I tasted own-brand baked beans from seven major UK supermarkets and declared a winner. Baked beans appear frequently in my meals, though I had never before seized the chance to determine which own-label tin comes out on top.
Naturally, I welcomed this test. While I usually season my baked beans to improve the flavour, I was eager to find out which tin provides the most enjoyable taste when eaten just as it comes.
I normally include paprika, salt, pepper and cumin in my baked beans, sometimes adding other elements like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. However, I made no alterations this time to identify the best tin of supermarket baked beans.
To accomplish this, I heated each tin of beans following the directions on the label, and judged them on sweetness, texture and overall flavour. I allocated scores for the initial two areas out of 5 and overall flavour out of 10, allowing me to give each tin of supermarket baked beans a total score out of 20.
The Results
7. Aldi - 40p
While Aldi has performed impressively in my recent taste tests, it unfortunately finished bottom this time, scoring below 50%. These beans, in my view, were the blandest of the lot. I genuinely needed significantly more flavour, and I found myself tempted to grab the spice rack to give them a bit more depth. The sauce is rather thin compared to the other beans I sampled, even after cooking for the stipulated time.
6. M&S - 55p
M&S baked beans contain no added sugar, and unfortunately, this is far too evident in the flavour. Generally, the taste is lacking in depth and richness, and a bit more sweetness would have made a substantial difference. That being said, the texture was acceptable, and the beans stayed nicely saucy when cooked according to the tin's directions. For those who favour adding their own seasoning and are seeking to reduce sugar intake, these represent a decent choice.
5. Sainsbury's - 30p
The first thing that struck me about Sainsbury's baked beans was their thin consistency. The sauce-to-bean proportion seemed marginally imbalanced, which diminished the overall dining experience somewhat. The flavour is quite subtle, missing both sweetness and complexity of taste. Nevertheless, these beans were the cheapest of the seven tins tested. With a sprinkle of salt and a few spices, they could provide a fairly inexpensive and satisfying lunch for cost-conscious families.
4. Waitrose - 55p
Waitrose baked beans deliver a reasonable enough taste, though it stops short of being notably impressive. The texture is agreeable, with a good equilibrium of sauce to beans. Nonetheless, a more robust flavour would have been appreciated, and the urge to introduce seasoning proved difficult to ignore. These are, by all measures, a thoroughly acceptable tin of beans, although numerous others in the tasting proved considerably more gratifying.
3. Lidl - 40p
I found myself rather content with the baked beans from Lidl, especially considering they numbered amongst the most economical products examined. They delivered an agreeable sweetness, albeit perhaps requiring slightly more sugar. Having said that, the consistency is absolutely right. The hue is equally quite appealing, and the bean-to-sauce ratio is superb. At merely 40p, this constitutes a reliable economical choice that I would readily buy once more.
2. Tesco - 42p
This tin of baked beans provided a wonderful sweetness without crossing into excess. It possessed a substantial flavour and agreeable scent. The sole shortcoming concerned the consistency; it merely needed a fraction more cooking duration to reach the perfect texture. For under 50p, it undoubtedly offers excellent value, and it deservedly secures a position in the top three.
1. Co-op - 47p
The initial element that captured my eye regarding the Co-op own-brand baked beans was the colour, which looked substantially darker than the alternative options tasted throughout this evaluation. This proved promising, as it indicated they would provide a more concentrated flavour. That turned out to be spot on, as they came out on top. The bold taste and sweetness were instantly noticeable, and the sauce was undeniably the most full-flavoured across the whole taste test.
