Thursday, November 28, 2019

All 19 KFC Menu Items, Reviewed

All 19 KFC Menu Items, Reviewed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips KFC, formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken, is the world's second largest restaurant chain by sales behind only McDonald's. It's become synonymous with fast-food fried chicken, but it offers additional options for the fast-food consumer. In this article, I'll go through every item on KFC's menu. I'll provide all the relevant information and guidance to help you decide what to eat at KFC. As a fast-food connoisseur, I've sacrificed my arteries and blood pressure to help you enjoy some finger lickin' good treats. KFC Menu Items I'll take you through the entire KFC menu and educate you about all of KFC's offerings. For each item I’ll provide the following information: Cost Rating (0-5 drumsticks) Description Review Nutritional Content Keep in mind that prices and menu items can vary based on location. Based on your priorities, use the information I've given to guide your KFC order. Furthermore, I’ve separated the menu items into different categories: Chicken Sandwiches Specialty Items Sides Desserts Sauces KFC Chicken Items Here are all the different types of chicken you can consume compliments of the Colonel. The smaller portions of chicken (2 pieces) are served as combo meals (with sides and a medium drink). You can look below for the details about the various combo meals. Original Recipe Description: The fried chicken that put KFC on the map. As its name indicates, this is the original fried chicken. It’s made with a â€Å"secret blend of herbs and spices. Cost: 8 pieces: $14.99, 12 pieces: $20,49, 16 pieces: $24.99 Rating: 3 drumsticks Review: KFC’s Original Recipe fried chicken is tasty, but it’s not amazing, especially when compared to really good fried chicken. Because it’s rather greasy, the breading is on the soggy side and lacks crunch. However, the flavors are good, thanks to that secret blend of herbs and spices. Nutritional Content: Based on one drumstick Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 120 3 g 7 g 380 mg Extra Crispy Description: It’s the same as the Original Recipe, but it’s double breaded for extra crunch. Cost: 8 pieces: $14.99, 12 pieces: $20.49, 16 pieces $24.99 Rating: 4 drumsticks Review: My favorite part of fried chicken is the fried part, so I enjoy the double breading in the Extra Crispy chicken. Furthermore, the Extra Crispy addresses my main issue with the Original Recipe, which is that the grease makes the breading soggy. The additional breading withstands the grease better, so you can still get some crunch. Great addition to the KFC menu. Nutritional Content: Based on one drumstick Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 160 5 g 10 g 390 mg Grilled Chicken Description: The healthier alternative to the fried chicken. The grilled chicken is marinated, seasoned, and then grilled. Cost: 8 pieces: $14.99, 12 pieces: $20.49, 16 pieces: $24.99 Rating: 2.5 Drumsticks Review: In my world, grilled chicken will never taste better than fried chicken. And the quality of chicken you’re getting from KFC is much more palatable in fried form. However, if you’re looking for a healthy option on KFC's menu, the grilled chicken isn’t all bad. It has some flavor and it’s not as rubbery as I expected. Basically, the grilled chicken can satisfy you, but it won’t make you happy. Nutritional Content: Based on one drumstick Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 90 0 g 4 g 290 mg Popcorn Nuggets Description: The KFC version of chicken nuggets Cost: Popcorn Nuggets Large: $3.99 Rating: 5 Drumsticks Review: If you like chicken nuggets, you’ll undoubtedly be pleased with the popcorn nuggets. Dare I say that KFC offers the best fast-food nugget. The Popcorn Nuggets offer the requisite crunch, the chicken is moist, and the breading to chicken ratio is on point. One of the best on the KFC menu. Nutritional Content: Based on a large serving Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 570 37 g 33 g 1890 mg Extra Crispy Tenders Description: Double breaded strips of chicken breast meat Cost: 3 Pc. $3.99, 6 Pc. $6.99, 12 Pc. $12.99 Rating: 4 Drumsticks Review: If you want your Extra Crispy chicken without having to deal with bones, then this is the option for you. KFC tenders have good crunch, but the