Quote from of troy : Molasses in beans = New England style baked beans.. (heinz beans are pale imitation of the best baked beans, which are to be found, on sundays, at churches "old home days" through out New England--and WoW might be able to further refine where..) and as different from chili as, as, as....
as English in US is different from English in England!

I wince when I see New England stye.... as if it were the real thing rather than some commercial bastardization.
I won't burden you with a recipe but REAL New England Baked Beans are made with dark molasses and BAKED in ovens, preferable brick ovens such as bakers use, and preferably overnight. For our Yankee forebears from sunset Saturday to sunset Sunday was a time of rest and worship. Beans were put in heavy beanpots and cooked in a slow oven all day Saturday, taken out Sunday and put on the table for the main meal.
The commercial product closest to the Real Thing is B&M Baked Beans. B&M was started by George Burnham and Charles Morrill in 1867 and they packaged all types of fish and also corn. In 1901 George (Charles's son) becomes sole proprietor,. In 1927 after years of experiments, B&M began selling brick oven baked beans in cans.
Primary competition for B&M is Campbell Co. and Heinz which produce canned pork-and-beans. Quite different! In NE, Friend's Baked Beans offers B&M some competition.
B&M and Friend's are the only true NE baked beans. We Yankees mostly prefer B&M even though they are 50 % per pound more expensive....and we can tell the difference between Friend's and B&M, but it takes a refined Northern palate!
The popular Campbell, Heinz and VanCamp beans are steamed in cans with a tomato sauce mix. THEY ARE NOT NEW ENGLAND even in their "STYLE!"
New England Baked Beans may be made using either brown sugar or molasses.
According to my sources, B&M are available in all 50 states and have been seen in food stores in London --- my guess would be Fortnum's ??? --- There is a pretty-well-accepted story that when the British warships stopped in Florida on the way to the Falklands, they picked up B&M Baked Beans.
As an aside : When the "Minerva" visited Portsmouth NH in early 1970s they bought B&M ... after having a Yankee breakfast of eggs, ham or bacon and baked beans!
For The Real Thing, get invited to the home of someone who has the time to soak bean overnight and then afford to run thier oven for 12 to 18 hours OR go to local church suppers especially on a Saturday for Ham n'Bean Supper....yum!
Aloha to all
WOW.