These Are Hands Down The Best Grocery Store Green Beans

Canned green beans may not be the most exciting item on the shopping list, but they're definitely a key ingredient during the holiday season. This pantry staple stars in a classic dish: the green bean casserole. For this recipe, you need canned veggies with a sturdy texture and fresh flavor. To avoid the risk of ending up with a mushy mess, we tried 11 different brands of canned green beans for you.

To come to this conclusion, our taster tried the green beans straight from the can and again after rinsing them with water. Flavor, texture, saltiness, and the value compared to the price all factored into the ranking. The Simple Truth Organic Cut Green Beans, a brand from Kroger, came out on top. Kroger is actually one of the best grocery stores for buying organic food, so it's not a big surprise that the chain nailed this product.

These canned green beans are a great pantry staple to have on hand. These are packed in water and sea salt, but there's also an option to buy an unsalted version of the same product if you want to reduce sodium in your cooking. Our taster purchased a can for $1.50. Although prices may change by location, in our case, the product was organic without being too expensive. While you can get other brands for cheaper (Walmart's Great Value canned green beans are only $0.50), the price of Simple Truth's canned green beans was definitely worth it for the value.

What definitely sets this brand apart from others is that it actually tastes like green beans. These green beans have a natural, fresh flavor with the right amount of salt. Fortunately, these don't have that odd metallic flavor that canned vegetables can pick up. The worst brand on our list was Walmart's Great Value brand; our taster found that this can of green beans tasted like "old tomato." Other brands simply did not have much flavor at all.

The texture is another pro with the Simple Truth brand. These were slightly firmer than other brands, making them versatile for both hot and cold dishes. Instead of falling apart when you take them out of the can, or worse, the moment they touch heat, Simple Truth's version should hold up well after baking. Aside from green bean casseroles, these would work in a salad, soup, or in a quick veggie saute.

The reviews on Kroger's website also suggest the green beans are excellent. As of this writing they have an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. One reviewer wrote, "Closest to fresh ever! My kids eat these as a snack!" Another remarked, "These are my favorite canned green beans. They just taste more like fresh cut. They are crisper, compared to other [big brands], which were mushy, and did not taste as good."