chicken with the bone is more moist. However, the delicious breading and the convenience of eating the chicken in boneless form make the Extra Crispy Tenders one of the best items on the KFC menu. Nutritional Content: Based on one tender Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 130 6 7 310 KFC Sandwiches Getting your chicken in sandwich form makes it easier to eat in the car and adds more complex flavors in a single bite. And bread is good. These are the sandwiches on the KFC menu. Doublicious Description: A boneless breast of Original Recipe chicken with bacon, Monterey Jack, and Colonel’s sauce on a sweet Hawaiian bun Cost: Doublicious Sandwich Combo (with side and a medium drink): $5.99 Rating: 3 Drumsticks Review: While this sandwich isn’t bad, it’s somewhat unremarkable. It’s like your standard fast-food chicken sandwich. None of the individual ingredients is great, but the sandwich tastes pretty good. The chicken and bacon could use more crisp. The cheese is bland, and the sweet Hawaiian bun isn’t that sweet. The Colonel’s sauce is like a ranch with a bit of a kick. You’ll get more flavor and better chicken from the tenders, popcorn chicken, or Extra Crispy. Nutritional Content: Based on one sandwich Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 580 47 g 29 g 1390 mg Chicken Littles Description: Chicken tenders, pickles, and mayo on a sweet bun Cost: 2 Chicken Littles Combo (with a side and medium drink): $5.19 Rating: 4 Drumsticks Review: The Chicken Littles are pretty simple and pretty spectacular. The chicken in the sandwich is the Extra Crispy Tenders, and the chicken and the pickles provide some nice crunch. The mayo adds some additional flavor. Even though the bread isn’t as sweet as you would expect from a â€Å"sweet bun,† bread is always good. My main complaint with the Chicken Littles are that they’re too small. Nutritional Content: Based on one sandwich Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 310 23 g 18 g 590 mg KFC Specialty Items KFC offers a couple of unique entrees. If you're craving something a little different from just chicken or a chicken sandwich, then here are a couple of options for you. KFC Famous Bowl Description: Mashed potatoes, corn, and chunks of fried chicken layered together and drizzled with gravy. Topped with three types of shredded cheese. Cost: (with chocolate chip cookie and medium drink) $5.00 Rating: 1.5 Drumsticks Review: Call me a traditionalist, but I don’t think all these foods belong in the same bowl. Individually, none of these ingredients is exceptional and I don’t think they all work together. If you want small pieces of fried chicken, you’re better off going with the Popcorn Nuggets and a side dish. On the bright side, having only one bowl with all these items cuts down on waste. So the KFC Famous Bowl may be environmentally friendly even if it’s not taste bud friendly. One of the worst items on the KFC menu. Nutritional Content: Based on an individual serving Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 710 82 g 31 g 2450 mg Pot Pie Description: Chicken, diced potatoes, peas, and carrots covered in a savory sauce and baked in a golden crust Cost: (with chocolate chip cookie and medium drink) $5.00 Rating: 3 Drumsticks Review: The KFC Pot Pie is a small step up from your traditional microwaveable chicken pot pie. The flavors are solid, and you get a well-balanced bite with the flaky crust, rich sauce, chicken, and vegetables. However, I always think you should stick to the staples at any fast-food establishment. If you’re going to indulge in an unhealthy meal at KFC, you’re better off with the fried chicken. Nutritional Content: Based on an individual serving Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 790 66 g 45 g 1970 mg KFC Sides The KFC menu includes more sides than that of your average fast-food restaurant, but only a couple of them are worth ordering. Biscuits Description: Just plain ol’ biscuits Cost: $1.49 Rating: 4.5 Drumsticks Review: If you grew up on homemade biscuits, maybe you won’t love the KFC version, but these are some extremely satisfying fast-food biscuits. They’re flaky, rich, and soft. To me, the KFC biscuits are a perfect complement to the crispy chicken. Nutritional Content: Based on a side order (2 biscuits) Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 180 23 g 8 g 530 mg Seasoned