To Find the Best Coffee Canister, We Stored and Brewed Pounds and Pounds of Beans

If you’re a coffee drinker, we at Serious Eats believe you deserve the best cup you can brew at home. Yes, coffee can be a functional means to jump-start your day, but it can also be a pleasant ritual and culinary experience in its own right. The depth of flavor and aroma from a well-brewed cup of coffee made from high-quality beans is worth the investment of your time and resources.

Great coffee starts with great beans. Most bags of coffee have enough beans to make about 16 cups. Of course, this depends on how you brew your coffee. But, roughly speaking, if you drink a cup of coffee a day, a typical bag will last about two to three weeks—that’s approximately how long most roasters would estimate a bag of coffee stays fresh. 

But therein lies the problem: Not everyone finishes a bag of coffee within that time frame, and you might have noticed the brew from the last batch of beans tastes significantly different than the first. When roasted coffee begins to stale, all of its lovely components—the aromatics, sweetness, and acidity—fade. So how can a coffee drinker protect their investment in a bag of high-quality beans?

One possible solution is to store your beans in a coffee canister: a container whose express purpose is to keep coffee fresher for longer periods of time. But do you really need one? Or is storing coffee in its original bag just as good? We tested nine coffee canisters to find out.

The Tests 

• Coffee Storage Test: Using our winning coffee grinder and drip coffee maker by OXO, we ground and brewed a single cup, using 18 grams of beans from Tandem Coffee Roasters and 288 grams of water (a 1:16 ratio). We recorded aroma and flavor notes from the coffee made with the freshly roasted beans, then placed 200 grams (about two cups) of the beans (all from the same batch roasted on the same day) in each coffee canister and sealed the remaining coffee in the original bag it was shipped in. We left the canisters and bag undisturbed for 10 days. After the 10-day period elapsed, we gathered a group of friends for a blind tasting of coffee brewed from each sample using the same brewing method and ratio. We recorded aroma and flavor notes and any differences between the samples to assess how and whether the beans’ flavor and quality had changed during storage.
• Usability and Durability Test: To evaluate how easy the coffee canisters were to open and close and how durable their closure mechanisms were, we opened and closed each canister 15 times, noting how easy it was to do so and whether the closure mechanism or latches seemed to be secure after repeated use. We also washed each coffee canister by hand, noting any issues with cleaning them.

What We Learned 

What Is ‘Fresh’ Coffee?

Freshness in coffee is a hard thing to pin down. For one, it’s not quantifiable—coffee has no real expiration date, although some bags have somewhat meaningless dates that are one to two years after roasting (and some roasters are experimenting with “best by” dates). And regardless, coffee doesn’t go bad in a way that can make you sick. If you drink a very old bag of coffee, the worst it can do is not taste great. Also, freshness can’t be visually assessed just by looking at the beans, and there’s no one flavor or giveaway that coffee has gone stale. 

Coffee is an agricultural product—think of it like any other food item we grow and eat—and like most foods, oxygen is what causes coffee to stale. Roasting creates carbon dioxide (CO2) inside coffee beans, and, in a way, CO2 acts almost as a shield around coffee, protecting it from oxygen. But CO2 eventually leaves coffee beans in a process called degassing, so coffee begins to lose that protective layer over time. 

Unlike most food items, freshness in coffee does not have a linear relationship with flavor and quality: In fact, most roasters recommend letting your coffee rest for at least a few days after roasting. CO2 acts as a shield against coffee going stale—but it also inhibits flavor extraction from grounds. Some folks even recommend waiting as long as eight weeks to enjoy a bag of beans, depending on the roast profile.

And, to complicate things more, it’s important to note that “resting” a coffee usually means storing it in a container with a one-way valve (the valve lets CO2 out as the coffee degasses but doesn’t let oxygen in). Every time you open a bag of beans and jostle it around, you’re displacing CO2 and letting oxygen in. Some coffee roasters even go as far as to recommend only scooping beans out from the very top layer of your bag so as not to disturb the coffee below. Freshness is such a complicated topic in coffee that scientists are studying how it works to understand better what’s going on in coffee as it stales. 

How Do Coffee Bags and Canisters Work?

Most of the bags of coffee you purchase today have two key features to preserve freshness: a one-way valve (ensuring the CO2 from degassing coffee has somewhere to go) and zip-top seals (making them airtight). 

Although most coffee canisters claim to do the same thing—keep coffee fresh—not all canisters are made with the same design. Coffee YouTuber James Hoffmann tested out a range of coffee canisters on his channel, and he sorted them based on three categories:

• Airtight containers: An airtight container is pretty self-explanatory: it keeps air out. Almost anything with a twist-off lid (think Mason jars) will do this, and can also be handy for keeping out other contaminants like dust or bugs. Five of the canisters we tested were this style.
• Displacement containers: These types of containers involve some sort of mechanism to displace air. One way to visualize how these canisters work is by pushing out the oxygen from a zip-top bag before sealing. Two of the canisters we tested used displacement.
• Vacuum-sealed containers: Vacuum-sealed containers pump oxygen out of canisters to create—you guessed it—a vacuum within the container. The vacuum produces a pressurized seal that prevents oxygen from coming in. The remaining two canisters from our testing lineup were of the vacuum-sealed variety.

