Instead of dedicating space to an outdoor balcony, the Infinite Veranda layout brings the seating space inside the cabin. So, our room felt extra spacious.

I'm a chronic overpacker, but even with five suitcases, we had no issues finding storage. We were also pleasantly surprised by the extra space along the side of the Infinite Veranda, where we could store some of our luggage without our cabin feeling cluttered.

The extra space also made our cabin more functional. Throughout the cruise, we used the Infinite Veranda as a second seating area.

With two chairs and a small table, it was the perfect spot to have our morning coffee or a glass of wine at sunset. We ended up spending more time in our stateroom than usual because it was so comfortable.

One of the most unexpected benefits of the Infinite Veranda was the added sense of privacy it provided.

On a standard balcony, your outdoor space is more exposed, with only a small divider separating you from your neighbors. They can also feel less secluded.

Depending on the ship's design, a standard balcony might even be visible from other decks. On a previous cruise, for example, a stranger on an upper deck yelled things at me while I was taking photos on my standard balcony. It was pretty embarrassing.

Thankfully, we didn't have to worry about that while using our Infinite Veranda. Even with the window open, the space felt enclosed and much quieter.

Unlike on traditional balconies, where you can often hear chairs moving or conversations next door, we never heard our neighbors.

All of this gave us a greater sense of privacy while we enjoyed the ocean views.

Because the Infinite Veranda is built into the room rather than separated by a sliding door, we didn't have to go outside to take in sweeping views of New Zealand's fjords, cascading waterfalls, and jagged coastlines.

With the country's cooler temperatures, bundling up to sit on a traditional balcony wasn't especially appealing. Instead, we loved lowering the window and enjoying the scenery from the comfort of our cabin.

Unlike a standard balcony, which exposes you to wind, rain, or noise, the Infinite Veranda let us enjoy the views from anywhere in the room, even from bed.

Whether we were sailing through Fiordland National Park or just wanted fresh, cool air in the cabin after dinner, we used the space constantly.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the Infinite Veranda is the lack of a true outdoor space. At times, it can feel more like sticking your head out a car window than stepping onto a balcony.

Additionally, the air conditioning shuts off automatically when the window is open. This can make the room stuffy or humid in warmer climates — luckily, though, this wasn't an issue for us with New Zealand's cooler weather.

Some travelers also prefer the separation between indoor and outside space that true balconies with a door can offer. For example, it can be convenient if someone wants to hop on a phone call while their cabinmates are napping. This wasn't an issue for us, though.

I can understand why the Infinite Veranda is polarizing, but for us, it was worth the money.

In total, we spent $6,826 on an Infinite Veranda stateroom in Celebrity's AquaClass, which included wellness-focused perks such as access to a thermal spa and an exclusive restaurant.

Infinite Veranda rooms typically cost more than standard veranda cabins, but prices vary widely — and I've even seen them cost slightly less on some itineraries.

Although I was hesitant to book such a highly debated cabin, it turned out to be one of the highlights of our cruise. In fact, I've already booked another Infinite Veranda cabin for my cruise to Norway this summer.

I love a good trip to Culver's. The chain, which started in Wisconsin, is a Midwest staple that's expanded to over 1,000 locations across 26 states since 1984.

During this visit, I ordered a ButterBurger with cheese, which cost me $5.46.

I liked how the Culver's burger was wrapped in waxy paper. Although I waited to eat my burger at home, I could easily peel the paper back and eat it on the go.

My deluxe single cheeseburger came with one flat patty, tomato, American cheese, lettuce, sweet red onion, pickles, and the brand's signature mayo.

The bun was buttered and nicely toasted, and the produce was crisp. It tasted fresh and flavorful. I had no complaints.

For those who aren't as familiar with the fast-food chain, Sonic has only drive-in and drive-thru options — customers don't go inside.

Founded in Oklahoma, Sonic is by far the largest chain in this taste test, with more than 3,000 locations in 47 states.

Sonic locations have stalls where you can pull in, push a button, and order your meal. Carhops then walk or skate the food to your car, giving it a nostalgic, 1950s-style vibe.