Potato Wedges Description: Thick, fried wedges of potatoes with herbs and spices Cost: Individual: $1.99, Large: 3.79 Rating: 4 Drumsticks Review: The seasoned potato wedges are a nice twist on the typical fast food french fry. The wedges have a nice crunch, and the seasoning gives them some extra flavor. However, they’re a tad on the salty side, so beware if you have a sensitive palate - you might get a lighter option from the KFC sides. Nutritional Content: Based on a side order Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 290 35 g 15 g 810 mg Mac and Cheese Description: Elbow macaroni covered in a cheddar cheese sauce Cost: Individual $1.99, Large $3.79 Rating: 3.5 Drumsticks Review: It’s not the best mac and cheese, but even a bad mac and cheese tastes pretty good. The cheddar sauce could be a little more creamy, but it has a quality cheddar flavor. The macaroni is a good size and texture for mac and cheese. Nutritional Content: Based on an individual side order Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 170 22 g 6 g 830 mg Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Description: Mashed potatoes covered with gravy Cost: Individual $1.99, Large $3.79 Rating: 3 Drumsticks Review: Personally, I like my mashed potatoes more velvety, and the gravy lacks flavor. However, the KFC mashed potatoes and gravy don’t taste bad. You’ll still get some carbs and taste, but your family would probably be upset with you if you brought a KFC side for Thanksgiving dinner. Nutritional Content: Based on an individual side order Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 120 19 g 4 g 530 mg Whole Kernel Corn Description: Sweet yellow corn off the cob and in a bowl Cost: Individual $1.99, Large $3.79 Rating: 2.5 Drumsticks Review: The KFC corn is a much healthier side option, but it doesn’t have much taste or flavor. If you’re just looking for some extra nutrients, then the corn isn’t bad, but it’s not your best option if you want to satisfy your taste buds. Nutritional Content: Based on an individual serving Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 100 21 g 0.5 g 0 mg Coleslaw Description: Coleslaw made with cabbage, carrots, onions, and KFC signature dressing Cost: Individual $1.79, Large $3.79 Rating: 3 Drumsticks Review: The coleslaw is a bit bland, but it offers some nice texture and some vegetables. However, even though you get your fill of vegetables with the cole slaw, the dressing makes it not nearly as healthy as many would assume. In fact, it has more fat than the biscuits or the mac and cheese. Nutritional Content: Based on an individual side Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 170 19 g 10 g 170 mg Green Beans Description: Warm, unseasoned green beans Cost: Individual $1.99, Large $3.79 Rating: 1.5 Drumsticks Review: Like the KFC corn, the green beans give you a healthy option, but they’re lacking in flavor. I can’t imagine a single soul preferring the taste of the green beans to that of the biscuits. But, the texture is fine and the green beans don’t have an unpleasant taste. Just minimal taste. Nutritional Content: Based on an individual side Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 25 4 0 260 mg KFC Desserts KFC only has two dessert options. They’re simple, but KFC has wisely stuck to chocolate desserts that are very hard to mess up. Occasionally, KFC will offer different flavors of cake like lemon and pumpkin, but the chocolate chip cake is the only permanent cake option on all KFC menus. Chocolate-Chip Cookies Description: Chocolate chip cookies baked at KFC Cost: 3 for $1.29, 12 for $4.49 Rating: 4 Drumsticks Review: The KFC cookies are a pleasant surprise. Because they’re baked at the restaurants, you get a warm center that oozes chocolate. They’re relatively light and moist. If you’re looking to truly treat yourself at KFC, get yourself some cookies. Nutritional content: Based on one cookie Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 170 22 g 8 g 90 mg Chocolate Chip Cake Description: A chocolate ring cake with chocolate chips baked inside and drizzled with white confectioner’s frosting Cost: $3.99 Rating: 4.5 Drumsticks Review: The cake is extremely moist. The chocolate chips add richness and the frosting provides some sweetness. I’d prefer the cake with some more chocolate chips, but this cake will satisfy chocolate lovers and those