A tissue processing station includes a housing and a first heated plate that is either disposed on or forms a first horizontally oriented surface of the housing. The first heated plate is configured to either (i) contain water, or (ii) receive a dish containing water. The tissue processing station may also include a vertically-oriented heated well for heating slides. A second heated plate is either disposed on or forms an angled surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The angled surface is angled relative to the first horizontally oriented surface. A third heated plate is either disposed on or forms a second horizontally oriented surface of the housing for supporting one or more laboratory slides. The first and second horizontally oriented surfaces are defined at different elevations on the housing. The angled surface extends between the two horizontally oriented surfaces.