However, you can also use the more modern drive-thru if you don't want the production.

I was quickly in and out of there with my $5.96 burger.

Sonic's cheeseburger came wrapped in foil and paper, and it did get slightly smashed on the side after riding in its bag to my final destination.

The patty was thick and juicy and stacked with crinkle-cut pickles, American cheese, onions, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, and tomatoes.

In my opinion, Sonic's burger patties were the juiciest and packed the most flavor. The burger had a lot of condiments, however, so the toasted bun was soggy by the time I sat down to eat it.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 2002. These days, Freddy's has more than 500 locations across 36 states.

Inside, Freddy's has a bit of a '50s diner aesthetic, with bright white and red decor and fun signs pointing to the pickup stations.

My original cheeseburger cost $7.52 and came in a square, insulated sleeve. Since it wasn't wrapped as tightly, I had to rearrange the bun and toppings a little when I got home.

Freddy's regular burgers come with two patties, which are flat with crispy edges. Those are layered with two slices of cheese, crinkle-cut pickles, ketchup, mustard, onions — all between a toasted bun.

In the past, I've really enjoyed the crispy edges of Freddy's burger patties. This time, though, the edges of my burger were more chewy and dry than crispy. I don't know whether it was the packaging, the commute, or just some unfortunate luck.

If the Freddy's patties had been as crispy as I've had them before, I would've liked them more.

Still, the burger was delicious and filling — and I enjoyed the mix of condiments, cheese, and pickles — but I also missed the tomatoes and lettuce that came on the other two.

For this taste test, I ordered the default iteration of each burger, but next time, I'd add lettuce and tomatoes to this one (for no extra charge).

For me, the winner of the three-burger showdown was Culver's.

The fresh crispness of the produce and thicker tomato slices added texture and flavor. The patty felt like a decent size, and the buttery, toasted bun was a nice touch.

Culver's burger also ended up being the cheapest of the three, which is a huge plus.

I'd definitely eat at the other two chains again, but the Culver's burger was just too good to beat.

This story was originally published on October 29, 2024, and most recently updated on May 26, 2026.

Trader Joe's offers several types of marinara sauce, but the organic version seemed to be the most basic of them all. It had a mellow sweet-tomato flavor and a pretty red color, but other than that, there wasn't much going on.

The consistency, like most marinara sauces, reminded me of salsa because it was simultaneously chunky and watery. It poured easily with minimal effort.

When I tried this sauce with penne, I wasn't a big fan. In my opinion, the meager amount of herbs made it taste like more like ketchup than a pasta sauce.

That said, I think it might work as a cocktail sauce with some added horseradish.

Because Trader Joe's sells several more flavorful marinara sauces, though, I personally wouldn't buy this one again.

When I first tasted the tomato-basil marinara, I had to check the label on the sauce to make sure I didn't buy the organic marinara twice.

To be fair, there wasn't much of a difference between the ingredients in the two sauces, other than the fact that this one had more basil in it, which made it a touch brighter and more interesting.

Unfortunately, the basil flavor in this sauce was faint, so it still tasted like something was missing.

I think it could be vastly improved if you're willing to doctor it up with some extra herbs. But at that point, it might defeat the purpose of using jarred pasta sauce.

However, I think it would be good as a dip for breadsticks or pizza crust.

Cacio e pepe is typically made with a few simple ingredients like butter, pepper, pasta water, and Parmesan. So, having a jarred version of such a simple sauce seemed a bit unnecessary to me.

Straight out of the jar, the sauce had a thick, creamy consistency, almost like a white gravy you'd put on biscuits.

For me, Trader Joe's cacio e pepe sauce was too heavy on the salt and pepper.

I didn't like how the flavor lingered in my mouth even after washing it down with a glass of water. Plus, it seemed more oily than buttery.

In my opinion, this one tasted like a jarred Alfredo with a ton of black pepper mixed into it. It lacked the yummy, pure cheesiness I get when I make the dish from scratch, so I find it hard to justify buying it again.