that have a sweet tooth. For me, this is the winner KFC dessert. Nutritional Content: Based on one slice Calories Carbs Fat Sodium 300 39 g 15 g 260 mg KFC Sauces KFC has a variety of sauces you can use to enhance the flavor of your chicken. These are the available sauces at KFC: Finger Lickin’ Good Sauce- A mayonnaise-like sauce that has a little sweet and spice. Summertime BBQ- A bold barbecue sauce with big tomato flavor. Honey Mustard- A sweeter honey mustard sauce. It goes well with the Tenders. Creamy Buffalo- A mix of hot wing sauce and creamy Ranch. I recommend them with the Popcorn Nuggets. Sweet ‘N Tangy- The KFC version of sweet and sour. Buttermilk Ranch- It tastes like a classic Ranch to me. Beverages These are the KFC beverage options and prices. Drink Price Soft Drink: Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Pepsi MAX Medium $1.69 Soft Drink Large $1.99 Aquafina Water Bottle $1.69 Iced Tea: Sweetened or Unsweetened  ½ Gallon $2.49 Lemonade Medium $1.99 Lemonade  ½ Gallon $3.49 Strawberry Lemonade Medium $2.29 Strawberry Lemonade  ½ Gallon $3.99 KFC Combo Meals One thing that separates KFC from other fast food restaurants is the quantity of combination meals. Not only can you buy individual meals, but you can buy family meals if you want to feed multiple people or you’d like leftovers. Most meals come with at least one side and a medium drink. Here are the various individual combo meal options on the KFC menu. Combo Includes Price Popcorn Nuggets Combo Wedges and Medium Drink $5.49 2 Pc. Combo 1 Breast, 1 Wing, Individual Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Biscuit, Medium Drink $5.99 2 Chicken Littles Combo Wedges and Medium Drink $5.29 3 Tenders Combo Wedges, Biscuit, and Medium Drink $5.99 Doublicious Combo Wedges and Medium Drink $5.99 Big Box Meals Big Box Meals include individual mashed potatoes with gravy, coleslaw, biscuit, and medium drink. As the name indicates, these are larger meals. Meal Price 3 Pc. Chicken Box $7.99 2. Pc. Chicken and Small Popcorn Nuggets Box $7.99 3 Tenders and Popcorn Nuggets Box $7.99 Bucket Meals These are your family style meals that serve multiple people. You can feed the fam, frat house, or buy yourself dinner for the week. Meal Price 8 Pc. Chicken, 2 Large Sides, 4 Biscuits (Feeds 4+) $21.99 12 Pc. Chicken, 3 Large Sides, 6 Biscuits (Feeds 6+) $29.99 16 Pc. Chicken, 4 Large Sides, 8 Biscuits (Feeds 8+) $36.99 Tenders Meal: 12 Tenders, 2 Large Sides, 4 Biscuits, 6 Sauces (Feeds 4+) $19.99 Tenders and Wedges for 2: 6 Tenders, Large Wedges, 2 Sauces (Feeds 2+) $9.99 $5 Fill Ups KFC also offers some smaller combo meals, all for five dollars. Meal Price 3 Extra Crispy Tenders, Larger Mashed Potatoes, Biscuit, Cookie, Medium Drink, Dipping Sauce $5.00 Famous Bowl, Cookie, Medium Drink $5.00 Chicken Breast, Larger Mashed Potatoes, Biscuit, Cookie, Medium Drink $5.00 Pot Pie, Cookie, Medium Drink $5.00 Kids’ Meals KFC doesn’t neglect the children, but you won’t get a toy with your kid’s meal. Entree Includes Price 1 Drumstick, 1 Chicken Little, 1 Tender, or Popcorn Nuggets An Individual Side and Applesauce $3.99 What Should You Order Off the KFC Menu? When deciding what to order at KFC, there are a number of factors to consider to maximize your KFC experience. Here are the questions you need to answer to decide the best KFC food for you: How do you like your chicken? For entrees, KFC just offers different forms of chicken. Do you like your chicken with or without bones? Do you prefer your chicken in tender or nugget form? Do you like your chicken extra crispy or is that too much breading for you? Do you want chicken by itself or do you prefer a chicken sandwich? Answering these questions will lead you to your ideal KFC order. For example, if you want a crispy chicken sandwich, then the Chicken Little would be a good option for you. How hungry are you? At KFC, this is an important question to ask because portion sizes vary tremendously. Consider the size of your appetite when placing your order. Personally, I think a Big Box Meal should do the trick when you’re really hungry. For a normal size meal, any of the combos should satisfy you. If you only want a snack, I’d go with a Chicken Little, Tenders, or Popcorn Nuggets. Are you trying to be healthy? The healthy options aren’t great at KFC, but they exist. For the health-conscious folks, you’re