No | Yes | No |
| Sub-ambient cooling | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Standard ambient-and-above workflows | High-temperature condensation control | Workflows requiring sub-ambient temperatures |
| List price | $363 | $893.00 | $893 |
Cold-Mode Operation — Condensation Risk Note
When operating in cold mode (sub-ambient), water vapor from ambient air condenses on the cooled block surface and tube exteriors. Tube exteriors may accumulate water droplets (wipe before downstream handling), the block surface may become wet (important for facility cleaning protocol), and while sample tubes maintain their interior workflow temperature, exterior condensation is the visible artifact. This is standard behavior for cold-mode dry baths — not a defect, but worth operator awareness in workflow planning.
Application Profile
Ligation reactions at 16 °C — cold-temperature enzyme reactions that don't fit standard heated-only workflow.
Antibody / enzyme cold incubations — overnight 4 °C workflows that previously required cold-room or refrigerator access.
Cell-culture facility cold-incubation — small-volume reagent / sample cold workflows.
Cold-shock / heat-shock workflows — single-instrument cycling between cold and hot temperatures.
Sample chilling for downstream processing — pre-cooling samples before centrifugation, transfer, etc.
Method-development workflows — comparing temperature effects across the full heating + cooling range.
Pharmaceutical / biotech research bench — workflows requiring full temperature flexibility.
Multi-investigator shared bench — single chassis supports diverse temperature workflows.
Eliminates ice-bucket workflow — routine sub-ambient workflows don't require manual ice handling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the BSH300 cool below room temperature? Yes. It adds sub-ambient cooling (typically ~4 °C minimum, possibly lower — confirm at order), extending the myBlock Mini from heating-only to heating and cooling.
What cooling mechanism does the BSH300 use? Peltier-element cooling (likely — confirm with Benchmark Scientific).
How does the BSH300 differ from the BSH200 and BSH200-HL? The BSH200 is heating-only ($363) and the BSH200-HL adds a heated lid for high-temperature condensation control ($893.00). The BSH300 ($893) is the only variant with sub-ambient cooling, for ligation, antibody-incubation, and other cold-temperature workflows.
Will condensation form in cold mode? Yes. In cold mode, ambient water vapor condenses on the cooled block surface and tube exteriors — standard behavior; wipe tube exteriors before downstream handling.
Ordering & Configuration
Confirm cooling range. Verify minimum cooling temperature with Benchmark Scientific tech support — typical range is 4 °C minimum but some Peltier dry baths achieve lower.
Confirm voltage and plug type. Universal-input chassis.
Confirm cold-mode condensation tolerance. Workflows sensitive to tube-exterior condensation may need cleanup protocol planning.
Confirm bench-clearance. Cooling element typically requires rear ventilation for heat dissipation — confirm bench-rear clearance at order.
Confirm at quote: voltage / plug type, intended sub-ambient workflow context, cooling-range fit, condensation-cleanup protocol, rear-ventilation clearance, and lead time.
Warranty: Per Benchmark Scientific standard capital-equipment terms — confirm at quote.
myBlock Mini family — pick the right variant:
- BSH200 / -E — Standard Mini ($363) — heating-only, ambient-and-above workflows
- BSH200-HL — Heated-lid Mini ($893.00) — high-temperature condensation control
- BSH300 / -E (this product) — Cooling Mini ($893) — sub-ambient (4 °C+) workflows
Pick the cooling Mini for sub-ambient workflow extension; sister standard / heated-lid variants cover ambient-and-above workflows. The cooling capability uniquely positions the BSH300 for ligation, antibody-incubation, and other cold-temperature workflows that other Benchmark Scientific dry baths can't support.
