I have been getting a big kick out of all those "handheld liquidizer" notes.
The thing is really called a hand-held blender or Immersion Blender.
I have a Hamilaton Beach Immersion Blender and it has never fallen apart.
If I want to partially puree my soup, for instance, I remove the pot from
the heat and just go ahead. It is still boiling hot and works fine.
Of course you must be careful with blending hot liquids, but it's not a
dangerous as doing them in a regular blender which likes to blow its lid
when doing very hot liquids and is MISERABLE to clean. The immersion
blender flushes clean under a running faucet, unless it's really greasy.....
in which case it can't even be mentioned on this digest.
8-)) (that's a smiling person with glasses and a double chin.)
Maggie