I admit I don't use blenders a ton, but for what I do I really like the Ninja. I actually tried out the dough hook attachment just last week for the first time, and it worked perfectly. My sister uses it to make smoothies constantly. The only thing I don't like it for is as a food processor or for making normal amounts of some sauces (too much for the smoothie cups, too little for the main blender piece). Works fine for larger volumes or stuff like pesto which you won't be making much of anyway.