8 Frozen Green Bean Brands Ranked From Worst To Best

There's nothing quite like fresh green beans to bring a bit of sweet, earthy goodness to a meal. They're excellent in green bean casserole or delicious sauteed with a bit of carefully chosen seasoning. Unfortunately, this produce isn't always in season, so you won't always find the freshest-tasting green beans in your local grocery store or favorite roadside produce stand. This is where frozen green beans come in to fill the gap.

Frozen green beans are a versatile, long-lasting option that gives you access to this produce year-round. During my more than 15 years working in the food industry, I often made use of frozen green beans when fresh varieties weren't readily available. I also use them at home and even prefer them for certain recipes (like vegetable soup). But, I've learned that not all frozen green bean brands are the same — some are fantastic, but others tend to fall short of my expectations.

Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to discover exactly which brands fall into which category by tasting eight popular green bean brands and ranking them from worst to best. Each brand was prepared exactly the same way, in the microwave with a pinch of salt and a small amount of butter. They were then ranked based on taste and texture. You can find my full methodology at the end of this article. Ready to discover which frozen green bean brand is most worthy of gracing your freezer? Let's get into it.

Signature Select is a store brand for Albertson's that's available in various grocery stores across the nation. I picked up this bag of Signature Select Cut Green Beans from my local Acme. As with many other store brands, I've found Signature Select to be very hit or miss — a fact that became obvious to me when I ranked 19 of the brand's snacks earlier this year. Due to this, I wasn't sure what to expect from its frozen green beans. Unfortunately, they ended up being a strong "miss."

From the beginning, I found the texture of these frozen green beans to be unenjoyable. They were mostly chewy, with certain spots that were mushy. The combination of too chewy and mushy made for an actual textural nightmare that had me struggling to continue the taste test. Still, I persevered to be met with a mildly sweet, very earthy profile that was accented with a taste that made me believe these green beans were starting to turn bad. Overall, this wasn't a positive experience in any regard.

I won't be purchasing these green beans again, and I wasn't even able to finish my full serving. I recommend skipping these in lieu of a better-ranked option from this list.

The Bowl and Basket Cut Green Beans are part of the store brand for one of my local grocery stores, Shoprite. I've tried quite a few of its products in the past and found them to be inconsistent, with some being mouthwateringly fantastic and others being downright unpalatable. So, I wasn't sure what my experience with its frozen green beans would be like.

The first thing I noticed when I took my first bite was that the green beans were a little chewier than I prefer. Unfortunately, this textural issue is something I've noticed in a lot of store brand options, and Bowl and Basket did not prove to be the exception. There was a subtle sweetness to the green beans that I found pleasing, but they had a very mild taste overall. While I know green beans tend to be a more mild-tasting vegetable, this went beyond what I was expecting — indeed, it was almost lacking in taste. Then, there was an odd lingering aftertaste that's hard to explain. The taste of canned food is the closest thing I can relate it to, with a slight tinny and watery aspect to it.

Overall, these aren't the worst frozen green beans I've ever eaten, but they also aren't even close to the best. I wouldn't purchase these again for myself and don't recommend them, so long as you have access to better-ranking options.

Good and Gather is Target's private label, which I've had some experience with in the past. As it usually goes with store brands, I find that Target's can be hit or miss. And, while this wasn't a complete miss, it wasn't exactly a hit either.

These green beans were among the thinnest I had during this taste test, and since I prefer a thicker green bean, this went against it slightly. The texture was very stringy, which I wasn't a big fan of, especially since this made them a little tough to chew. There was a very distinct earthiness devoid of any sweet notes here, which isn't what I look for in my green beans. However, it wasn't terrible, and I was still able to finish my full serving.

By being picky, I could find a lot wrong with these green beans, but truthfully, they're just very mediocre. I won't be purchasing them again and recommend you skip them, too.

Green Giant is a reliable company that often graced my childhood supper table. Although I haven't carried that brand loyalty over into adulthood, the company has maintained a special place in my heart for the pure nostalgia it brings. Obviously, I was excited to give the Simply Steam Cut Green Beans a chance to see if they lived up to my memories.

Although it wasn't nostalgic bliss from the first bite, I can't say these green beans were terribly disappointing, either. The texture is overall nice, except for a faint hint of sliminess when cooked according to the bag's instructions. Although a little off-putting, the textural issue wasn't enough to stop me from finishing my serving. What most sets these apart is a very full-bodied earthiness devoid of any real sweet notes, which is much different from the other frozen green beans I tried during this taste test.

