Stainless Steel Coffee Vault, Airtight Container, Portable Kitchen Storage, Coffee Bean Canister & Holder, Coffee Grounds Tin, 16-Ounce Vault Jar

For the longest time I was storing my coffee in the bag which the coffee came in. I got fed up with this as Starbucks seems to have switched to bags which rip easily when opening. I chose this canister based upon the looks and price. I don't care for the gimmicky CO2 flter which needs replacing. I view this as pointless and really just as a means of getting more money out of consumers with a consumable (this is how many companies make more money). To be honest, for the filter to work best, they would need to put it at the bottom as CO2 is heavier than air. I'm sure it handles some CO2 but not in any quantity to make a difference. The downside of this filter is that it does not provide an air-tight seal which is what is most widely recommended. I go through coffee fairly quickly and so I'm not too worried about this. The can does hold 1 pound of coffee beans with some room to spare. So far the latching mechanism works well. I have no intentions of using the filters and would not suggest that the presence of this filter system be the deciding factor (either way). Go for looks and price as all cans will be mostly the same. Update Feb 07 2012 So I have had the can for half a year and it's still working out great! The latching mechanism is still solid and my coffee stays fresh. I did want to note that I was unaware that CO2 buildup was an issue for folks who roast their own beans (something I've never done but wanted to do). Therefore my commentary on the CO2 valve was unwarranted as it does serve a much needed purpose. So, it's hard to find any flaws with the can. I'm very happy and would still suggest this to anyone who's looking for a great storage can for their coffee.

I was surprised to find out both how fast coffee loses its flavor, and how good fresh can really taste. I got into roasting my own green beans (available HERE on Amazon: Costa Rica Dota Estate, Green Unroasted Coffee Beans, 1lb ) with one of the poppers still on Amazon that will do so (they are HERE: Toastess TCP-713 Hot-Air Popcorn Popper and HERE: Toastmaster Hot Air Popcorn Popper TPC2 ), then brewing them in the inexpensive little Bialetti Italian moka pot (available HERE: Bialetti 6800 Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker ) for AMAZINGLY fresh coffee I'd never experienced being American! All the barista sites I've surfed (source aapbr dot org) told me that: green coffee beans, when cool and dark, last a year or two in storage, and some (Arabica) even get better with age. Once you roast them, after three or so days of CO2 release, they start to lose flavor within TWO WEEKS! Once you grind the beans, the grounds start to lose flavor in FOUR DAYS. This is all trumped by the correct storage techniques. Here are the ones I've tried on Amazon that work GREAT, and don't cost a fortune like the vacu seal machines that can be over $200 US! Green beans: I use the "pseudo vacuum" of the COFFEEVAC (see it here: Tightvac Coffeevac 1 Pound Vacuum Sealed Storage Container, Solid Black Body/Cap ) which isn't a vacuum at all, but works fine for green. Does NOT work for new roasted as it doesn't have a co2 release valve. Freshly roasted beans step one: For the first 3 to 4 days you need a container with a CO2 release system. One (the Friis, see it HERE: Friis 16-Ounce Coffee Vault, Stainless Steel ), is more expensive and has replaceable filters. The other (The bean safe, see it HERE: BeanSafe "The Coffee Storage Solution", Polypropylene -MOCHA ) is cheap, and only has a small valve, but doesn't require replacement filters. Freshly roasted beans step two: Best is to use right away after the three day roast period. Roast just enough for your next few day's needs. The normal popcorn popper will take 81 grams for roasting green beans (about ½ cup or about 5 tablespoons green). These yield (bigger) roasted beans of about 9 tablespoons. Since a tablespoon of ground is roughly the same as a tablespoon of roasted beans, and the moka takes 3 tablespoons for 6 cups of espresso/moka each pot, that gives you roughly three days of roasted beans. I keep the roasted (since they will be used in a few days) in the next "step up" of vacuum: a semi-true vacuum with the airscape sealer (see it here: Planetary Design Airscape 64oz Chrome ). This gets close to a "real" vacuum, and just enough to let a little extra CO2 escape over those 3 days. FINALLY, for fresh grounds, the most vulnerable, you'll need a true vacuum to extend the life. I use the handheld freshsaver from foodsaver (10% of the cost of the foodsaver system, see it here: FoodSaver FSFRSH0060-035 FreshSaver Handheld Vacuum Sealer with Starter Kit, Red ) with the little "Tupperware" reusable foodsaver tubs. In the cool/ dark (don't refrigerate) this vacuum will keep fresh grounds fresh for over a week, close to the taste when just roasted. For background, I'm not a coffee snob, but as a throat cancer survivor I have barely any taste buds left and coffee is one of the few great tastes that still work. Also, the above is FAR less expensive than either buying drip or certainly Starbucks. Amazon has green beans of very high quality (see link in first paragraph). These can be (eg. Sumatran Arabica) over $40+ a pound roasted, not very fresh when you get them, and you can get them for under $10 at times on Amazon GREEN, REAL savings. Enjoy!

This is a great container for keeping coffee (or loose tea) fresh. I like the look of it, and the brushed steel is easy to care for by wiping with a damp cloth. If you keep many different kinds of coffee on hand, then this is an excellent container because the top has a dial so that you can set it for when you put the coffee in, or when you need to use it by. The clasp on the side is easy to open and close, and it provides a really tight closure so that coffee stays fresh and tastes better when you use it. For me, the coffee disappears so fast that I don't really use the dial on the lid, but I can see that for other people with multiple kinds of coffee, this would be great. This is called a "coffee vault" but it is also a great container for storing loose tea. This is also small enough that it fits in my cabinet so that I don't have to take up my limited counter space.

This coffee storage container is an excellent (and economical) choice for storing coffee in. It keeps the coffee bean smell contained (in case you have family members who do not like that), and it looks good sitting on the counter. It does a good job of keeping the beans fresher than just storing them in a bag, or in a plastic Tupperware container. I have only two reservations: (1) I wish it came in a larger size (as far as I can tell, it doesn't). This would make it much easier to use with a larger (e.g. 5 lbs) bag of coffee. As it is, when using a larger bag, you need to fill the Friis up, and then tightly seal the bag and put it in the freezer or another container. (2) It does not have a vacuum, which has some pros and cons, and so if you use the container every day for coffee, you will be exposing the beans to air every day (not ideal). In spite of that, it does a good job and I am overall pleased.