Magnetic stirrer 1 L

Quick Answer: Magnetic stirrer 1 L is a bench magnetic stirrer that mixes up to one litre of liquid by spinning a coated stir bar inside the vessel. This size covers the beakers and flasks used for everyday solution preparation in school and college laboratories.

How a Magnetic Stirrer Works

Inside the housing, a small motor turns a magnet just below the top plate. A stir bar in the vessel, which is a magnet sealed in chemically resistant PTFE, lines up with that magnet and turns with it, so the liquid is mixed without any shaft or paddle passing through the opening. The vessel can therefore be covered with film or a watch glass while it stirs, keeping out dust and reducing evaporation.

Speed is set with a control on the front. As speed rises, the bar forms a vortex; a shallow one mixes well, while a deep one draws air into the liquid and can throw drops over the rim. If the speed is raised too quickly, or the liquid is thick, the bar loses its magnetic coupling and rattles. This is known as decoupling or spin-out, and turning the speed down lets the bar lock on again.

The 1 L figure is the practical upper volume for water-like liquids. The title lists no heater, so this magnetic stirrer 1 L is a stirring-only unit for dissolving salts, mixing dilutions and keeping solutions uniform at room temperature.

Getting Good Results

• Add the stir bar before the liquid, or slide it down the inside of a tilted vessel, so it cannot crack the base.
• Start at the lowest speed and increase gradually until a small, steady vortex forms.
• Lift the bar out with a retriever before pouring, then rinse and dry it; residue on the PTFE carries over into the next solution.
• Keep the top plate dry and unplug the stirrer before cleaning it.

Everyday Solution Work

• Dissolving salts such as sodium chloride or copper sulfate for class stock solutions
• Diluting a concentrated reagent into water with continuous mixing
• Keeping an indicator or a colloid evenly mixed while it is dispensed into bottles
• Demonstrating a vortex and fluid flow patterns in a physics or chemistry lesson

Specifications

Why Choose LabEquip

A 1 L stirrer is the size most schools buy first, because it covers routine beaker work in the prep room and on student benches. LabEquip supplies it in its General Lab Products range, where suitable glassware such as the low form borosilicate beaker is also listed; send numbers through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What shape of stir bar should I use?

A plain cylindrical or octagonal bar suits flat-bottomed beakers and flasks. Oval bars fit rounded bases, and bars with a central pivot ring turn more steadily on uneven glass.

Why does the stir bar rattle and stop mixing?

It has decoupled from the drive magnet, usually because the speed rose too fast or the liquid is too thick. Turn the speed down to zero, let the bar settle in the centre and increase slowly.

Does this stirrer heat the solution?

No heating is listed in the title, so it is used for mixing at room temperature. For warm solutions, a hotplate stirrer is needed.

Can I stir liquids in plastic beakers?

Yes, at room temperature. The magnetic field passes through plastic and glass alike, and polypropylene or TPX beakers work well for aqueous solutions.

How do I get the stir bar out of the beaker?

Use a stir bar retriever, a magnet sealed in a plastic rod, which pulls the bar up the inside wall. Avoid tipping the beaker to catch it, which risks losing the bar into the sink.

Can the stirrer be used with the vessel covered?

Yes. Nothing enters through the neck, so a watch glass, stopper or film can cover the vessel while it stirs. This is useful for keeping dust out of a solution left stirring.

Last Updated: September 2026