We Tasted 12 Canned Kidney Beans, And This Beloved Brand Was The Best

Kidney beans are the star of the show when it comes to making comforting all-American chilis, Indian curries, and Jamaican rice and peas. However, they can also be used to bulk up salads, stuff burritos, and lend a measure of protein to a cheesy batch of loaded nachos. That's why these canned legumes are easily one of the 10 canned beans you should always have on hand. The only problem? Some store-bought options can either be too hard or overly squishy. In our opinion, the best canned kidney beans should have a toothsome bite on the outside but be creamy and tender in the center. One brand that fit the bill in our taste test was Bush's Best dark red kidney beans.

The winner in our ranking of 12 kidney bean brands, this product was perfect when it came to texture. Each bean was firm but slightly giving, making them ideal for tossing whole into bubbling casseroles or mashing into veggie burgers. However, most importantly, they had an elevated flavor profile that beat competition from other iconic brands like Goya. Each bean had a robust umami taste but also a moderately sweet note that was a welcome surprise considering that sweetness is more associated with light kidney beans. There was also a hint of starchiness and an earthy flavor when we heated them up and tasted them in their unadulterated form. Tasting them in this way allowed us to compare every brand of beans fairly.

Founded in 1908, Bush's Best beans are prepared in hydrostatic cookers and pressure-cooked right inside the can, which ensures every individual legume has a consistent texture. As they're dense and creamy in the middle but still slightly firm on the exterior, they can be used freely in any bean recipe. The meaty texture but mellow personality of Bush's Best kidney beans make them the perfect vehicle for imbibing other flavors. For instance, in this recipe for New Orleans-style red rice and beans, the legumes are simmered in rendered bacon fat, lending the final dish a rich and satisfying umami quality. 

The extra cooking time also gives the beans another opportunity for their flesh to soften — as they're firm enough, the beans won't fall apart when reheated and boiled again. However, if you want to use your kidney beans in a salad, you need a brand that has some structural integrity but is still soft enough to be eaten straight from the can, which Bush's Best delivers on too.

Meanwhile, the loser in our taste test was Great Value's light red kidney beans. They were simply too mushy and had an odd and overpowering musty flavor that was disagreeable. You'd be better off buying any other brand at Walmart.