From CPSC.gov: "Name of Product: Battery packs used with Polaroid-brand portable DVD players Units: About 165,000 Manufacturer/Importer: Petters Consumer Brands LLC, of Minnetonka, Minn. Hazard: The battery can overheat and melt the plastic case while recharging, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Petters Consumer Brands has received eight reports of batteries overheating, melting the plastic case, or units smoking during the recharging process. No injuries have been reported. Description: The recall involves external battery packs used with the Polaroid-brand portable DVD players in 7-inch and 8-inch screen sizes. The 7-inch DVD player has model number PDV-0700 and 8-inch player has a model number of PDV-0800. The players and battery packs are silver in color. The battery packs attach to the bottom of the DVD player. Sold at: Various electronics and department stores nationwide from May 2003 through March 2004 for between $150 and $350. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should stop using and stop recharging the battery packs immediately and contact Petters Consumer Brands for a free replacement battery pack. Consumers can continue using the portable DVD player without the battery, by detaching it from the unit, and plugging in the DC Cord or the AC Power Adapter. Consumer Contact: Consumers should contact Petters Consumer Brands toll-free at (866) 866-6292 anytime to arrange for a replacement battery pack, or visit the companyÂs Web site at www.Polaroid.com to sign up for the recall." The complete article, with serial numbers and pictures, is linked below... TJ Here is a link that might be useful: CPSC.gov / CPSC, Petters Consumer Brands LLC Announce Recall of Batteries Found In Polaroid Portable DVD Players

I have a monster Kitchen Aid one that I got because of reviews and because it seemed longer than all the others; I wanted it to be able to work in tall stock pots cause I initially bought if for making homemade cold-processed soap. It did an AMAZING job for that but for all cooking purposes too. Gets things done very quickly cause it's so powerful (has cord too) but it's pretty quiet too. A couple of weeks ago I made mashed potatoes with it cause my electric hand mixer broke. I couldn't believe I've been using a typical mixer all these years when I could have been using the stick blender! What's funny is that I have a potato ricer to get mashed potatoes extra smooth and creamy, and it's kind of a hassle but a nice effect/texture. With the stick blender, in way less time, I had that same creamy smooth texture. All the big brands will be good I'm sure but I recommend you get one that's tall enough in case the gift-recipient uses tall pots!

I don't know if this is the same model as yours, but the information will probably still apply. https://www.cuisinart.com/share/pdf/manuals/csb-78.pdf SHORT RUN TIMES If after repeated use the run time seems to get shorter and the hand blender has less power, it may not be the result of a faulty unit. This condition can be remedied by allowing the Cuisinart® Smart Stick PLUS® Cordless Rechargeable Hand Blender to run until it stops. Then recharge the unit for 24 hours for a new charge. This procedure improves the batteries’ capacity. You may need to repeat this a few times for the best results

Cordless tools have seen a lot of advances in recent years. Thanks to cell phones and electric cars, RC (radio controlled) toys (drones), battery and motor technologies are very much improved. At this point you can find extremely useful cordless electric tools. Today most of the power tools construction contractors use are cordless. Many of my tools in my shop and garden are cordless. I just bought a cordless leaf blower that is more powerful than one powered by a gas engine. If my regular blender dies, I would probably look for a cordless one. BTW, alway look for one that is powered by Lithium-ion batteries. dcarch