The Best Coffee Storage Containers In 2024 & How To Choose

Coffee canisters may seem like a trivial aspect of the specialty coffee lover’s arsenal, however, I can say that keeping beans fresh has proved more crucial than other brewing equipment!

So keep reading this buying guide to learn about the proper storage for coffee beans and which options will best fit your needs.

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Coffee Storage 101

Especially if you have your coffee ground ahead of time, quality storage is a must. While it is true from a food safety perspective that coffee can last for many months, the flavor and aroma degrade quickly with improper storage.

I recommend grinding coffee at home for the best results and otherwise avoiding primarily air and moisture. And a proper coffee container will have an airtight seal that works against both of these!

Overall Best Coffee Storage Container: My Pick

Like any proper food storage in your kitchen, keeping coffee beans fresh is all about delaying the aging process. So before reviewing every canister, let’s examine the top choice and why I picked it.

The combination of price and features makes the Coffee Gator Canister my top pick. At 22oz, it has more than enough room to hold a standard bag of coffee. The stainless steel material is durable, and the vacuum seal will keep oxygen and moisture away from your precious beans. Plus, Coffee Gator is a well-established company dedicated to coffee products.

There is a one-way vent to dispel CO2, a date tracker to keep track of freshness, and a scoop for those who wish to store coffee grounds. Overall, if you want a coffee container that keeps your coffee beans fresh without paying a premium price, this canister is it!

At a Glance: 3 Best Coffee Containers Compared

Before analyzing the details of each container, let’s first give an overview of the products in this article and the primary feature that stood out most for each one.

Other Canisters I Reviewed

• Airscape Coffee Storage Canister: Best for bulk storage
• Coffeevac: Fantastic vacuum seal for the price
• Veken Canister: Best for ground coffee
• Bean Envy Airtight Canister: Ground coffee runner-up

The 7 Best Storage Containers For Coffee: Detailed Reviews and Buying Guide

You might be starting to tell that specialty coffee people take storage seriously, and there are many details that go into keeping coffee fresh. So let’s do a deep dive into each coffee bean storage product above to help you narrow down your choices.

Coffee Gator Coffee Canister

Phil Williams founded Coffee Gator in 2015, and the company has quickly grabbed a huge share of the specialty coffee market. You could fill up your kitchen with their products, which include brewers, espresso machines, kettles, and various sizes of this airtight container. I chose this 22oz size because it will comfortably hold a standard bag of coffee—you can keep the beans in the bag!

It is stainless steel material, which blocks the harmful effects of direct sunlight, and has a one-way CO2 release valve to remove gas. The clamp on the lid makes an airtight seal and will also keep moisture away. As an added bonus, there is a date tracker on the top to help you keep track of coffee bean freshness, and there is a scoop for those who wish to store ground coffee.

Pros

• Sturdy and durable (stainless steel)
• Airtight seal and one-way CO2 release valve
• Date tracker

Cons

• The lid clasp can be flimsy
• Lacking a vacuum mechanism to remove air

Takeaway

Overall, you can trust that a company dedicated to quality coffee will not cut corners on the product that keeps your beans fresh. While lacking a vacuum seal that sucks the air out, you will notice a huge upgrade in the longevity of delicious flavor from your specialty beans. For the price, you are getting a fantastic coffee container.

Fellow Atmos Vacuum Coffee Canister

Fellow is a San Francisco-based specialty coffee company founded in 2013, and they are all about bringing function and craft to the world of coffee. They are probably best known for their fantastic gooseneck kettle—I use this every day for pour over coffee—and they also have a top-of-the-line coffee grinder on the market.

So it should come as no surprise that the Fellow Atmos Vacuum Canister has a beautiful design and works great at keeping your coffee fresh. The product comes in multiple sizes, although I recommend the large 1.2L size that will easily hold a bag of coffee. While they do have a clear glass model, I love the matte black color, and it fits in perfectly with my Fellow gooseneck kettle.

But besides appearance, the material is stainless steel and the twist lug closure has an airtight silicone ring that protects your coffee from the air, moisture, and other odors. And, on top of being airtight, there is a twist mechanism that removes the air and a green light to tell you when you have removed enough. When you are ready to open it, pressing a button releases the pressure.

