Dan, my refractometer is in my travel bag that goes back and forth all summer to the
mountain farm where I have the main garden and grape and fruit trees. Cherries, lots
of berries, currants, etc.
Rarely used it for tomatoes as, 'it depends'.
. Never really panned out in the past as far
as the charts go. Like Craig mentioned, some of my best varieties are never very high
brix. If the hot house growers we find in the grocery used brix, the shelves would be empty.
BUT, last September I sprinted for my refractometer during a dwarf tasting as one variety, from
an Emmy hunt, was very unusual. Ripe summer melon, cantaloupe and honeydew, pink
grapefruit, sweet and acidic. Very well balanced and clearly had tomato flavor. All fruit brixed
at 9-11.5...well above my preferred dark buttery smokey toms. (Cherokee chocolate, GGWT, etc)
My opinion, a valuable tool in our 'hunt' situation where we are looking for something a bit different?
Nice to have it around any who.