Coffee bean storage matters, and it is an area of ‘the coffee world’ that is often overlooked.
We’ll come on to why coffee bean storage is important in a minute, but it is an area of the industry that is suddenly becoming much more varied. There are so many options for storing your coffee beans that it can be overwhelming.
To the uninitiated, it is just a box or tin to hold your coffee, but there is more to it than that. The design, the aesthetics, the price, the capacity, the size, the features – all of this needs to be taken into consideration when you are looking at coffee bean storage solutions.
So how do you know which is best for your kitchen? You come to us! We have identified the best coffee bean storage available, which you will find in the list below.
Before we get on to that though, let’s take a moment to talk about why it is so important.
Why Coffee Bean Storage Matters
You will have probably noticed that when we write about the quality of coffee, one thing always gets mentioned – freshness.
So much effort goes into preserving the freshness of your coffee, whether you buy ground or whole beans. From the second it is roasted, you start losing freshness, so it is quickly vacuum packed and sent off to distribute. Even then, coffee beans will start to lose freshness after around four week on the shelf.
When the coffee makes contact with oxygen in the air, it starts to lose taste and aroma – this is due to oxidation. At the same time, though, you want to keep the CO2 in the coffee – this helps the coffee’s flavour.
You may have noticed that when you buy coffee, they have a little plastic valve on the packet – this is to keep air out, but also to release a little bit of the CO2 – the coffee will be releasing CO2 gradually, and if too much builds up, the pack will burst.
The job of coffee bean storage is to replicate this effect – to keep the beans free from oxygen and trap in the right amount of CO2 so that you get the freshest possible coffee.
Our Top 7 Coffee Bean Storage Solutions
So now that we have established the importance of coffee bean storage, let’s take a look at some of the best available.
Airscape Coffee Storage
We’ll kick things off with a fantastic offering from Airscape – part of the Bella Barista family. This is a company that was set up in 1998 and have specialised in making coffee machines and accessories ever since.
You get the impression that this is a company that genuinely cares about the quality of coffee. They offer barista training courses, in fact they have an entire academy devoted to enhancing people’s coffee making skills.
It goes to follow, then, that they would be keen to ensure you get the freshest coffee possible. With this extra-large coffee storage container, you will be able to store over a kilo of coffee beans – the biggest on our list today.
The patented ‘plunger’ lid works to squeeze out the air and keep out humidity – protecting that valuable freshness.
Rather than just trapping all of the air out of the container, the Airscape Coffee Storage employs an air valve that focuses on forcing the “freshness-destroying” air out, while keeping the ‘good’ air in. They also emphasise that this container can be used for more than just coffee – due to its size, it’s also suitable for cereal, nuts, flour and sugar.
Personally, I think the most appealing aspect of this storage container, other than its size, is the aesthetics. It is a really stylish looking storage solution. Available in three colours (Matte Black, Matte Grey and Black & White), it has a sophisticated simplicity about it – it is smooth and elegant, without being too showy or obvious.
It is made out of galvanised steel which makes it incredibly durable – this is a solidly built container that is built to last. If you have a large amount of coffee on the go, then this might be the storage container for you.
Check Latest Price Of Airscape
back to menu ↑Shayson Coffee Container
Next up we have this smart little container from Shayson – a brand that seems to exist specifically to sell on Amazon, which is becoming more and more common these days.
Don’t let that put you off though, as this is an excellent coffee bean storage solution. While it is not as big as the Airscape option that we looked at above, you can still fit in around 650g of coffee beans in there. When you consider that a standard pack of coffee beans will have around 250g of coffee beans, you can see that this is more than big enough for day-to-day use.
It’s very compact, but that doesn’t stop it doing the job it is designed to do. It employs the one way valve that so many seem to favour. This lets air out but not in. The side of the lid clips into place with airtight metal fasteners, which ensures that no air or moisture creeps in to impact on the beans.
A nice little feature is the measuring spoon that comes with the container. There is a little buckle on the side of the container that this fits into neatly, so you always have a quality spoon there to help you measure out your coffee.
Another nice touch is the calendar wheel on the top of the lid – this allows you to enter the date of when you filled up the container with the beans, so you know exactly how long they have been in there for. You can easily keep on top of the freshness of your beans.
This is a nice little all-rounder. It performs well with regards the freshness of your coffee beans, but the little extras make it a very attractive option.
back to menu ↑Coffee Gator Coffee Containers
Coffee Gator provide the next item on our list of the best Coffee Bean Storage solutions. They are part of the Shop Coffee family – UK based coffee-specialists that have been supplying cafes and coffee shops for over 35 years. So they know what they are doing.
This is the first set of containers on our list so far – you will receive a stainless steel and a matte grey container. This is ideal for people that might have two coffees on the go at the same time – perhaps a regular and a decaf – and want to be able to keep them both as fresh as possible.
The design is very similar to that of the Shayson above – with a metal fastener and simple aesthetics, these are stylish, yet understated. They each have capacity for around 450g of beans, so even though they are the smallest on our list so far, they will still comfortably fit in an entire standard pack of coffee beans. Plus, of course, there are two of them…
These stainless steel coffee bean storage containers also feature a calendar wheel, which is a really helpful feature – as is the measuring scoops that you get with the containers. Everything you need is right there for you.
The freshness is trapped in with a BPA-free rubber seal as well as the layered stainless steel base. These, coupled with the CO2 release valve in the lid, combine to ensure your coffee stays as fresh as possible.
