Provided herein are compact chiller and cooler apparatuses, devices and systems. Chiller apparatuses disclosed herein include a refrigeration system contained in a central housing with an external heat exchanger or “cold finger” designed to be universally applicable to cooling various sizes and configurations of water baths and laboratory applications needing a cooling capacity. Chiller apparatuses disclosed herein are designed to be universally used with rotary evaporators, vacuum ovens, centrifugal concentrators and freeze dryers.