I was not having any luck finding a decent & reliable ph meter. I wanted to wait a while before writing a review to make sure. The probe arrived with a little solution but it looked like the storage cap was not tightened enough but at least it did not arrive dry. The calibration solution was included in 20ml package, enough for one calibration but if you have a an empty bottle and you use distilled water when calibrating you can use the same solution a few times. It calibrated easily, probably one of the easiest calibrations compared to others I had, all you do is put the probe in 7.0 solution and press and hold CAL, thats it & the same for the 4.0 solution. After the first week the ph started drifting a bit but I was using it several times a day due to switching to different brand of nutrients for my peppers, I was learning a new routine and this ph meter made it so easy. I calibrated it again on day 6 and I'm thinking it was due to being new; it's held the calibration for about 24 days before it started drifting ( +.1 ) that was with me using it once a day and twice a day every 7 days when I change my water. It reads the ph fast and stays stable regardless of how long it stays in the solution. It also checks the temperature but I'm consistently in the sweet spot so don't use that feature much. The attached TDS/EC nutrient meter is a bonus, it reads all of them. I prefer using the 500ppm scale, but if you prefer EC, it's there too.It's convenient in my Aerogardens, fits in the holes perfect which is why I love it even more. I got a cheap bag to carry it around, I recommended something with a lanyard or strap so that you don't drop it if you have to carry the meter with the probe in water. I wash the probes in tap water after every use and change the storage solution after every 3-5 uses. I've never used distilled water although I'm sure it's better to rinse in distilled water instructions say tap water is perfectly fine. I recommend you get KCL storage solution and calibration solution 4 and 7 while your at it. If you don't have KCL solution you can use the 4.0 solution to store the ph probe while you get the KCL storing solution. If you have access to a hydroponic or grow store buy the calibration solution there it may be cheaper by a lot.This is overkill for what I have growing, definitely commercial quality but I love that it works, and it does what it does perfectly. I no longer double check the ph with other meters I trust these readings. I highly recommend this meter & Bluelab.