Reddit reviews Hanna Instruments HI 190M-1 Magnetic Mini-Stirrer with Speedsafe, 110/115 V Power Supply

>[E]very chem lab should have a good number of 150-250 mL glass beakers on hand.

1. After looking up the differences (incl. price) between regular glass and borosilicate glass, when would borosilicate be mandatory?
   
   >Some large size glass test tubes will come in handy, and those are relatively cheap.
   
   
2. What would be considered "large size?"
   
   >Depending on what type of reactions you want to do, you may find it good to have petri dishes handy, either glass or plastic (they'd be good for crystallization experiments, certainly).
   
   
3. How many, and of what size, would be good for starting?
   
   >You should definitely have a few pipettes, either the cheap plastic 3 mL kind, or if you can afford it, nicer glass droppers (Pasteur pipettes are fun to use, albeit fragile and hard to clean).
   
   
4. Are the glass pipettes for strong acids, basis, or organic solvents? Are there any other benefits to glass pipettes?
   
   >You will definitely need a graduated cylinder, maybe a few, in different sizes, glass or plastic (definitely glass if you're planning on working with any strong acids or bases, or using organic solvents).
   
   
5. What sizes should I be looking for? I'm guessing polypropelyne is the preferred plastic type since that has the most available on Amazon. Is this Set of 7 Polypropylene Cylinders sufficient? What size glass cylinder would be the most common for home experiments with strong acids, bases, or organic solvents?
   
   >You will find a scale, accurate to at least a tenth of a gram, to be an invaluable tool.
   
   
6. Could you please recommend a specific scale, or at least a type? I'd like to spend as little as possible without getting a piece of junk. Is there anything available for under $100?
   
   >Some litmus or pH paper will be useful.
   
   
7. Most of these seem to be range limited. I found what appears to be a full range paper or a set of papers that provide full range. Would you recommend either of these?
   
   >Oh, and a thermometer, of course!
   
   
8. I thought this one was simple until I looked it up. What exactly am I looking for here? Infrared Thermometers seem like a good idea because they don't physically contact the sample, but I'd like some guidance with regard to a trusted brand.
   
   >If you want to dispense precise quantities of any liquid, a 25 mL burette will be your best friend, though it's certainly not necessary.
   
   8.a) This one seems relatively straightforward. Finally!
   
   >a volumetric flask, for making precise stock solutions.
   
   
9. Size? I've tentatively added a 100ml and 500ml to my list. Is Karter Scientific considered good quality?
   
   >A few Erlenmeyer flasks, for mixing things.
   
   
10. This set of Erlenmeyer flasks seems like a good place to start. Which sizes do you find yourself needing most often?
    
    >A volumetric pipette, for making equal aliquots.
    
    
11. Wow, these things appear to be quite expensive. What types of home experiments would it be difficult to do without a volumetric pipette? This one will probably wait until the need arises.
    
    >Oh, and if you just want your lab to be that much more mad sciencey, you could have a distillation flask and a few condensation tubes bubbling in the background. If you want to make a significant investment, you could get a magnetic stirring platform, maybe one with good heating powers. Also great for whisking up an egg, or keeping some batter moving while you make pancakes. Pricey, though.
    
    
12. I'll probably stay away from the distillation flasks and condensation tubes until I stumble upon an experiment that requires them, but the magnetic stirring platform looks like a much cooler way to make coffee in the morning. Is this stirrer from Hanna Instruments any good?
    
    
    Thanks a ton for putting together that list!
    
    EDIT: Formatting

Northern Brewer is having a sale on their stir plate. Personally, I own this one. I love it and use it all the time when making starters.

I've been debating getting just a magnetic stirrer like this one

http://www.amazon.com/Hanna-Instruments-Magnetic-Mini-Stirrer-Speedsafe/dp/B002OSX2Q0/ref=lp_318023011_1_4?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1451487697&sr=1-4#customerReviews

One of these. Although I only paid $75 for mine.

Magnetic stirrer thingy would last longer and make less noise. :)

Edit: One of these

Found a nice mini magnetic stirrer on amazon for ~$85. Would be a super nice convenience but I'll continue to live without cause I'm a cheap SoB.

I should mention that I'm old school despite being new though too. No ultra sonic or even a frother. I just give em a good shake and let them cure over time (sometimes I'll do a hot water bath but have been even too lazy to do that lately). Then again, that's what happens when your closet looks like this (ready to vape juices) and if you ever want more flavors. Yes my caps are off at the moment, happens once a week for a day.