I'm a professional baker. I tried chocolate-chip cookies from Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and Safeway to find the best.

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groups of cookies in plastic containers with notes on table
I compared chocolate-chip cookies from popular chain's bakery sections.

Alana Al-Hatlani

I tried the same chicken sandwich at McDonald's and Chick-fil-A, and I preferred the cheaper sandwich

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chick fil a chicken sandwich with logo on one side and mcdonalds chicken sandwich with logo
McDonald's crispy chicken sandwich and Chick-fil-A's classic sandwich were very similar, but the McDonald's version was a better value.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider; Ken Wolter/Shutterstock; Janson Oliver/Shutterstock

I tried Wendy's new Krabby Patty meal inspired by 'SpongeBob SquarePants.' Nostalgia isn't enough for brands to win over customers.

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spongebob squarepants holding plate of krabby patties and krabby patty kollab from wendys
Wendy's new "SpongeBob SquarePants" collaboration features a new burger and pineapple shake.

Paramount/Nickelodeon; Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I tried and ranked apple-cider doughnuts from Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. The winner tasted incredible in my air fryer.

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Apple-cider doughnuts from Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's on a white plate atop a wooden cutting board.
I tried and ranked apple-cider doughnuts from Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.

Ted Berg

I ranked all of the jarred pasta sauces I found at Trader Joe's from worst to best, and I'd eat the winner by the spoonful

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10 Trader Joe's sauces arranged against a red background
I ranked every Trader Joe's pasta sauce I could find.

Isabel Fernandez Pujol/Business Insider Photo

I tried 6 different brands of syrup from the grocery store. It's worth paying a little extra for the big names.

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six pancake syrups from the grocery store lined up in a row
I tried six different brands of pancake syrup.

Paige Bennett

I tried and ranked all of Burger King's chicken wraps. The spicy wrap was a flavorful, low-calorie option.

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burger king royal crispy wrap
Burger King's lineup of chicken wraps are some of the healthiest items on the menu.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I went to Arby's for the first time. I paid $38 for a delicious, meat-filled feast that easily could've fed 3 people.

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all my arby's food
Our entire meal fit on a tray.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

I ordered salads from Wendy's, Culver's, Chick-fil-A, and Zaxby's. My old go-to chain didn't make it close to the top of the list.

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cobb salads from chick-fil-a and zaxby's
I wouldn't typically go to Chick-fil-A or Zaxby's for salads, but I did for this taste test.

Meredith Schneider

I ranked every sausage I could find at Trader Joe's, and I think the best could be used in almost any recipe

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Selfie of the writer at Trader Joe's
I went to Trader Joe's and bought every kind of sausage I could find.

Ted Berg

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