Countable:
* When referring to individual beans: "I ate three beans for breakfast."
* When referring to a specific type of bean: "Black beans are my favorite."
Uncountable:
* When referring to bean as a substance or ingredient: "This soup has a lot of bean in it."
* When referring to the bean plant: "The bean is a climbing vine."
The context will usually make it clear whether "bean" is countable or uncountable.