Pros

• The vacuum mechanism removes the air, and a green light shows when sealed
• Sleek design: it will look beautiful in any kitchen
• Multiple sizes and colors
• Silicone airtight ring

Cons

• Expensive
• Creating a vacuum seal takes time/effort

Takeaway

Fellow makes specialty coffee products that look beautiful and have great functionality, and the Fellow Atmos Vacuum Canister is no exception. You are paying a bit more than the basics, but in my experience, it has always been worth it. If you have invested in coffee equipment and fancy beans, why not spend a bit more to keep those beans as fresh as possible?

Prepara Evak Fresh Saver

The Prepara Evak Fresh Saver has a simple design that makes removing air much easier than other models. And while you can spend slightly more for their larger containers, this 1.8-quart size should comfortably fit your coffee, even in its bag. Prepara makes many styles of food storage and kitchen tools, so this product need not be restricted to coffee storage.

Without any mechanisms or buttons to remove air, the design relies on you pushing the lid into the container. This design will remove air, but it will likely be less effective since you cannot compress coffee beans and some air will remain. One upside, though, is that as you use your coffee you just push the lid farther into the container.

Since a lot of my specialty coffee equipment has a sleek design and beautiful appearance, I did not love how this looked alongside my other gear. But compared to leaving coffee in a bag, you will notice much fresher beans for a super affordable price. The only other major downside is the clear glass, which means you will have to keep this in a cabinet to protect it from light.

Pros

• Super affordable
• Multiple sizes (you can nest containers within each other)
• Easy push plunger mechanism to remove air
• Dishwasher safe for easy cleaning

Cons

• Clear plastic does not block light
• The airtight seal sometimes leaks

Takeaway

Compared to storing coffee beans in the bag you bought them in, this Prepara Evak Fresh Saver will be an upgrade without spending much money. But if you want a coffee canister better suited to storing beans, consider spending a bit more to get better quality.

Airscape Coffee Canister

Next is the Airscape Coffee Canister, made of galvanized steel and built for bulk storage. When you buy this container, you will be able to store multiple bags of coffee at once—in total, this product can handle up to 2.2 pounds of coffee bean storage. And while you can find multiple colors and sizes, I think the largest size and the matte black color are the best fit. I love the idea of being able to throw multiple coffee bags into one storage container.

But the main draw for this product is the patented lid. The mechanism forces air out as you close it, and there is a locking mechanism to ensure an airtight seal. You can even hear a “swoosh” sound as you close the lid which shows just how much air would be potentially stealing flavor and freshness from your coffee beans.

Pros

• High-quality galvanized steel material
• Patented vacuum seal lid
• The airtight lid keeps out moisture, light, and air
• Huge kilo size fits up to 2.2 pounds of coffee beans
• The “Swoosh” sound indicates how much air you removed

Cons

• Galvanized steel is not as corrosion-resistant as stainless steel
• Too large for folks who only use one bag of coffee at a time

Takeaway

This Airscape Canister has a similar appearance to the Fellow Atmos with its matte black color and sleek design. And, the patented vacuum sealing lid means that you will get better protection than cheaper models that advertise vacuum seals as a gimmick. But most of all, consider this coffee container if you want bulk storage.

Coffeevac

The Coffeevac 1 lb Container has plastic material and a 1.85-liter capacity. The size could be a problem for people who buy coffee in bulk, and I wish that they made larger containers with the same lid design. But if you will only be storing one bag of coffee beans at a time, highly consider this product for its airtight technology.

Coffeevac has a patented vacuum closure system that will remove oxygen at the push of a button. And, there is a 2-way valve system that allows CO2 to flow out without letting any odors, moisture, or air in from the outside. You can also choose from a range of colors so that you can be sure it will match your kitchen decor.

Pros

• Vacuum closure system
• Airtight lid
• CO2 escape valve
• Solid material
• Multiple colors

Cons

• Small size
• Some models do not block sunlight

Takeaway

For folks that want a dedicated mechanism that removes air, this Coffeevac 1 lb Container did a decent job and was easy to use. The CO2 degassing valve was another huge plus. The airtight seal is not as solid as the Fellow Atmos, but for the price, you should notice more freshness from your coffee beans.

Veken Coffee Canister

The Veken Coffee Storage Canister is an airtight container that comes in multiple colors and has a sleek design. Made from a mix of stainless steel, silicone, and rubber, this product is durable and has an airtight seal. The clasping mechanism of the lid comes close to the quality of Coffee Gator’s container, and the addition of the scoop makes it ideal for storing ground coffee.