While this is one of the most expensive items on our list today, do remember that you get two containers for your money. As well as giving you the option for having two open coffees on the go at once, you could also save one for travelling.
Check Latest Price Of Café Olé
back to menu ↑Café Olé
A consistent feature of the coffee bean storage options that we have included on our list so far is that they are often made by large companies with various coffee-specific brands, and this one follows that trend.
Café Olé is part of the Grunwerg group – a Sheffield based company that grew out of the steel industry in the mid 20th century. They began making scissors and cutlery, but soon grew to make kitchen appliances of all kinds. Their selection of tea pots and coffee making items make up a large proportion of the Café Olé brand.
I really like the look of this container – on the face of it, it may look a little bit basic, but it has a subtle style to it, like many of the items that we have looked at today. It wouldn’t look out of place in any kitchen, both blending into the background, but also adding to a general look.
More importantly, it does a great job. It has all the features that you have probably come to expect by now – it has an airtight seal around the lid which is clasp-locked with metal fasteners to ensure no air gets in.
It also has a one-way valve to allow CO2 to leave, while keeping out Oxygen and other gases, and it is made out of stainless steel so that it is durable.
It is big enough to hold around 500g of coffee beans, and it even includes the added features – the date tracker and the measuring spoon which fits neatly on the side.
In terms of price, it is pretty much in the middle of the products that we are looking at today, so there is nothing to put you off there. This is a great coffee bean storage container, and I would wholeheartedly recommend putting this one on your shortlist.
Check Latest Price Of Café Olé
back to menu ↑Jennimer
For our next product we are going to look at a product from a Chinese manufacturer, using the brand name Jennimer. It can be difficult to find much information on companies like this, which can be understandably disconcerting for some customers.
However, the benefits to shopping from these brands is that they tend to be much cheaper – and this is one of the cheapest coffee bean storage containers on our list today, so worthy of your consideration.
I know – the phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ is probably ringing in your ears right now. Let me reassure you though, that this does seem to be the exception to the rule. This is a really well made unit, and one that really does get the job done.
It has a capacity of around 650g of coffee beans and has a silicone seal around the edge of the lid to trap in freshness. This is complemented by the CO2 valve on the top – which is replaceable. It also has a date tracker on the top of the lid so you will always know exactly how fresh your coffee is.
One feature that separates it slightly from the other products that we have looked at so far is the window on the base – this enables you to see how much coffee you have left without having to open the lid. You’ll always know when to buy more coffee so that you never run out.
You also get a measuring spoon, although there isn’t any way of attaching it to the unit.
For a budget option, this really takes some beating. It looks great and performs well – what more could you ask for?
Check Latest Price Of Jennimer Coffee Container
back to menu ↑Fellow – Atmos Vacuum
Our premium selection now as we look at this fantastic storage container from Fellow – a company out of San Francisco that specialises in making great coffee. They offer classes as well as a wide selection of coffee and coffee accessories.
They take coffee seriously and it shows. First of all let’s take a minute to appreciate the aesthetics of this product – it is sleek and stylish. It almost looks like a high-end wireless speaker. It is truly beautiful to look at and undoubtedly one of the main selling points.
There is much more to it than just looking nice though. To keep things fresh, it is not just a case of putting your beans in and popping on the lid – this is a clever little container. Once it is filled, you place the lid on and twist the lid back and forth. This triggers the integrated vacuum pump and you’ll physically feel the oxygen leave the chamber – nothing is left in that you don’t want there.
Not only that, but there is a little dot on the lid – when this is green, the vacuum is locked in, so you know that oxidation of your beans will be prevented. Your beans will stay fresh until you need them – at which point you just press the button on the top of the lid and the air pressure will return to normal so that you can open it up.
It really does have that extra little bit of quality than the other products on our list, but it comes at a price – this is the most expensive item that we have featured. If you can afford it, though, then this coffee bean storage container takes some beating.
Check Latest Price Of Fellow Atmos Vacuum
back to menu ↑ITODA Glass Coffee Storage
From one extreme to the other now, as we finish our list of the best coffee bean storage containers with this from ITODA – the cheapest item on our list.
ITODA seems to be another one of those Amazon-only companies that sell everything from quilt storage bags to ‘monkey curtain clips’ – their shop page is truly fascinating!
One thing is very obviously different about their coffee bean storage container compared to every other one on our list – it is glass. All of our others are made with stainless steel, which obviously means that they all look quite similar. This one reality stands out.
I think coffee beans are incredibly satisfying to look at, so why wouldn’t you want to show them off? This will look great on your shelf, and also it is a constant reminder when you need to buy more coffee – you’ll never run out with this container.
This is sold as a multi-purpose storage container, and it is an excellent all rounder which is suitable for all kinds of products. The lid is airtight, which is great, however there is no valve on the lid for letting out CO2. That may impact your beans if you leave them in there for a long time without releasing the gas – but I would imagine that you will delve into the container most days if you are anything like us!
This is a nice looking unit, it’s versatile and it does a decent job. If you are looking for a budget option that you may use to store other goods, this is a great option.
Check Latest Price Of Itoda Glass Storage
Verdict
Without wanting to sound like a broken record, the way that you store coffee beans is incredibly important to the final taste of your drink. We really can’t say that enough, although I appreciate that we might be getting close!
If you care about coffee, which is a safe bet for one of our readers, we urge you to consider investing in a coffee bean storage container – you won’t regret it. Use our list above to help you identify what you would most like from one, and work out your budget. We have supplied you with plenty of options here so we are sure you will find one that you are very happy with.
Enjoy!