If you have been shopping around for a simple hand held refractometer you may be considering the Milwaukee MR32ATC. Measuring between 0 and 32 °Bx and being priced at approximately $80 US, Milwaukee’s MR32ATC is an effort to target the budget conscious gardener and shoppers interested in measuring the brix content of fruits and vegetables. After several months of using a Milwaukee MR32ATC it was time to share the experience and help readers make the most informed decision possible about the MR32ATC.

Refractometers are simply analytical instruments used for determining the refractive index of a given substance. Said another way, refractometers provide a quick and easy way for gardeners to measure the amount of dissolved solids, primarily sugars, in the juice of fruits and vegetables. The value of applying information is somewhat controversial. Many claims exist about the benefits of growing and consuming high brix produce. Several of these claims appear highly questionable and remain largely, to my best knowledge, unsupported by peer reviewed scientific research. However, this is a review of the MR32ATC and not a discussion regarding the value of interpreting brix quantities themselves.

Milwaukee MR32ATC Refractometer. Eye piece on the left, prism to the right.

Included with the MR32ATC is a protective carrying case, screwdriver, pipette, instructions and brix value table. The pipette is a 2 ml disposable plastic pipette that’s used for applying liquid samples onto the refractometer. You won’t be using the compact jeweler’s flat head screwdriver often, though it’s nice it was still included. Another positive feature is the protective case and spaces included within that case for storing the screwdriver and pipette. This all contributes to a solid product but the pamphlet instructions were well below satisfactory. Milwaukee sells a dozen refractometers and it appears that one instruction pamphlet was included for all of them. It feels as if this documentation is incomplete, lacking the details that many first time users will be looking for. Knowing that many of the Milwaukee’s customers will be buying their first refractometer it would have made sense to provide more thorough and detailed instructions. Fortunately Milwaukee has slightly improved instructions at their website if you need them. The last item was a paper with approximately fifty fruits and vegetables listed along with corresponding poor, average, good and excellent brix ranges. Again, how accurate or relevant these numbers are is another matter.

Everything fits securely inside the protective case.