Vacuum Coffee Bean Canister

[joellawry]

As i was searching ThinkGeek (worlds best money waster!!) i came across this - http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/a897/. Anyone else bought one/know bout the quality?

Thanks all,

Joel

[roblumba]

That's a very expensive way to store coffee. And you'll have to break the seal to get to that coffee. So each time you take coffee out, the thing will have to reestablish the seal. This means it will be using up those batteries and potentially breaking at some point.

For half the price, you can get a couple dozen 8 ounce mason jars and break up your coffee into those little mason jars. You can even install one way valves on the jars so that the degassing coffee can push out the oxygen.

On the other hand, it would be interesting to know some long term feedback on using that vacuum canister. Perhaps there's really potential there. But I suspect the 8 ounce mason jar idea is just as good, or perhaps better for reliability, value, and coffee freshness. The jars are also flexible. You can throw them in the freezer, or keep them in your pantry.

[AndyS]

Anyone else bought one/know bout the quality?

I doubt it's very effective. According to Sivetz, residual oxygen has to be taken down below 1% and preferably down to a few tenths of 1%. The device's stated "partial vacuum" is unlikely to do this.

[naked_barista]

I received one as a gift (purchased at Williams Sonoma), and it seems reliable enough (after about a year). I use it to store "backstock", so it only gets opened about twice a week. I can't really comment on the freshness aspect, since the beans don't last too long around my place.

Larry

[Marshall]

This canister activates its vacuum pump whenever it detects a drop in vacuum: http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/a897/. Now, if we can only attach it to the grinder hopper ....

[HB]

It'd be an amusing and potentially useful Christmas gift if it held one half pound. But a full pound is too much capacity to dole out daily coffee usage. I'll stick with Mason jars and the freezer.

[Theodore]

I use the first in the row, for a long time. http://au.shopping.com/-vacuvin+coffee+storage
It is usefull, if you use the pump with the stoppers, for a wine bottle as well.
I put another address. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vacuvin-I...aver/dp/B0001M0G2E

[GC7]

I use these in combination with my foodsaver unit.

http://www.foodsaver.com/Product....d=c&cid=89&pid=281
$3.49 each

My greens are stored longer term in bags but the roasted coffee goes in these. It takes 10-15 seconds to evacuate the air after opening.

[r-gordon-7]

I, too, would be interested in the ThinkGeek product - if it were of a smaller capacaty (or possibly multi-compartment) and had an ac adapter.

r-gordon-7

[spro745]

This is my way of vacuum packing beans. Awhile back we bought a FoodSaver device and then soon after found some nice vacuum seal canisters (round) at Sears. A 3 pack was only $20 and can be washed and reused for years. I think the large one is 2 qts, then 1 qt and 1 pint. They work great in keeping the beans nice and fresh and the FoodSaver unit itself has lots of uses. Later!

[hperry]

I've liked this product for keeping coffee fresh: http://visionsespresso.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=721 Pushing down the plunger expels air. Simple and effective.

[nixter]

I've been meaning to pick up the Vacuvin canisters for some time now. I've been using the stoppers on wine bottles for ages and I swear by them. If you *fully* pump a half empty bottle of red wine it will keep for weeks. I emphasize fully because even after the pump starts to click telling you it's done you can still get a few more slow pumps of air out.

[hperry]

This approach doesn't require a pump. Inserting the disk and pushing it down to the coffee level expels the air. The cannister is then sealed with a top that has a gasket. I like it because its simple and works effectively.

[r-gordon-7]

I've liked this product for keeping coffee fresh: http://visionsespresso.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=721 Pushing down the plunger expels air. Simple and effective.

Looks like a very good approach. 48oz is a little big for me, though... would prefer a smaller size. What are the exterior dimensions? And do they work as effectively when they contain relatively few beans - e.g. when they're mostly empty and need to remove almost their full volume of air? Finally, two are shown in the photo - are they sold as a set of two or just individually?

Thanks,
r-gordon-7

[hperry]

Sold individually. Mine is half full or less a good part of the time and seems to take good care of the beans. keep a couple of different colors around so that I can remember which coffee went in where.