In this video I walk through basic centrifuge use and safety across three common lab centrifuges we have at MakeHaven—starting with a microcentrifuge for tiny microtubes, moving to a larger tube centrifuge, and finishing with a refrigerated Thermo unit that can hold columns and plates. The big idea is simple: centrifuges separate mixtures (like pulling a solid out of a liquid), but they only do it safely when you load them correctly and set sane speed/time values. The most important takeaway—across every centrifuge you’ll ever touch—is balancing the rotor. If I only have one sample, I still load a second tube with equal volume/weight and place it directly across from the sample. If I’m running multiple tubes, I distribute them evenly around the rotor. I also show how I set time and switch between RCF (relative centrifugal force) and RPM depending on what a protocol calls for, plus the “pulse/short cycle” trick for quickly pulling liquid off the tube walls down to the bottom. Finally, the refrigerated centrifuge adds temperature control (mine is set to 4°C), which takes time to reach the setpoint—so I turn it on early. It’s also louder with a larger rotor, and on our unit there’s no imbalance sensor, so doing your due diligence on balancing isn’t optional—it’s the difference between a normal run and a dangerous one.