going to want to stick to grilled chicken, green beans, and corn. If you’re with somebody else who’s eating the unhealthy options, you’ll probably be jealous. Are you trying to be economical? If you’re trying to save money, first consider how many people you’re feeding. If you’re feeding a family, you’ll probably save some money by getting a bucket of chicken or a bucket meal as opposed to ordering individual meals for each person. If you’re just getting food for yourself, the $5 Fill Ups offer the best value. Are you eating in the car? If you’re eating while driving, it’s a bit challenging to eat bone-in chicken. You’ll probably have the easiest time with Popcorn Nuggets, Tenders, or a chicken sandwich. In terms of sides, go for ones that don’t require a fork like the Wedges and biscuits. One word of caution: If you’re eating in the car, be careful with the sauces. You don’t want your seats to end up smelling like Ranch.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Life and Death of a Star

The Life and Death of a Star Stars last a long time, but eventually they will die. The energy that makes up stars, some of the largest objects we ever study, comes from the interaction of individual atoms. So, to understand the largest and most powerful objects in the universe, we must understand the most basic. Then, as the stars life ends, those basic principles once again come into play to describe what will happen to the star next. Astronomers study various aspects of stars to determine how old they are as well as their other characteristics. That helps them also understand the life and death processes they experience. The Birth of a Star The stars took a long time to form, as gas drifting in the universe was drawn together by the force of gravity. This gas is mostly hydrogen, because its the most basic and abundant element in the universe, although some of the gas might consist of some other elements. Enough of this gas begins gathering together under gravity and each atom is pulling on all of the other atoms. This gravitational pull is enough to force the atoms to collide with each other, which in turn generates heat. In fact, as the atoms are colliding with each other, theyre vibrating and moving more quickly (that is, after all, what heat energy really is: atomic motion). Eventually, they get so hot, and the individual atoms have so much kinetic energy, that when they collide with another atom (which also has a lot of kinetic energy) they dont just bounce off each other. With enough energy, the two atoms collide and the nucleus of these atoms fuse together. Remember, this is mostly hydrogen, which means that each atom contains a nucleus with only one proton. When these nuclei fuse together (a process known, appropriately enough, as nuclear fusion) the resulting nucleus has two protons, which means that the new atom created is helium. Stars may also fuse heavier atoms, such as helium, together to make even larger atomic nuclei. (This process, called nucleosynthesis, is believed to be how many of the elements in our universe were formed.) The Burning of a Star So the atoms (often the element hydrogen) inside the star collide together, going through a process of nuclear fusion, which generates heat, electromagnetic radiation (including visible light), and energy in other forms, such as high-energy particles. This period of atomic burning is what most of us think of as the life of a star, and its in this phase that we see most stars up in the heavens. This heat generates a pressure - much like heating air inside a balloon creates pressure on the surface of the balloon (rough analogy) - which pushes the atoms apart. But remember that gravitys trying to pull them together. Eventually, the star reaches an equilibrium where the attraction of gravity and the repulsive pressure are balanced out, and during this period the star burns in a relatively stable way. Until it runs out of fuel, that is. The Cooling of a Star As the hydrogen fuel in a star gets converted to helium, and to some heavier elements, it takes more and more heat to cause the nuclear fusion. The mass of a star plays a role in how long it takes to burn through the fuel. More massive stars use their fuel faster because it takes more energy to counteract the larger gravitational force. (Or, put another way, the larger gravitational force causes the atoms