A water bath is a laboratory equipment that is used to incubate samples at a constant temperature over a long period of time. Shaking Water Baths are ideal for thawing, heating, mixing and shaking samples. Some applications include hybridization, bacterial culturing, cell aeration and molecular biology assays. Capacity can vary between vendors from small bench top models to large, industrial size models. The interior of the shaking water bath should be stainless steel for sanitary and longevity reasons. Water bath is a preferred heat source for heating flammable chemicals instead of an open flame to prevent ignition.