Apparatus for the thermal treatment of probes, comprising: a base unit which has a reception area to receive one or more reaction vessels; a temperature regulation block arranged in the reception area; a lid designed to close the reception area, wherein said lid can be moved from a first open position to a second closed position, wherein the lid contains a cover plate which has a front surface which is designed to exert a predefined contact force on the reaction vessels placed on the temperature regulation block when the lid is in the second position; at least a connection element connected to the lid; exactly one lid drive arranged in the base unit, and coupled with the at least one connection element, for the purpose of driving a movement of the lid from the first to the second position and/or from the second to the first position; wherein the lid drive is coupled to the at least one connection element in such a way that during the movement from the first to the second position the lid with the cover plate is first moved - in a first movement phase - from the first position to a third position in which the front surface of the cover plate is parallel to the temperature regulation block and is spaced at a distance from said block, and wherein, in a subsequent second movement phase, the lid and the cover plate are moved towards the base unit in the direction of a common normal of the front surface and a plane in which the temperature regulation block is arranged, until the lid has reached the second position, characterized in that the front surface of the cover plate is inclined in relation to the temperature regulation block in the first position of the lid. a base unit which has a reception area to receive one or more reaction vessels; a temperature regulation block arranged in the reception area; a lid designed to close the reception area, wherein said lid can be moved from a first open position to a second closed position, wherein the lid contains a cover plate which has a front surface which is designed to exert a predefined contact force on the reaction vessels placed on the temperature regulation block when the lid is in the second position; at least a connection element connected to the lid; exactly one lid drive arranged in the base unit, and coupled with the at least one connection element, for the purpose of driving a movement of the lid from the first to the second position and/or from the second to the first position; wherein the lid drive is coupled to the at least one connection element in such a way that during the movement from the first to the second position the lid with the cover plate is first moved - in a first movement phase - from the first position to a third position in which the front surface of the cover plate is parallel to the temperature regulation block and is spaced at a distance from said block, and wherein, in a subsequent second movement phase, the lid and the cover plate are moved towards the base unit in the direction of a common normal of the front surface and a plane in which the temperature regulation block is arranged, until the lid has reached the second position, characterized in that the front surface of the cover plate is inclined in relation to the temperature regulation block in the first position of the lid.