A handheld pipette including: a body portion having a vertical central axis longer than a horizontal central axis and shaped to fit in an operator's hand, wherein the body portion has a lowermost surface forming a bottom section permitting the pipette to stand on a surface with the vertical central axis of the body portion perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the surface; a nozzle portion extending from a point on said body portion and at a downward angle θ of approximately 60° to 80° to the vertical central axis of said body portion; a pipette tip mounted to an end of the nozzle portion in fluid communication with the nozzle portion, wherein at least the angle θ of said nozzle portion to the vertical central axis of said body portion and length of said pipette tip mounted to the end of said nozzle portion are selected such that said pipette tip does not touch the surface when the pipette is standing on the surface; at least one button located on the top of the body portion and operable by a thumb of the operator to effect aspiration of liquid into the pipette tip mounted to the end of the nozzle portion and dispensing of the liquid from the pipette tip mounted to the end of the nozzle portion, the at least one button being further operable such that pressing of the at least one button by the thumb of the operator initiates the aspiration and the dispensing; and wherein the bottom section allows the tip to remain mounted to the nozzle portion when the pipette is standing on the surface and any liquid in the tip is prevented from moving back into the body portion because of the downward angle θ of the nozzle portion. a body portion having a vertical central axis longer than a horizontal central axis and shaped to fit in an operator's hand, wherein the body portion has a lowermost surface forming a bottom section permitting the pipette to stand on a surface with the vertical central axis of the body portion perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the surface; a nozzle portion extending from a point on said body portion and at a downward angle θ of approximately 60° to 80° to the vertical central axis of said body portion; a pipette tip mounted to an end of the nozzle portion in fluid communication with the nozzle portion, wherein at least the angle θ of said nozzle portion to the vertical central axis of said body portion and length of said pipette tip mounted to the end of said nozzle portion are selected such that said pipette tip does not touch the surface when the pipette is standing on the surface; at least one button located on the top of the body portion and operable by a thumb of the operator to effect aspiration of liquid into the pipette tip mounted to the end of the nozzle portion and dispensing of the liquid from the pipette tip mounted to the end of the nozzle portion, the at least one button being further operable such that pressing of the at least one button by the thumb of the operator initiates the aspiration and the dispensing; and wherein the bottom section allows the tip to remain mounted to the nozzle portion when the pipette is standing on the surface and any liquid in the tip is prevented from moving back into the body portion because of the downward angle θ of the nozzle portion.