Cold plates are laboratory instruments designed to cool, freeze or maintain the temperature of a substance below freezing for a short amount of time. Generally, cold plates can maintain temperatures between -5°C and -10°C and can maintain that temperature depending on the requirements of the research.

In most cases, the only thing that distinguish cold plates from each other is the test area size where the samples are placed. Larger samples would unsurprisingly require a larger area exposed to the cold, while there are models with smaller area size for smaller and lighter substances. Common materials that needs to be maintained within freezing temperatures include tissue samples, food products, and blood products.