DIGITAL PH METER - what to buy???

[fecallama]

I want to buy a digital ph meter for under $100. There are lots of them. From looking at the reviews I can tell that some people love them and some hate them. I just want to test the ph of my fruit wines. Can anyone sugest one that is reliable??? Or maybe what I should be looking for? Why would I need one that is waterproof?

 

[jwalker1140]

There's a lot riding on your pH reading (e.g., TA adjustments, sulfite additions) so it makes sense to get the best one you can afford. When narrowing choices, I decided mine would need a resolution of 0.01 and would need to be accurate to at least +/- 0.05.

My budget was the same as yours and I bought a Hanna pHep 5, but there are several good options in this price range (e.g., Oakton pHTestr 20). It seems to be somewhat unpopular on this forum, but I bought mine on eBay for $79. For me, it was that or buy a less accurate meter from one of the more popular stores. Trade-offs....

You'll appreciate one that's waterproof the first time you drop it in your must/wine. Don't scoff, it'll happen eventually.

Good luck,
Jason

 

[Flem]

I bought the Oakton phTestr 30. It's about the same price as the pHep 5 and has the same accuracy. I had the pHep 5 initially but had some quality issues with the calibration/buttons so I returned it and bought the Oakton. I'm sure they're both good units.