Beans on toast are a great way to start off your day, and a fantastic addition to many dinners for that matter.
They're fairly cheap and easy to get hold of and you don't have to be an expert chef to get the flavour just right. A lot of the time, the taste will come down to the brand, with many households remaining loyal to the popular but comparatively pricy Heinz Beanz.
Journalist Ashley Summerfield wanted to find out if any cheaper options actually stood up to the iconic brand while costing a fraction of the price.
Writing for the Express, Ashley taste-tested Heinz Beanz and pitted them against own-brands for the Big Four supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Asda.
Heinz Beanz
Starting off with Heinz Beanz, Ashley called the brand "a classic for a reason".
He said that a tin cost him £1.40; which might not sound like much, but is when you compare it to the price of some of the other beans.
Ashley said: "Depending on the supermarket, one tin can range in price from £1.20 to £1.45. What can I say that you do not already know? Nothing, probably."
He says that It is the perfect meal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, a snack, and of course, a campfire.
Ashley awarded Heinz Beans 9/10.
Tesco
The second can of beans was from Tesco, and cost a "reasonable" 50p.
Ashley said: "Right from the onset, I could tell a difference between Heinz and Tesco. The beans are lighter in colour, and the sauce is runnier."
He explained that he was neither blown away nor disappointed by the Tesco offering, adding that it didn't necessarily taste bad, but, there is less flavour.
He gave them a 6/10.
Sainsbury's
At 37p, Sainsbury's baked beans are the cheapest of the lot, and are even able to compete with Heinz, according to Ashley.
He said: "The sauce is a dark orange-red and has a thicker consistency than Tesco, but not as thick as Heinz. When it comes to its taste, it is similar to Heinz—nice and tomatoey—but is slightly sweeter."
Sainsbury's received an 8/10.
While this is one point lower than Heinz, it is a whole pound cheaper.
Morrisons
Morrison's 49p own brand scored the lowest of the lot, although Ashley did admit that he was in a "bean coma" at this point.
Describing the flavour the journalist said: "The beans are darker than Tesco's but lighter in colour than Heinz and Sainsbury's. When it comes to the sauce, it is too runny."
After eating a mouthful, he said that he was disappointed, describing it as "mind-numbingly boring."
They were given a 4/10 and labelled "unsatisfactory."
Asda
Ashley handed over 50p for Asda's baked beans. He said that they are a similar colour to Morrisons, but that is where the comparisons end.
Ashley said: "There is a tomatoey flavour there, but it is distant but definitely there."
Finishing on a fairly positive note, he gave Asda a 6/10.
Verdict
Heinz are the best, but we already knew that going into this.
However, Sainsbury's does a tremendous job, and it only costs 37p. You could buy four tins for £1.48, which is only 8p more than one tin of Heinz.
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