In a sea of marinaras, Trader Joe's chunky-tomato and pepper sauce stood out for its spice.

In my experience, Trader Joe's items that are labeled as spicy can be pretty mild, so I was pleasantly by the mellow burn from this sauce.

It was a true standout with its layers of complex, spicy seasonings, bright-tomato flavor, and textured consistency. I'd buy it again, I just wouldn't pair it with pasta. In fact, I think it would be really good over some black beans and rice.

I'm not usually a huge fan of jarred meat sauces, but I was pleasantly surprised by Trader Joe's Bolognese.

For a premade Bolognese — especially one without wine or added sugar — it was quite good. The sauce contained a nice mix of dried herbs including thyme, oregano, fennel, and basil.

Texture-wise, Trader Joe's Bolognese sauce was thick but not as chunky as I expected. The beef is minced into such fine pieces that it felt inseparable from the sauce.

However, the sauce didn't have quite the same slow-cooked, full-bodied flavor as fresh Bolognese.

That said, a good Bolognese can be time-consuming to make from scratch, so Trader Joe's jarred version is a great substitute to make meaty pasta in record time.

In my experience, most Alfredo sauces taste like under-seasoned cream. So, I was pleasantly surprised by the version from Trader Joe's.

I'm not a huge fan of Alfredo sauce, but I thought Trader Joe's version was pretty good. It wasn't overly seasoned and got most of its saltiness from the cheese.

Although the Alfredo was a bit too rich for my liking, fans of extra creamy, cheesy flavors would probably dig it. 

Overall, it tasted like a more mellow alternative to Trader Joe's cacio e pepe sauce.

Trader Joe's vegan Bolognese combines plant-based protein crumbles with tomatoes, vegetables, and other dried Italian herbs to form a concoction that captures the iconic beefy sauce without animal products.

In my opinion, this is a really well-made, delicious sauce. It packed a pleasantly bright tomato flavor with basil and oregano.

The pea-protein crumbles did a nice job replicating that ground-beef texture and the subtle porcini-mushroom powder in the seasoning added a tasty layer of savory, meaty flavor.

I was still missing that wine taste typical of a Bolognese sauce, but then again, this flavor was also absent in Trader Joe's beefy Bolognese.

My only complaint was that it was very thin and watery — almost soup-like — so it didn't cling to the pasta as well as the other sauces.

Pesto rosso is a variation of the typical green pesto, made with sun-dried tomatoes.

The consistency of Trader Joe's version was thick, like tomato paste, so it seemed better suited for spreading on sandwiches than mixed into pasta. However, I tried it with penne.

The pesto rosso had a smooth, sweet-tomato flavor with a strong cheesy overtone. The balsamic gave the pesto rosso a sharp bite that made it distinct from other tomato-cheese sauces I tried.

Trader Joe's pesto rosso is one of those sauces where you need a just dollop to get the flavor you're looking for.

Overall, it's a great ingredient to have on hand when you need an extra boost of tomato flavor without using a full liquid sauce. I'd definitely buy it again.

There's a lot to love about Trader Joe's pesto alla Genovese, but my favorite part is that I could actually taste every ingredient that's supposed to be there.

In my experience, some store-bought pesto is overwhelmingly oily or drowning in so much salt that you can barely taste the basil.

On the contrary, Trader Joe's pesto alla Genovese had a pleasant basil flavor with a nice balance of nuttiness and salt. It was also surprisingly potent, so I think a little goes a long way.

At first, the ultra-blended consistency and tiny jar made me think the pesto was more of a condiment than a sauce, but it tasted great on pasta.

However, I think it would also be great on top of chicken, grilled vegetables, paninis, and soups.

Though it's not as fresh tasting as the stuff in the refrigerated section, this sauce gets the job done when you're craving pesto. Plus, with the added convenience of a longer shelf life, you really get your bang for your buck here.

"Pomodoro" translates to "tomato," which should serve as a reminder of who the star of this sauce is.

