CHROMagar™chromogenic plates are easy to prepare - just add water to the dehydrated media, bring to a boil, let it cool down and pour! Use the entire pack, or if there is a need for a smaller number of plates, just a portion. CHROMagar™ products are sold in dehydrated form. DRG offers the 5L size (after reconstitution). If kept under appropriate storage temperatures, CHROMagar™ powder products have a long shelf life (2-3 years). This flexibility is essential to avoid the costly waste resulting from unused plates. Some CHROMagar™ products require supplements to use properly; these are shipped free of charge along with the product. Supplements contain compounds that cannot be heated, therefore the compounds would degrade in the base if stored together for a long time. Depending on the product, the supplement will be in either liquid or powder form, and may or may not be refrigerated.