Stagg Dynamite Chili review

What's in the tin

Stagg lists water, beef at 23%, kidney and pinto beans at 22%, tomatoes, tomato purée, onion, red and green peppers, diced green jalapeños, sugar, chilli powder, modified starch, spices, salt, garlic and rapeseed oil. Stagg describes it as jalapeños igniting braised beef, which is a fair warning.

The nutrition panel gives, per half can, 268 kcal, 14g of protein, 9g of fibre, 10g of fat of which 3.2g is saturated, 26g of carbohydrate and 1.8g of salt. A whole tin is therefore 536 kcal and 28g of protein, roughly a quarter of an adult's daily energy in one meal.

Why calories per tin matter

In a food store, space is the constraint, and a tin that delivers a full meal is worth more than two that each deliver half of one. At 536 kcal, a Dynamite tin carries more than twice the energy of a tin of cream of tomato soup and much more than a tin of beans, with protein and fibre included. Six tins is close to a week of main meals for one person when paired with rice or bread. Fibre matters more than people expect in a disrupted week, when fresh fruit and vegetables run out first, and the beans give each tin 18g of it on Stagg's figures.

Our guide to how much food to store shows how to build a supply around meals like this, and cooking without power covers heating tins safely on a camping stove outdoors.

The limits

The heat is the obvious one. Children, older relatives or anyone with a sensitive stomach may not manage it, and in a disruption is not the time to discover that. The tin is also designed to be heated, like most ready meals, so it belongs in the part of the store for days when you can still cook.

Once opened, the Food Standards Agency says not to keep food in the open tin: empty leftovers into a covered container, refrigerate at 0 to 5°C and eat within 48 hours. Without a working fridge, open a tin only when it will all be eaten.

How it compares

On the comparison Grant's Irish Stew is a milder ready meal at 310 kcal a tin. Heinz Baked Beanz give 336 kcal from a 415g tin and suit children better. The Heinz cream of tomato soup is a light lunch at 204 kcal. Ambrosia rice pudding, at 480 kcal and fine cold, is the only tin near Dynamite on energy.

Our verdict

Buy it if you like real heat and want the most food per tin in your cupboard. Skip it if anyone at home avoids spicy food; Stagg makes milder chillies, and a stew or beans will feed the whole household without complaint. If you buy the six-pack, use the oldest tin first and replace it, so the case is always within date.

How many calories in a tin of Stagg Dynamite chilli?

Stagg's nutrition panel gives 268 kcal per half can, so a 400g tin is 536 kcal, with 28g of protein.

How hot is Stagg Dynamite?

It is the hot one in Stagg's range, with red and green jalapeños and chilli powder in the ingredients. Choose a milder Stagg if anyone at home avoids heat.

Does Stagg Dynamite chilli contain beans?

Yes. Stagg lists kidney and pinto beans at 22% of the tin, alongside beef at 23%.

How do I store leftover tinned chilli?

Move it out of the tin into a covered container, refrigerate between 0 and 5°C and eat within 48 hours, as the Food Standards Agency advises.