I ordered the same meal at Freddy's and Portillo's. As a Chicago local, I was shocked by the winning restaurant.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
The author's meal at Portillo's; a vanilla milkshake, chili cheese dog, and chicken tenders.
I ordered the same meal — a vanilla milkshake, chili cheese dog, and chicken tenders — at Freddy's and Portillo's.

Annabel Rocha

I ate KFC for the first time in years, and I see why a turnaround effort is needed

Tech Insider : Business
The author takes a selfie with her drink from KFC.
My first meal at KFC in 15 years showed me why the chain is struggling.

Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert

I tried pumpkin-flavored coffee drinks at Dunkin', Starbucks, and Dutch Bros. The original 'PSL' was dethroned.

Tech Insider : Business
pumpkin drinks from dunkin' starbucks, and dutch bros
Dunkin', Starbucks, and Dutch Bros all have seasonal fall coffee menus.

Meredith Schneider

I ordered bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches from Cousins Subs, Jimmy John's, and Subway. Only one chain let me down.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
A spread of wrapped sandwiches from Subway, Jimmy John's, and Cousins Subs.
I tried BLTs from Subway, Jimmy John's, and Cousins Subs, and won't be returning to one of the chains.

Michelle Mastro

I tried Martha Stewart's one-pot mac and cheese. It took just 20 minutes to make and is now my go-to comfort meal.

Tech Insider : Business
The author's finished bowl of Martha Stewart's
Martha Stewart's 20-minute, one-pot mac and cheese recipe is my new go-to comfort meal.

Paige Bennett

I tried 7 brands of cold-brew concentrate to find the best one, and there was a clear winner

Tech Insider : Business
Cold bre concentrate bottles lined up on counter with glasses of cold brew in front of each
I tasted cold-brew concentrate from Great Value, Starbucks, Dunkin', Chameleon, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and Bettergoods.

Meredith Schneider

I tried 5 frozen acai packs from the grocery store to see which produced the best homemade smoothie bowl

Tech Insider : Business
five packets of frozen acai from the grocery store on a wooden surface
I found five varieties of frozen acai at local grocery stores.

Meredith Schneider

I tried 5 vanilla iced coffees from the grocery store. They'd all save me money, but a few stood out above the rest.

Tech Insider : Business
Vanilla iced CoffeeMate, Dunkin, International Delight, Starbucks, and Cafe Bustelo coffee bottles in front of gray backsplash
I tried different vanilla-flavored iced coffees from Coffee Mate, Dunkin', International Delight, Starbucks, and Cafe Bustelo.

Elliott Harrell

I ranked 4 store-bought barbecue sauces. The best was also the cheapest.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
barbecue sauces
I ranked four different store-bought barbecue sauces. My favorite was the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I tried frozen burger patties from Costco, Whole Foods, and Wegmans. I'll be making my favorite all summer long.

Tech Insider : Business
Three raw premade patties on white plates with an orange Whole Foods patty box, a package with a black Kirkland Signature label on it, and a green and red box with a Wegmans logo on it on a gray marble table
I tried burger patties from Whole Foods, Costco, and Wegmans.

Ted Berg

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