to collide together more rapidly.) While our sun will probably last for about 5 thousand million years, more massive stars may last as little as 1 hundred million years before using up their fuel. As the stars fuel begins to run out, the star begins to generate less heat. Without the heat to counteract the gravitational pull, the star begins to contract. All is not lost, however! Remember that these atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, which are fermions. One of the rules governing fermions is called the Pauli Exclusion Principle, which states that no two fermions can occupy the same state, which is a fancy way of saying that there cant be more than one identical one in the same place doing the same thing. (Bosons, on the other hand, dont run into this problem, which is part of the reason photon-based lasers work.) The result of this is that the Pauli Exclusion Principle creates yet another slight repulsive force between electrons, which can help counteract the collapse of a star, turning it into a white dwarf. This was discovered by the Indian physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in 1928. Another type of star, the neutron star, come into being when a star collapses and the neutron-to-neutron repulsion counteracts the gravitational collapse. However, not all stars become white dwarf stars or even neutron stars. Chandrasekhar realized that some stars would have very different fates. The Death of a Star Chandrasekhar determined any star more massive than about 1.4 times our sun (a mass called the Chandrasekhar limit) wouldnt be able to support itself against its own gravity and would collapse into a white dwarf. Stars ranging up to about 3 times our sun would become neutron stars. Beyond that, though, theres just too much mass for the star to counteract the gravitational pull through the exclusion principle. Its possible that when the star is dying it might go through a supernova, expelling enough mass out into the universe that it drops below these limits and becomes one of these types of stars ... but if not, then what happens? Well, in that case, the mass continues to collapse under gravitational forces until a black hole is formed. And that  is what you call the death of a star.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

False Confessions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

False Confessions - Essay Example It is also a prosecutor’s most compelling weapon (Kassim & Sukel, 1997). A conviction is possible by confession evidence alone. In the process of police interrogation, obtaining a confession is one of the most important aims. A study by Zimbardo (1967) approximated that of the criminal cases solved by the police, over 80 percent are solved by confession. Confessions are a very dominant form of evidence. This is possibly due to observers misattributing the cause of the confession as being internal to the confessor while disregarding situational factors, for instance a possible coercion which may not be apparent to an observer (Gilbert & Malone, 1995). The big question, however, is whether all confessions are authentic. How are we sure that all suspected individuals give true confessions out of their own wish, without duress during the police interrogations? For instance, in Britain, false confessions rank secondly only to mistaken identities as a cause of wrongful conviction among the cases referred to the Court of Appeal. It is unclear how often false confessions result in wrongful convictions. Scholars, however, agree that enough cases have been documented to raise an eyebrow over such a risk. Leo (1998) states three possible reasons why it may be hard to approximate the prevalence of false confessions. They are: The interrogation procedure and interview tactics used the police have changed over the years. Usually, interrogation is not the first step in an investigation. It is not in question, though, that it can be the last substantial step in an investigation. In the process of an investigation, those involved collect scientific evidence as well as human evidence. For instance, witness statements, eyewitness statements, and collateral statements are collected. At this stage, â€Å"interviews† and â€Å"interrogation† are treated as different enterprises. Law enforcement and interrogation training manuals claim interviews are non-custodial (for