Trader Joe's three-cheese pomodoro sauce, which included Romano, Asiago, and Parmesan, was splendid. For me, the most notable quality was the delicate, yummy sweetness of the tomatoes that I didn't get from many of the other sauces.

I also loved that there were large chunks of tomato and that the sauce had a rustic, home-cooked feel to it. I'd buy this again to ladle over stuffed shells with even more cheese.

The pomodoro sauce is probably my personal favorite of the roundup, but because it might not be as versatile as Trader Joe's other options, I can't say it's the best sauce from the chain.

Where the classic tomato-basil marinara left a lot to be desired, Trader Joe's creamy tomato-basil sauce had me wanting to lick the bottom of my plate.

This sauce was incredibly rich, flavorful, and delicious. I found it to be similar in consistency and taste to a tomato bisque because it was lusciously creamy with bits of the fruit popping up here and there.

Though the sauce was creamy, it didn't feel heavy. It definitely tasted more decadent than a typical marinara, but it didn't stick to the sides of my mouth like other cream sauces do.

The Parmesan was more prominent than I anticipated, but I thought it added a much-needed layer of salt to round out the sauce. Add a sprig of fresh basil to bring out the herbs even more, and this stuff is pure gold straight out of the jar.

Trader Joe's roasted-garlic sauce had the same consistency and, for the most part, the same ingredients as the other marinaras I tried.

However, the roasted garlic truly elevated this into a league of its own, adding an extra dimension of irresistible flavor. Even the smell of it warming up on the stove made my nostrils flare in anticipation.

Though the flavor was prominent, it didn't overshadow the tomatoes or other herbs, so it tasted quite well-rounded.

It's not too sweet or salty, so unless you really hate garlic, I think this would be palatable to pretty much anyone.

Plus, this marinara earns high marks in my book for versatility. Sometimes, you just need a sauce that goes with everything to make your pasta nights easier.

Overall, I think Trader Joe's roasted-garlic sauce is a great-value, good-quality marinara you'll use over and over again.

With "extra-loaded" in the name, I was expecting to be impressed.

The thin-crust pie is topped with bell peppers, Italian sausage, red onion, pepperoni, and mushrooms.

When I removed this pizza from the box, though, it looked like it was only topped with cheese. Upon closer inspection, I saw a smattering of toppings buried beneath the shreds. I was curious to see how it'd cook.

This pizza cost me $5.49, and serves five.

The photo on the box didn't look anything like my final pizza.

Once cooked, the toppings were nearly invisible aside from a few peppers and pepperoni pieces sticking out on the edges.

The cheese got wonderfully golden, but the peppers and meat pieces below it didn't crisp up much. All in all, this pizza had a decent flavor, but not enough toppings.

This was still better than frozen pizzas I've tried from many other brands, but it was my least favorite of the group.

The Mama Cozzi's French-bread pepperoni pizza is made with mozzarella and topped with pepperoni.

I paid only $2.79 for a box with two pieces; each is one serving.

This felt more like a toasted, open-faced pepperoni sandwich than a pizza. The bread was crunchy, but I found myself missing a more typical crust.

Plus, this seemed to have far less cheese than any other pizzas I tried. I could see way too much of the sauce peeking through the layer of shredded mozzarella.

Still, I enjoyed eating this and thought the pepperoni (made with pork, beef, and chicken) tasted exceptionally good.

For what it's worth, I lived on the Mama Cozzi's original thin-crust pizzas throughout the pandemic. These cost a little more now than in 2021, but they're still a great value at $3.19 for a pie that serves three.

For this taste test, I tried the supreme variety, which comes with sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, and onion.

This pizza was pretty impressive as it seemed loaded with all of the aforementioned toppings. Each bite seemed to have pepperoni or sausage.

The cracker-like crust wasn't anything to write home about in terms of flavor, but it was the perfect crunchy conduit for the toppings.

Flatbread pizzas can be hit or miss. Sometimes their crusts get soggy or too crisp, but they can be delicious when done well.

This rectangular flatbread pizza from Mama Cozzi's that I tried is made with both sliced and diced pepperoni, plus fresh mozzarella.

