The glass ceramic hot plate is resistant to chemicals and mechanical stress caused by sharp objects, making it extremely scratch resistant. However, should the plate on the 500.AG get damaged, it can be very easily replaced - without having to buy a whole new device. Glassco has also made safety a top priority, integrating a unique "spill away" feature that protects users from overflowing liquids. After all, what lab worker hasn't at one time or another forgotten a solution on the hot plate and been left to clean messy equipment or - worse still - had to cool scalded fingers? The 500.AG has been designed to avoid precisely such incidents with an overflow system that prevents burns.

Other features of the 500.AG hotplate with magnetic stirrer include a digital temperature controller operated via an LED display, a pre-installed platinum temperature sensor that monitors the system when in use, and a display that warns when a surface temperature exceeds 50 degrees Celsius. An external temperature probe can also be added via a DIN connector. The device achieves a maximum stirring speed of 2,000 RPM and is designed to heat as much as five liters up to a maximum temperature of 550 degrees Celsius. The display shows both temperature and speed separately, and malfunctions are flagged up with an error code.