A pantry that's well-stocked with canned foods makes life so much easier. Canned foods have a long shelf life, are generally inexpensive, and can save you from making endless trips to the shops – plus, they can be very nutritious, counting towards your five a day. To help you on your way to tasty meals in next to no time, we've compiled the ultimate ranking of the best canned foods ever.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the canned foods that deserve a spot in your pantry – counting down to the most indispensable of all.

We've based our ranking on the handiness, versatility, and cost of each canned food, and on the opinions of our well-traveled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

The best canned foods to keep in your kitchen cupboards, ranked