It cost me $4.79 and comes with two servings.

I was pleasantly surprised by my very first bite. The crust was buttery and flaky in a light, airy, beautiful way.

The ratio of cheese to meat seemed well-balanced, and the different pepperoni cuts helped the toppings feel more evenly distributed.

The rectangular shape made the pizza fairly easy to eat, which I also liked. All in all, this pizza was delicious.

The most indulgent pizza of them all seemed to be the Mama Cozzi's four-cheese pizza with a rising crust described as "fluffy" and "full."

Toppings include Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, and mozzarella, and in terms of ounces, this pizza was the heaviest.

It cost me $4.19 and has six servings.

As essentially promised by the box, the crust was the softest and most pillowy of the pies on this list.

I tasted notes of each individual cheese atop a slightly sweet red sauce. Parmesan and Asiago added a nice variety of salty flavors to the pie.

Plus, I found it incredibly filling — after two slices, I was satisfied.

It was fantastic, even eaten cold and leftover, the next day. This would've been my favorite if not for one dark horse.

The Mama Cozzi's stone-baked veggie pizza with an Italian crust seemed loaded with red onion, spinach, grilled peppers, and grilled zucchini.

I wasn't super excited to try it since I really enjoy meat and was a bit turned off by how little mozzarella appeared to be on the pie based on the photo on the box.

I paid $3.99 for the pizza, which contains four servings.

I was skeptical at first, but this pizza blew me away.

There was so little sauce that I barely noticed it, but I didn't find I actually needed or wanted more. The pizza wasn't dry, and I liked that the vegetables on top were spread to the edge of the crust.

The crust tasted buttery — though not as buttery as the flatbread's — and was very flavorful with Italian herbs and a crunchy yet fluffy texture.

This pizza's toppings were the tastiest and most colorful. With so many textures and flavors, the slight lack of cheese didn't bother me after all.

All in all, this pizza was my top pick.

This story was originally published on June 3, 2025, and most recently updated on April 24, 2026.

I liked that Trader Joe's option didn't have the ubiquitous pool of milky whey that sometimes settles on top of yogurt when I open it. The yogurt seemed to have a nice, medium-thick consistency.

At $5.50, the 32-ounce tub of Greek yogurt was the least expensive of the four brands I tried.

Sadly, I thought this yogurt had an intensely tangy, almost sour flavor.

Because of its standout creaminess, though, I'd like to try the store's other varieties of flavored Greek yogurt next time.

At $6.70, this 32-ounce tub was the most expensive yogurt I tried. When I opened the container, the yogurt looked creamy and smooth.

The 365 Greek yogurt tasted fresh and was well-balanced — mildly sweet and not too tangy or tart.

I'd likely use this yogurt in one of my smoothies, as I don't feel it would alter the taste, but would add a nice boost of protein.

The $6 Kirkland Signature organic nonfat Greek yogurt came in a 48-ounce tub.

On a cost-per-ounce basis, it was the best value of the varieties I tried. The entire tub was cheaper than the 365 organic yogurt from Whole Foods — and contained 16 more ounces.

The Kirkland Signature yogurt was rich and full-bodied, with just enough tartness to give it some depth.

I appreciated that this yogurt, though less dense than the others, didn't have a puddle of whey at the top. It seemed like an ideal base for fruit, granola, or other add-ins.

The 32-ounce tub of organic Greek yogurt from Wegmans cost $6 — a pleasant surprise, as I thought it would be more expensive.

Some whey floated at the top of the yogurt, but only creamy goodness remained once I dumped it out.

This Greek yogurt was creamy and smooth with the slightest tang, making it a solid base for add-ins. I think its light consistency would also be ideal to use in recipes.

Notably, this yogurt had the most sugar (7 grams) of all four options I tried. My daughter also liked it the most, so I plan on packing it in a container with some toppings for her lunch.

I liked this yogurt so much that I'm permanently keeping it in my refrigerator. The next time we need Greek yogurt, I'll reach for this one from Wegmans.

This story was originally published on June 9, 2024, and most recently updated on March 24, 2026.