Incubators
A laboratory incubator holds cultures and samples at a steady, controlled temperature, typically 30 to 37 °C for bacteria and up to about 80 °C for other tests. CSI Labshop supplies incubators to microbiology, food, water, pharmaceutical QC and university laboratories across Malaysia, from 6-litre benchtop units to 750-litre floor-standing models.
Tell us the temperature you work at, how much you incubate and the space you have, and we will recommend a model and send a quotation.
How laboratories use incubators
- Food factories incubate total plate count, coliform and yeast and mould tests before releasing products.
- Water and environmental labs incubate coliform tests for drinking water and effluent.
- Pharmaceutical and cosmetic QC runs microbial limit tests and stability studies.
- Cooled incubation: Refrigerated models such as the Hettich HettCube R hold temperatures below room temperature, for example for BOD tests at 20 °C.
Types of incubator
- Natural convection incubators have no fan, so open plates and media dry out less. See the Memmert IN range, for example the IN55, IN110 and IN260.
- Forced air (fan) incubators give more even temperature through the chamber and recover faster after the door is opened, which suits full chambers and frequent loading. See the Memmert IF range, for example the IF75, IF160 and IF450.
- “plus” models add a larger control display, programmes and data recording, for example the Memmert IN30plus and IF260plus.
- Space-saving incubators with a small footprint and large usable volume: the Hettich HettCube 200, HettCube 400 and HettCube 600.
- Mini and general-purpose incubators for small labs, teaching and single tests: the DIGISYSTEM DSI-060D (6 litres), DSI-100D and the DSI-D series.
How to choose an incubator
- Temperature: a heated incubator only works above room temperature. In a Malaysian lab at 25 to 30 °C, work at 20 to 25 °C (yeast and mould counts, BOD) needs a cooled incubator. Ask us about cooled models.
- Size: count your plates, racks or flasks per day and allow space around them for air flow. The Memmert range runs from 32 to 749 litres.
- Uniformity: for tests with tight limits, choose forced air and check the stated temperature variation in the chamber.
- Records: for accredited labs, choose a model with data recording or a port for a data logger.
Brands we can supply
- Memmert (Germany): IN and IF incubators, standard and plus versions
- Hettich (Germany): HettCube incubators
- DIGISYSTEM (Taiwan): DSI-D general and mini incubators
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Memmert IN and IF incubators?
IN models use natural convection with no fan, which is gentle on open cultures. IF models use a fan for more even temperature and faster recovery after the door opens.
What temperature should a lab incubator be set to?
Most bacterial work uses 35 to 37 °C. Food and water methods also use 30, 44 or 44.5 °C. Yeast, mould and BOD tests use 20 to 25 °C, which needs a cooled incubator in Malaysia.
Do you have CO2 incubators?
The incubators listed here are heated incubators without CO2 control. If you need CO2 for cell culture, tell us and we will check what we can supply.
How much does a laboratory incubator cost in Malaysia?
The price depends on chamber size, natural or forced air, controller features and cooling. Send us your requirements for a quotation.
Not sure which model fits?
Tell us your application, sample type and budget. We’ll suggest suitable models from the brands we supply and send one quotation.