I wouldn't personally buy these again simply because there were frozen green bean brands I preferred more. However, I recommend these if you're looking for a very strong earthy flavor profile without the sweet notes of other brands. If you're looking for a mildly sweet variety, I recommend purchasing one of the higher-ranking green bean brands instead.

I'd never heard of Woodstock before this ranking, so I went into this taste test blind and with zero preconceptions. Despite not being my favorite green bean, these were actually quite close to falling into the top three, and the only reason they didn't rank even higher is due to pure personal preference.

Before I ever took a bite, I noticed that these organic frozen green beans had a nice thickness to them that some of the other brands lacked. Since thicker cut green beans are my personal preference, this weighed in the brand's favor. My taste test went just as well as the nice cuts had made me hope. The texture of these green beans was smooth and soft, but without being mushy. Taste-wise, they had a very rich, full-bodied earthiness with very subtle hints of sweetness. The only complaint I have here is that I would have liked just a little more sweetness, but overall, I was quite satisfied.

I might purchase these again. These are the only organic green beans on this list, so if that's important to you, I think these are a fine choice. Otherwise, I recommend opting for a better-ranking green bean.

Hanover is another classic vegetable brand that rightfully finds its way onto our list. Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of the brand's canned vegetables and have found all the ones I've tried to taste a bit like watery metal. However, I hadn't gotten a chance to try any of its frozen vegetables, and I'm happy to say that these green beans are significantly better than the Hanover canned options. It just goes to show that there is definitely a difference between canned and frozen green beans.

When I took my first bite, I noticed that these green beans were extra juicy, which set them apart from the rest of the options. And, when I say juicy, I mean it — they practically exploded when I bit down. I also enjoyed their texture, which was soft without turning into mush. However, the taste left a little to be desired. They were very earthy, but the sweet notes were very mild, which isn't my personal preference. However, the sweet notes were just a little more pronounced than the WOODSTOCK option, which is why Hanover slid ahead slightly.

These Hanover green beans aren't a terrible option, and they're definitely better than the brand's canned varieties by a long shot. However, I probably won't buy them again because there are brands I prefer more.

Season's Choice Steamed Cut Green Beans come from one of Aldi's private labels. In the past, I've had the opportunity to rank many of Aldi's products, from its pre-packaged bakery treats to its frozen pre-made meals. Overall, I've generally been quite pleased with its products and discovered that Aldi's private labels are much more reliable than other store brands (although not entirely infallible). So, I was quite excited to try Aldi's green beans — and even more excited when they didn't let me down.

Initially, I noticed that these green beans have the perfect texture. They're soft and not chewy, but also not so soft that they become mushy when cooked according to the package's microwave instructions. They also have a medium sweetness to them, which laces through a predominantly earthy flavor profile. My singular complaint is that some of the cut green beans are very thin or small, which makes it challenging to pick up with my fork. Otherwise, I was very pleased.

I will definitely be purchasing these frozen green beans again in the future. I highly recommend them to anyone who shops at Aldi, so if that's you, be sure to add them to your next shopping list!

Birds Eye offers some of my favorite pre-seasoned frozen vegetable mixes, but I generally choose cheaper options for standard frozen green beans when available. At least, I did, up until this taste test, which changed my mind (and my future shopping lists) completely.

Immediately, it was obvious that these frozen green beans were of a nice, thick cut, and each piece was relatively similar in size. Since this is my preference, we were off to a great start. Then, I took my first bite and was greeted by the perfect green bean texture — soft but not mushy, and only a little stringy. The taste, too, is perfect by my standards. There's a full-bodied earthiness paired with a moderate amount of natural sweetness and an almost unbelievable freshness that was hard to find in this ranking. Truthfully, I have zero complaints about Birds Eye frozen green beans.

I will definitely be purchasing these again in the future as my new go-to frozen green beans. I highly recommend trying them for yourself so you can taste the difference. Once you do, you'll have zero doubts as to why Birds Eye ranked as our top frozen green bean brand.

I chose frozen green bean brands based on what was available to me in the vicinity near Vineland, New Jersey. I selected all unique available options from the nearest Shoprite, Walmart, Target, Aldi, and Acme to accumulate the broadest range of green bean brands possible in my area. Each green bean was prepared in the exact same way to ensure the fairest comparison. They were first made according to the microwave instructions, then seasoned with a small amount of salt and a very small pat of butter, as is my personal preference. They were then ranked according to taste and texture.

To make my determinations, I primarily relied on my more than 15 years of experience in the food industry. Previous consumership of green bean brands and previous Daily Meal rankings (including this one for canned green beans) also contributed. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased about product quality as possible.