Busy beans-on-toast households
If breakfast needs to be quick and repeatable, check the pack’s heating instructions and decide what you will do with any beans left after serving.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing salt and sugars
If these figures matter to your choice, compare the amount in the portion you eat. Read the named comparator behind a reduction claim rather than assuming it applies across brands.
Shoppers considering supermarket own labels
An own-label can gives you another recipe to try alongside a familiar brand. Check its current ingredients and nutrition panel, and try a can before choosing a larger pack if taste is important to you.
What should you check?
Start with the portion you normally serve. That makes the nutrition figures and the choice between a smaller can and a full-size can more useful.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt and sugars | Compare the current labels per 100g or for the same portion. Read which standard recipe any percentage reduction refers to. Tesco Groceries describes its reduced 420g beans as having 30% less sugar and 25% less salt than Tesco standard beans; Waitrose & Partners compares its reduced Essential beans with its regular Essential recipe. | I want the salt and sugars figures for the amount I put on toast, rather than relying on the wording on the front of the can. |
| Portion and storage | Check can weight, declared servings and the opened-pack instructions. Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury's and Waitrose & Partners instruct shoppers to refrigerate the opened products cited here and use them within two days; follow the directions on the can you buy. | A full-size can works if we will share it or use the remainder within the stated period. For one serving, I may prefer a smaller format if storing leftovers is inconvenient. |
| Recipe and taste | Check ingredients, including any sweetener, as well as the current nutrition panel. Waitrose & Partners lists a stevia-derived sweetener in the cited Heinz No Added Sugar beans. | I would rather try a recipe before making it a regular cupboard staple, whether it carries a familiar brand or a supermarket label. |
| Heating method | Read the instructions for the can you choose and check whether they give a method that suits your morning routine. | On rushed weekdays, I need a straightforward way to heat the portion I plan to serve. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming every “reduced” can uses the same benchmark
Tesco Groceries and Waitrose & Partners compare their cited reduced recipes with their own standard beans. The percentage on one pack therefore does not establish how it compares with another brand’s can.
Put the packs’ salt and sugars figures on the same per-100g or serving basis before deciding.
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Leaving half a can without a storage plan
A full-size can may provide more than one breakfast portion. Food Standards Scotland advises following the label’s instructions for refrigeration and use after opening.
Transfer unused beans to a suitable covered container, refrigerate them and use them within the period stated on your pack.
If the remainder cannot be used within that period, some of the can may go to waste.
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Assuming a familiar brand will suit everyone’s taste
STV News reported differing scores for branded and own-label products in a September 2024 Which? blind test involving 66 tasters. Those results concern the products tested at that time, not every current recipe or individual preference.
Use a taste test as a shortlisting clue, then try a can before choosing a larger pack.
Brand and own-label references
These examples concern particular products or ranges; check the current can rather than applying one recipe’s details to an entire brand.
Heinz
A branded range with standard and No Added Sugar recipes listed by UK retailers.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 0.90g salt per half-can for the cited Heinz No Added Sugar product.
- That product contains naturally occurring sugars and a stevia-derived sweetener; its label does not describe every Heinz recipe.
Tesco
Tesco lists standard beans and a reduced-sugar-and-salt own-label recipe.
- Tesco Groceries lists 0.60g salt and 6.2g sugars per half-can for its cited reduced 420g product.
- Its stated reductions are against Tesco standard beans; check the current physical label for recipe details.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists standard and reduced recipes in several can and pack formats.
- Its cited standard 400g can declares two servings and gives hob and microwave instructions.
- The standard can’s listed 1.16g salt and 8.9g sugars per half-can should not be applied to its other recipes.
Waitrose
Waitrose Essential has cited standard and reduced-salt-and-sugar 420g products.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 0.63g salt and 4.1g sugars per half-can for the reduced product, alongside 1.03g salt and 7.1g sugars for the cited standard product.
- This comparison is between those Essential recipes; check their current labels if either formulation changes.
Asda
An own-label option to consider if you are trying recipes beyond familiar branded cans.
- STV News reported a 73% score for the Asda 410g product in a September 2024 Which? blind test.
- That historical panel score does not establish the taste or recipe of a can bought now.
M&S
An own-label reference for shoppers considering different supermarket recipes.
- STV News reported a 67% score for the tested M&S 400g beans in the September 2024 Which? blind test.
- The dated result does not establish the current recipe or how it will taste to you.
Joybuy baked-bean options
These multipacks offer standard baked beans and a reduced-sugar-and-salt recipe for repeat weekday breakfasts. Compare the current pack labels if salt, sugars or leftover portions will decide between them.
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HEINZ Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce, 4 x 415g
Four cans provide a standard tomato-sauce recipe to keep for repeat breakfasts. Compare the pack’s nutrition information for the portion you serve, and follow its instructions for storing any remainder.
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Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans, 4 x 410g
This four-can pack is a reduced-sugar-and-salt route for repeat breakfasts. The stated reduction is against standard Branston beans, not all baked beans; compare the current nutrition panel and ingredients with any other can you are considering.
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Branston Beans in Tomato Sauce, 6 x 410g
Six 410g cans suit a household planning to keep the same standard recipe in the cupboard for several breakfasts. Check the current label against the portion you usually eat and plan how to store beans left after opening.
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Branston Baked Beans, 4 x 410g
This four-can pack is another standard-recipe option for regular beans-on-toast breakfasts. Use the current pack’s per-100g and portion figures when comparing it with the reduced Branston recipe, and follow its directions for leftovers.
Questions about choosing and storing beans
How do I compare standard and reduced-sugar-and-salt beans?
Compare salt and sugars per 100g or for the same portion, then read which standard recipe the reduction refers to. Tesco Groceries states that its cited reduced beans have 30% less sugar and 25% less salt than Tesco standard beans; Waitrose & Partners states that its reduced Essential beans have 30% less of each than regular Essential beans. Neither statement directly compares the two retailers’ products.
Does “no added sugar” mean sugar-free?
No. Waitrose & Partners states that the cited Heinz No Added Sugar beans contain naturally occurring sugars and lists a stevia-derived sweetener. Check both the ingredients and sugars on the current nutrition panel.
What should I do with beans left after opening a can?
Follow the storage directions on that can. The cited Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose Essential products instruct shoppers to refrigerate opened beans and use them within two days. Food Standards Scotland advises checking labels for opened-product storage instructions.
How can I compare salt across different cans?
Use the salt figure for the portion you expect to eat, or compare products per 100g if their stated servings differ. Tesco Groceries lists 0.60g salt per half-can for its cited reduced beans, while Waitrose & Partners lists 0.63g per half-can for its cited reduced Essential beans; check the current labels before choosing.