Veken makes multiple models of a French Press, which is a good sign that they care about proper coffee storage and the details of brewing. There’s also a date tracker on the top lid, something most other containers did not have. With a date tracker, you can easily keep track of freshness, which is an even bigger concern with ground coffee.

While the airtight seal works fine, the big downside is there is no mechanism for removing air as you close the lid.

Pros

• Stainless steel material
• Date tracker on the top lid
• Coffee scoop included
• Airtight lid protects coffee beans
• One-way CO2 valve

Cons

• No vacuum mechanism

Takeaway

This Veken Airtight Coffee Canister has a design meant for storing coffee, and the addition of a date tracker is a nice touch. Since the airtight lid works great, there is a CO2 valve, and they threw in a free scoop, I consider this the best option for the storage of coffee grounds.

Bean Envy Coffee Canister

Last up is the Bean Envy Coffee Canister, and you can think of this product as the runner-up for ground coffee storage. With stainless steel material and multiple solid color options, you will protect your coffee beans or grounds from light. Like the Veken, there is the downside of no vacuum mechanism, but this model does include a date tracker and a free scoop.

Overall, this product is similar to the Veken, but you might notice that the lid mechanism is not as sturdy. For ground coffee, this difference might be negligible, and this will still be a huge upgrade compared to bag storage. Another downside is the lack of a CO2-degassing valve.

Pros

• Durable stainless steel material
• Date tracker
• Free scoop
• Airtight lid

Cons

• No CO2 release valve
• The airtight lid is not amazing

Takeaway

If you want to save some money for a similar ground coffee storage container to the Veken, you can consider this Bean Envy Coffee Container. The seal is not as solid and you miss out on the CO2 release valve, but overall it will keep your grounds fresher.

What to Look For In Coffee Storage Containers

If you still need help deciding which container is best for you, let’s go over some of the basics of coffee storage and what you should look for.

Coffee Storage Principles

Properly storing coffee beans is about more than just buying the right container—you should also understand what you need to avoid. Like any food storage, the idea is primarily to avoid the damaging effects of oxygen and moisture.

Freshly roasted coffee begins to age immediately, but protecting a bean from oxygen, sunlight, moisture, and extreme heat/cold will prolong the fresh and delicious flavor for as long as possible. Read more about the proper storage of coffee beans to get more details on what to avoid and how to make the most use of your coffee container.

Airtight Seal

Every container in this article is airtight, and that is because oxygen is the enemy of freshly roasted coffee—read more on why coffee expires for the full details. But as you read, not all containers are equally great at making an airtight seal, so you get your money’s worth on that front.

When looking for the best container, you want a product that not only seals from the air but all vacuum sucks the air out. Any container is better than your beans sitting in a bag going stale, but pumping air out is the best way to prolong freshness.

Are Ground Coffee Containers Different?

As a specialty coffee lover, I always recommend buying whole-bean coffee and investing in a high-quality coffee grinder. But I understand that many folks prefer the simplicity of pre-ground coffee that they can just scoop into a coffee maker. But even in this case, the proper storage of coffee grounds still requires an airtight seal to promote freshness.

So if you have to have your coffee ground ahead of time, you will still greatly benefit from a proper coffee canister. There is no special design for a ground coffee storage container, however, a fantastic airtight seal is that much more crucial. Also, an included scoop is a bonus in this case for convenience.

Coffee Storage in the Freezer

You’ll hear coffee experts disagree about whether you can store coffee in the freezer. In my experiments, freezing coffee beans correctly can work for long-term storage. But if you do it incorrectly, your beans will definitely go bad from the freezer air and moisture that collects.

So besides following the advice in the linked article, consider buying an extra container if you want long-term storage options.

Final Thoughts on Choosing a Coffee Container

If you are investing in the higher cost of specialty coffee beans, you might as well invest in a one-time purchase that protects their delicate flavors. The proper storage for coffee beans is about protection from air, moisture, and light. And, generally speaking, higher-priced storage containers for coffee tend to have a better airtight seal and some kind of vacuum mechanism.

Hopefully, you are now ready to upgrade your home coffee setup!

Coffee Storage FAQs