Whether you’re a student who barely has time to cook or just someone with limited culinary skills, canned foods are a godsend. And there’s plenty of options too, canned vegetables, meats, pasta, and the list goes on and on. Such a vast number of brands and types can prove to be somewhat overwhelming. Luckily though, there are common choices you just cannot go wrong with, and those are canned beans.
We could go on a whole tangent about what makes canned beans so great and what makes them such a popular choice, but to provide you with more practical information, we’ve decided to compile a list of some of our go-to brands for bean delicacies. We’ll be taking a closer look at each brand further into the article. We’ll also be providing a link to the Amazon price for every brand mentioned. All the heavy lifting has been done for you, so prepare your Can Opener and keep reading.
Canned Baked Bean Review Center
| Image | Canned Baked Beans | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | #1 - B & M Baked Beans | 99% |
 | #2 - Grandma Brown's Home Baked Beans | 97% |
 | #3 - Heinz Beanz | 95% |
 | #4 - Amy’s Organic Vegetarian Refried Beans | 92% |
 | #5 - Bush's Best Vegetarian Baked Beans | 90% |
Want to learn more?
Now that you’ve seen our top 5 recommendations, we’ll give you more detail on each of them, including why we liked them. When you’re ready, click the yellow button to get the best price on Amazon!
#1 – B&M Baked Beans
B&M has been in the bean cooking business for over a century, and they have the beans to prove it as well. They employ a unique method where they slow cook their beans in traditional ovens, season with molasses and brown sugar, and use a bit of pork which makes for a robust flavor.
Unlike most beans, they’re more composed which means they don’t just melt in the dish they’re put in. These beans might be different from what people are usually accustomed to with other brands, but their unique flavor and texture make them stand out from their competition. We highly recommend trying them.
What we like about it
B&M Baked Beans come with a sweet and warm flavor that’s bound to get you on a stroll down the memory lane when everything was slowly cooked with love. It also comes in a compact 16-oz can that’s so easy to open that your Knife Sharpener will beg for its old job. The small can might prove insufficient for families, but it’s a perfect match for single people, couples, and students.
#2 – Grandma Brown’s Home Baked Beans
While underwhelming at first, with a mild taste and a thick chunky texture, these beans might not be everyone’s favorite. To some people, it might seem unremarkable, and they might be turned off. On the other hand, the beans’ barebones flavor hides beneath it an endless potential for greatness.
These beans provide the perfect foundation to build upon when it comes to adding spices and special ingredients as they can go with almost anything. For those with a rich spice cabinet, these beans are the equivalent of a Lego set, they might not seem much at first, but if the right spices are added, they can make for a wholesome meal with great flavor. One thing to keep in mind though is that they can be a bit too composed, unlike other brands that are softer and would melt in some dishes. If you’re a big fan of that, you can rebake them to soften them up a bit.
If you don’t have the patience to tinker and experiment with different spices to get the flavor you want, we’d advise you to avoid this brand as its mundane flavor can’t hold a candle to the other brands we’ve mentioned.
What we like about it
Grandma Brown’s Home Baked Beans come in small 16-oz cans with a mild flavor that can be tweaked with spices for a strong, delicious taste, especially thanks to the brown sugar sweetening. If you decide to go with this brand, you’re going to need more than your regular Salt and Pepper Grinder Set as the taste may seem too weak for some people.
#3 – Heinz Beanz
Heinz Beanz is tomato-based, as is reflected in the flavor. They’re a staple brand in Britain. However, the sweet brown version is called Boston Baked Beans in the United States. The tomato flavor is akin to ketchup, which can turn off some people, however, that didn’t stop us from trying to mix in a bit of spice by adding pepper and chili powder. So, if you’re a fan tomato-based beans, you won’t regret trying these out.
What we like about it
Heinz Beanz is British Staple, Tomato-Based, vegetarian, and they come in small cans. While the strong tomato flavor isn’t everyone’s favorite, it can be a significant advantage for people who love that taste. After all, cooking is all about preferences, just like some people prefer a Japanese Cookbook while others would go with Mediterranean Cookbook at any given moment.
#4 – Amy’s Organic Vegetarian Refried Beans
While most organic and healthier foods can have a steep price, Amy’s Organic are an exception as they’re not as expensive as other products of the same nature. They’re also no different when it comes to quality. They’re tomato-based beans, which can turn off some people, especially those who don’t like the flavor of ketchup. However, what separates them from other tomato-based beans is how they succeeded in creating a great balance between the tomato sauce and the maple syrup which, combined together, make for a mild flavor that is well rounded. Being vegetarian beans is also a great bonus.
What we like about it
Amy’s tomato-based, gluten-free canned beans come with organic, vegetarian ingredients at an affordable price, which allows them to check the boxes for most people. You don’t even need a Microwave nor a Convection Oven to cook them, which makes the eating process more comfortable, as even a Grapefruit Spoon will do.
#5 – Bush’s Best Vegetarian
Like what’s been mentioned above, Bush’s beans are one of the best when it comes to canned beans. However, with Bush’s Best Vegetarian, they don’t use pork nor bacon to further reinforce the flavor of their beans. They keep the same potent flavor profile as they homestyle beans but now in a vegetarian style.
What we like about it
Just like the first recommendation on our list, these canned beans are perfect, only without meat or dairy products to satisfy vegetarians seeking a good product in this category. The can’s 28-oz size is pretty good, and the taste is excellent thanks to the strong flavor that’s brown sugar-sweetened.
