The best canned beans for your dollar, according to our tests

Not all canned beans deliver the same amount — here’s the one that stretches your grocery bill furthest.

5. Black beans, 4. Dark kidney beans, 3. Cannellini beans, 2. Chickpeas, 1. Pinto beans

Cracking open a can of beans is one of the easiest ways to add plant-based protein and fiber to your meal: Use chickpeas in a simple dinner salad, or toss black beans with shredded cheese and salsa for a quick quesadilla filling. 

In addition to being convenient and nutritious, beans are known for their budget-friendly price point. Not all canned beans deliver the same amount of drained beans, however. That’s because their listed weight includes the liquid in the can — a mixture of water, salt, and starch released from the beans. Some provide a significantly greater value than others, especially if you are using multiple cans at once for recipes like chili. Of all the beans you can buy at your local grocery store, which is the best for your dollar?

To answer that question, I compared the drained volume and weight of several varieties. Here’s what I discovered.

A word about my method

I bought five types of 15-ounce canned beans, including black beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans. All were from Field Day Organic, which is the brand my family buys at our local market (each one typically sells for about $1). Each can listed the same serving size (1/2 cup or 130 grams) and servings (3.5). 

To test their volume and weight, I drained the beans in a can through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small mixing bowl. Then, I carefully stirred the beans to remove excess liquid from the can. (I was careful not to mash the beans, which would impact the total yield.) I poured the bean liquid into a small measuring cup, then transferred to a separate measuring cup. I also checked the drained weight (in grams) of each type of bean.

5. Black beans

5. Black beans, 4. Dark kidney beans, 3. Cannellini beans, 2. Chickpeas, 1. Pinto beans

Drained volume: 1 1/4 cupsDrained weight: 232 gramsDrained liquid: 3/4 cup

While all beans offer a great value, black beans had the smallest drained volume of the beans I tested, with only 1 1/4 cups of drained beans per 15-ounce can. This wasn’t entirely surprising: Black beans are on the smaller side, and larger beans tend to take up more space per can. They also produced one of the highest amounts of liquid — 3/4 cup. 

4. Dark kidney beans

5. Black beans, 4. Dark kidney beans, 3. Cannellini beans, 2. Chickpeas, 1. Pinto beans

Drained volume: 1 1/3 cupsDrained weight: 250 gramsDrained liquid: 1/2 cup

The next three beans on this list all had roughly the same volume, but factoring in drained weight changed the results. A can of dark kidney beans yielded slightly less beans than cannellini and pinto beans.

3. Cannellini beans

5. Black beans, 4. Dark kidney beans, 3. Cannellini beans, 2. Chickpeas, 1. Pinto beans

Drained volume: 1 1/3 cupsDrained weight: 266 gramsDrained liquid: 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons

I was surprised to discover that these small white beans, which are similar in size to black beans, offered a similar volume to kidney beans. They had a touch more liquid, which you can use to help thicken soups like our Tuscan White Bean Soup. 

2. Chickpeas

5. Black beans, 4. Dark kidney beans, 3. Cannellini beans, 2. Chickpeas, 1. Pinto beans

Drained volume: 1 1/2 cupsDrained weight: 236 gramsDrained liquid: 3/4 cups

Versatile chickpeas provided 1 1/2 cups of drained beans — 1/4 cup more than black beans. Interestingly, they left over the same amount of liquid in the can (3/4 cup).

I know from previous recipe development and testing that a can of large butter beans typically has 1 1/2 cups of drained beans, which again goes to show that bigger beans often provide a better value. 

1. Pinto beans

5. Black beans, 4. Dark kidney beans, 3. Cannellini beans, 2. Chickpeas, 1. Pinto beans

Drained volume: 1 1/3 cupsDrained weight: 284 gramsDrained liquid: 2/3 cups

Good news for cooks who love pinto beans in chili, stews, and tacos: When it came to drained weight, they offered the best value on this list. Chickpeas had a slightly higher drained volume, but weight is generally a more accurate measurement when you’re working with items of inconsistent sizes. 

Final takeaways

These stats are all fairly similar, and you should certainly buy black beans or kidney beans if you prefer them or if your recipe calls for either. But if you really want the best value, use dried beans. A 1-pound bag typically costs a few dollars — sometimes as little as $1 for generic brands — and contains about 2 to 3 cups of dried beans. Once cooked, beans generally double or even triple in size.

According to Rancho Gordo, 1 cup of dried beans yields about 3 cups cooked. If a 1-pound bag contains 2 cups of dried beans, that translates to roughly 6 cups cooked — potentially three times the yield of canned beans at a similar price.

The exceptions, of course, are heirloom dried beans (like Rancho Gordo’s, which can cost $6 or more per pound) and premium canned beans, which may run $3 or more per can.

If time allows, dried beans are typically the most economical — and often the highest-quality — option. Still, whether canned or dried, black or pinto, beans remain one of the most affordable and satisfying ways to get dinner on the table.

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