Whenever I'm making a recipe that calls for blind baking pastry, they always provide alternatives for ceramic baking beads (such as rice) in case you don't own any. I do own them, so I always use them, assuming that they are the best choice.
Considering that they are specifically designed for blind baking, my question is: are there any disadvantages to using baking beads, or if I own them should I always choose to use them over other things for weighing down the pastry? Are there any alternatives that will give better results?