#6 – Bush’s Homestyle Baked Beans
Bush’s beans seem to have a place in every “best beans” list no matter where you go. You just can’t go wrong with a brand that’s been making delicious products overall. They tend to have great flavors and texture. Versatility is also one of its strong suits, as you can cook with them, use them in a secondary dish, or even eat them straight out of the can if you so desire. They’ll taste good no matter the context in which you put them.
We went with the Homestyle flavor as it’s unique compared to its competition. They absolutely nailed the tomato paste. With other brands, it usually tastes weird, and that ruins the whole bean experience for us.
And if you’re not a big fan of the flavor, there’s a wide range of other exquisite tastes, like Boston or Bold & Spicy to name a few.
What we like about it
Besides the tasty, healthy, and spicy beans flavor and the excellent nutritional value, Bush’s Homestyle Baked Beans come at a decent can size at 28 oz, which can fit in any Compact Refrigerator, and are cooked with bacon for extra flavor. That may prove to be a drawback for vegetarian people, but it’s an excellent extra for most of us.
What We Consider When Buying Canned Beans
Overall Flavor Profile
The right bean in the right dish can make all the difference! Seeds can have a considerable effect on the overall flavor of the meal. The sensible thing to do would be to choose the brand that has the flavor you like; maybe you’d like a spicier meal, you can go with Bush’s bean then. Or if you fancy a sweeter taste, you can go with B&M baked beans.
However, if you want a richer flavor and have the spices to support it, you can always add different spices or unique ingredients for that personal touch we all want in our meals. Some beans like Grandma Brown’s Home Baked Beans make for the perfect starting place for such endeavors.
Vegetarian Beans
While most people use meat to add more spice to their beans, it’s also possible to get a good flavor without resorting to using bacon or other meats. There’s a myriad of different vegetarian recipes on the internet that provide decent alternatives for vegetarians. You’d be surprised to hear that some vegetarian recipes can sometimes be better than their non-vegetarian counterparts. It’s best to try a different method to figure out one’s preferences, so it never hurts to try new things, and we definitely recommend trying out vegetarian beans.
Sweeteners
While beans come in a vast variety of flavors, be it sweet, spicy or barbeque, it never hurts to add sweeteners to further show the beans’ flavor and, in some cases, balance out specific -undesirable- tastes. What most cooks use is Molasses, but there are always alternatives that can give the same end result, evaporated cane sugar, and high fructose corn syrup are some of these alternatives.
Adding Salt
Sodium or -as we usually call it- salt is highly prevalent in canned products, so it’s generally ill-advised to add even more salt. As we all know, too much salt is never good for the body, but in some cases, and with some beans that don’t have too much sodium already put in them, one can add a tiny bit of salt if the flavor is not strong enough.
How to Cook Baked Beans
Contrary to what some people might tell you, beans don’t just make for an excellent secondary meal. There are a bunch of different ways you can use beans in.
You can use them in your main meals to cook with them, eat them bare or you can just visit this MSN article which delves into more detail, listing thirty ways you can enjoy beans. Out preferred methods include:
- Beans on toast; The French have put it best: ‘Simplicity is what makes beauty’ beauty, in this case, being a warm fuzzy meal to be enjoyed if you’re just not in the mood to make a fancy dinner. These would serve you just as well, so keep your French Cookbook safely hidden.
- You can stuff beans in green pepper alongside other things like corn or even other peppers to make one hell of a pep perception. You can let your imagination run wild as to what you can put inside the peppers, but one thing that is a must is baked beans.
- You can roast chicken with a can of baked beans; it’s a great combination that reinforces the flavor of both the chicken and the beans, making for a delightful meal.
- If you want to make the most out of your meats, you can also add in some baked beans to make for an exquisite Sloppy Joes with additional fiber and starch.
- Last but not least, baked beans and smoked sausage. There’s plenty of choices when it comes to how you can mix them together. You can combine smoked sausage with spicy beans if you want a hot meal, you can also couple sweet beans with a delicious sausage for a softer flavor to any recipe from an Italian Cookbook, or you can always try to experiment with unconventional combinations, like spicy beans and sweet sausage and vice versa. The possibilities are endless!
For those who usually cook with baked beans, the method of preparation plays a crucial role in improving the gustatory experience. The vast selection of available canned beans as well as the different flavors may complicate things a bit, but hopefully, the list of products mentioned above will make the decision of which brand to choose a bit easier.
Picking the Best Baked Beans Brand
As was mentioned above, there are a plethora of different brands each offering a different gustatory experience for each and every person’s taste. While the vast variety of choices can prove overwhelming for, it’s not actually as hard as it looks to pick the optimal brand for each flavor.
- If you’re a fan of spicy food in general, you can never go wrong with picking up Bush’s Homestyle Baked Beans as their spice is unrivaled.
- If you prefer sweeter beans, B&M is an excellent choice with its great flavor.
- If you’re after good tomato-based beans, Heinz Beans are perfect for you.
- If you prefer to tinker and experiment with different spices and tastes, Grandma Brown’s Home Baked Beans are the optimal choice as their mild taste hides great potential for great flavor.
- If you’re a vegetarian, Amy’s Organic brand is the perfect brand for you. Their affordable prices and great beans offer a unique taste that is hard to find in other beans.
Choosing best-canned food can be a frustrating task, especially considering the controversies around the matter. Thankfully, we’re here to help you out, so set tightly on your dining chair, get a large coffee mug, and pick the right canned beans brand among the above suggestions after clearing out your preferences and needs. Once you make your choice, prepare your Cheap Bread Maker and Bread Lover’s Cookbook, as nothing can rival a lovely “beans and bread” snack.
We hope this article has shed some light on which brand to go with for each situation. What are your go-to bean brands?
Before we forget, be sure to check out Amazon Prime Pantry for convenient online grocery shopping!
Sources: