A water bath is made from a stainless steel container filled with heated water and fitted with an analog or digital interface that can be used to set the desired temperature. A dry bath is a type of laboratory equipment that is used to heat samples. Dry baths are often used in molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry and genetic applications A block heater is used in cold climates to warm an engine prior to starting. They are mostly used for car engines; however they have also been used in aircraft engines. The most common design of block heater is an electrical heating element embedded in the engine block.