Beans don’t have to mean Heinz! Shoppers can save on this store-cupboard staple without compromising on flavour by going for a cheap supermarket brand instead, new research from Which? has revealed. Here are the best supermarket’s own brand beans if you don’t want to splurge on Heinz.
Heinz baked beans may have been around for more than 130 years, but the iconic brand didn’t stand out in the Which? taste tests.
In fact, most cheap supermarket own-brands scored higher, with two cheap supermarket tins impressing our large panel of regular baked bean eaters beyond all others.
As with other kitchen staples, the cost of a can of beans has risen over the past year. Fortunately, the supermarket winners remain modestly priced with the cheapest Best Buy costing just 45p a tin.
Best baked beans – Asda
Scoring 77 percent, Asda’s own-brand baked beans were a cut above all the rest for flavour – three-quarters of our tasters thought they had the perfect tomatoey taste. They were also some of the best rated beans for colour and sweetness.
Most tasters enjoyed the texture of the beans, although the sauce was thicker than some other tins we tested.
At just 50p a tin (less than half the price of Heinz), they’ll help keep grocery costs down too.
READ MORE: Clever food swaps you can make to save money and reduce food waste
Best buy and great value – Aldi
Scoring 75 percent, Aldi’s own-brand Corale baked beans were the best value pick, scoring top marks for their appetising colour and texture. Although they didn’t quite match up to Asda’s beans on flavour, they were said to still be a tasty option.
These beans are also the joint cheapest and offer excellent value for money at only 45p for a (slightly larger) tin. They are also available as a multipack which reduces the cost per tin.
Sainsbury’s Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce – 73 percent. The thickness of the sauce was rated highly, but more than a third felt the tomato flavour wasn’t strong enough and nearly a quarter found them lacking sweetness. 43p for 400g tin (£1.08 per kg). Available from Sainsbury’s.
Lidl Newgate Baked Beans – 72 percent. These beans split the panel. Half loved the flavour, but the rest found it either too weak or too strong. Most agreed that the texture of both beans and sauce was about right, though. 45p for 420g tin (£1.07 per kg). Available from Lidl (in-store only).
Morrisons Baked Beans – 71 percent. Half of the testers found these beans lacked flavour and more than a third wanted them to be sweeter. The texture of both beans and sauce was good, though. 49p for 410g tin (£1.20 per kg). Available from Morrisons.
Tesco Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce – 71 percent. The beans themselves were a good texture, but some thought the sauce was too runny and most found the flavour too weak. 50p for 420g tin (£1.19 per kg). Available from Tesco.
Waitrose Essential Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce – 71 percent. The texture of the sauce was just right according to most but thought too weakly flavoured by nearly half our panel. Around a third also found the beans too firm and not sweet enough. 55p for 400g tin (£1.38 per kg). Available from Waitrose.
Reena Sewraz, Which? Retail Editor commented on the findings: “Our latest taste tests reveal that supermarket own-label baked beans have beaten the established brands including Heinz, and the great news for shoppers is that the winning products cost less than half the price compared to the offerings from some rivals.
“Many households are looking for ways to cut their spending due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. Opting for supermarket own-label groceries is not only a great way to save money, but you often get tastier products as well.”
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