Staring down bags and cans of white-ish, small-ish beans at the grocery store can be intimidating. You may wonder what the difference is between popular options like navy and great northern beans.

Navy beans, Great Northern beans, red kidney beans and black beans round out the rest of the top five. But is there one that’s best to consume? Here’s what an expert has to say. Need a break?

Both navy beans and great northern beans are oval-shaped white beans that have a delicate, mild flavor. Great northern beans play a starring role in cassoulet (a French bean and sausage stew ...

whereas navy beans and great northern beans seem too soft. No matter the bean, whether for chili, soup or salad, if it’s canned, I go for organic. Since canned organic beans can be pricey at ...

If you can't find them, your next best bet is to use Great Northern beans, which have a similar flavor and texture. Other varieties that would work perfectly fine for this puree include navy beans ...