The Lenmar Mach 1 is a 1 hr charger which keeps the batteries cool. It may be better than any of the Maha's. You can get it for $30 from batterystation.com and you can stock up on some cheap rechargeables while you're there. Be sure to get a charger that can charge odd numbers of batteries (like 1 or 3). The Lenmar passes this test. Not all of the Maha's do.
If you have a need or desire to charge your batteries really fast (which means you don't need to have as many available, for one thing) then I can recommend the Rayovac 15 minute charger. It charges each battery separately. You can charge 1 to 4 at a time. They cost $28 with 2 AA's at Walmart, and 4 batteries are $13. The batteries do not get hot, and you can help keep them cooler by putting a fan in front of the charger. This is the charger I have, and I'm very happy with it. It's really a gas to charge 4 batteries in 15 minutes! It relieves you of having to queue up your charging tasks. And anytime you think it might be nice to recharge your batteries, you can get it done right away, without a second thought. The ONLY disadvantage is that you can't take advantage of low prices on other brands, because it only works with Rayovac 15 minute rechargeables. Well, you can charge other batteries overnight with it, but that would be a dumb charge. Truthfully, I think the advantages of this charger far outweigh the disadvantage of having to buy 15 minute Rayovacs. They're a little more expensive, but they are well worth it. Especially since you don't already have a supply of other types.
