Hi

I've been using these canisters and they are very nice (I have 4):

http://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-Food-Sav...365&sr=8-7

They are only .65 liter capacity, which is ideal for 2 cups volume of green beans in small roaster batches (~200 grams to ~300). I also have the bigger ones, but let me tell you what happens. With the bigger canisters, I try to fill them up by doing 2 batches of the same roast profile. With the smaller canisters, I can change the profile per batch and keep them well organized. By doing 4 different profiles (that's what I usually do), I can later compare them and taste the difference, which in turn helps me learn about what did what. Nothing new but it helps me with the flow of my home roasting hobby.

These small canisters are very good for small sample roasters and profile testing. Their seals also hold to temporary freezer storage. They don't come with the vacuum hand pump (separate). Their lids are interchangeable with the bigger 1.3L canisters (twice the capacity).

Cheers

If you don't use the vacuum pump (as it could degas CO2 out of the beans, leading to less crema), some simple Mason jars are also perfect. They come in different size: 125ml, 250ml, 500ml, 1000ml, and are about 10-20 times cheaper than a Vacuvin.

http://www.amazon.com/Bernardin-Mason-Jars-500-Decorative/dp/B000H94STI
http://www.amazon.ca/Bernardin-Mason-Jars-Decorative-Standard/dp/B000FOUSFI
Note: They are at about half that price at my local CanadianTire.

They are perfectly air tight and being glass made, they do not retain any odor. The lid can be changed from time to time if you want.

As I usually order coffee on the Internet, I buy large batches (about 2-4 kg), which I deep freeze in these Mason jars. When my counter container is empty, I just grab another one from the freezer (and let it come to room temp before opening to prevent condensation). The jar size can be chosen according to your coffee habits, to prevent coffee becoming stale on the counter. In my case, I prefer to use 250ml jars.

Few existing threads on the subject:
- Mason jars versus zip lock bags for storage of roasted coffee
- mason jar air bag for better roasted coffee storage...
- Questions for those who freeze coffee still in the bag...
And of course, Better Espresso thru Freezing.

--
Louis

I bought a few of these after having good experience with their wine product. I was disappointed, however, and don't use them. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't. It was unpredictable and one couldn't tell if they were under vacuum or not without breaking the vacuum (if it existed) which it didn't about 25% of the time.

The wine version, however, I've used for years and it has almost never failed. I use 32 ounce Mason jars and since the two piece metal lids are annoying, I bought after market plastic lids that work well, and are dishwasher proof.