My browser autodeletes cookies, and blocks cookies popups. Though I have set exceptions for sites, I log in to.

tl;dr: "Reject All" will not break the site.

Also, technically there's still a cookie after that:

The choice is recorded in a consent cookie

The article seems to ride on people's anxiety about walls of text & choices presented by various cookie popups (not all of which even have a "Reject all" option) and IMHO isn't quite clear enough that "Reject all" is the best option for 99% of use cases.

I generally reject all. Then check for those sneaky sites that keep "legitimate interest" cookies ticked. I really doubt their idea of legitimate and my idea of legitimate align in any way.

It’s good enough for me.

I have no idea how an ad servicing company I have never heard of could have a legitimate interest in my online activities.

Horrendous that this isn't just a browser setting that can be applied universally. It's 100% opt out every time.

They have an interest, but it isn't in your best interest.

Ublock Origin has that option!

Well, it could have been but just like robot.txt everyone ignored the Do-not-track Header in HTTP requests.

It's kinda funny that they're "legitimate interest", as that infers that the other ones aren't legitmate.

My flow is usually:

[when my cookie auto decline eztension doesn’t work]

1. Look for Reject All button
2. If no reject all button just open the site on an archive

https://github.com/cavi-au/Consent-O-Matic
This can do it for you on most sites in most browsers.

I have it, and it does help, but it seems more often than not I still get a pop up for cookies.

That's unnecessary. Not clicking anything is legally identical to opting out. So just install uBO and add the cookie list filter and block those annoying banners entirely.

That's why I leave this off. Ironically the "Do Not Track" signal is used to more effectively track you.

You can report websites that it failed to act upon in the extension window

If the site doesnt work without cookies depends on how much I want to browse I will accept knowing that my browser nukes everything or I will just not browse that site.

I use uMatrix to control exactly which cookies I accept, and only accept what I need.

You're not wrong, but in my experience those lists cause some sites to not work anymore, the whole site will stay dark waiting for the cookie pop-up for example, or you can't scroll. I still use uBO to block ads but Consent-O-Matic gives me a better experience on those sites.