Yes, We Really Could Taste the Difference

After decanting and storing identical coffee beans–all from the same batch roasted on the same day–in each of the canisters for 10 days, we gathered a group for a blind taste test. Honestly, we were prepared for all of the samples to taste pretty much the same.

As we brewed our way through 10 samples—the nine canisters plus the original bag that the coffee came in—we sipped and wrote down our impressions of each. Since the taste of coffee can be hard to describe, we used the Specialty Coffee Association’s Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel to help us pinpoint the flavors present in each brew. We also asked tasters to note how strong they thought the flavors and aromas were in each sample, and whether any tasted stale or off in any way.

When we talked through our thoughts on each of the brews at the end of the tasting, we were stunned not only by how different the samples tasted but that we also rated and described each sample similarly. At the bottom of the rankings were the two displacement-style canisters. Tasters described these samples as “neutral” and “hotel coffee” at best, and “harsh,” “acidic,” “weak,” and “watery” at worst. 

In the middle of the pack were the airtight canisters. Tasters found most of these samples to taste “normal,” “smooth,” and “level,” with more bright notes of acid and toasty, nutty flavors. They weren’t the strongest, boldest cups, but were generally fine.

All of our tasters unanimously chose the coffee stored in the Fellow Atmos vacuum-sealed canister as their favorite in the blind tasting. Tasters described the coffee made from beans stored in this canister as “balanced” and “rich” with notes of dark chocolate, molasses, and dried fruit, which is exactly what we wrote down when we initially tasted it a few days after roasting.

How does this innovative coffee canister keep beans so fresh-tasting? It employs a unique design in the lid to pump air out of the container. After pressing the silicone-ringed lid into the canister, you twist the lid back and forth multiple times to pump out the air inside. A small button in the lid will eventually drop, revealing a green ring around it, when a vacuum seal has been achieved. By removing the oxygen inside the canister, coffee beans (or any other dry goods you’d like to store) will stay fresher for longer. 

But what about the coffee bag? When we stored the coffee beans in a resealable bag, the brewed coffee tasted almost as good as that stored in the Fellow Atmos. However, with a non-resealable bag (we still pushed as much air out as we could and clipped the top closed), we could really tell the difference. Tasters described this coffee as “thin,” “stale,” and even “papery,” indicating it lost its vibrancy as it was exposed to some air. Resealable coffee bags with a valve may do a pretty good job of keeping your coffee fresh over a few weeks, but without a seal, transferring it to a coffee canister is a much better bet.

Ease of Use and Materials Mattered, Too

Given their innovative designs, we were surprised that the displacement-style canisters fared so poorly in our tasting. We assumed that the displacement of oxygen would have a positive effect and would give these models a leg up on more simply designed canisters. However, this lackluster performance was also a relief, as these models were the most difficult and annoying to use. This was particularly true of the Miir canister, which employs an accordian-style stopper that was almost impossible to flip open to seal when inside the container.

On the other end of the design spectrum were the airtight canisters, which were very straightforward to use. Some were simple containers with swing-top latching lids, and others had separate stopper-style lids that you push into the top of the canister to seal, and pull out to open. The most effective models had a silicone seal or gasket around the edge of the lid where it made contact with the canister to lock air out. The easiest canisters to open featured a central button, rather than a locking latch or a stopper that needed to be pried up from around the edge of the container (though this wasn’t particularly hard to do with any model). This easy-open design was also an appealing feature of the Fellow Atmos, which opens with a simple press of its center button, emitting a satisfying “whoosh” sound as the vacuum pressure inside is released.

When storing coffee, it’s also essential to keep it away from heat, light, and moisture to preserve its freshness. In this review, some of the canisters we tested were opaque, made from materials like stainless steel that block the penetration of light, and others were translucent, made from plastic. Some of the translucent containers in this lineup claim to be made from UV-blocking materials, but we can’t speak to their effectiveness. Clear containers are best stored in a dark place like a cabinet or drawer to ensure they aren’t exposed to light. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Coffee Canister

A great coffee canister creates a firm, reliable seal to keep the coffee beans inside from being exposed to air, and ideally uses a vacuum mechanism to pump out the air inside the container as well. It should have enough capacity to hold a pound of coffee beans, but be compact enough to store and clean easily. A central button in the lid is the most comfortable design for opening the canister, and opaque material is better than clear, as light can cause the coffee inside to degrade more quickly.

Our Favorite Coffee Canisters

The Best Coffee Canister

Fellow Atmos Vacuum Coffee Canister

$40 at Amazon $40 at Williams Sonoma $41 at Target

What we liked: The coffee made from beans stored in this canister was hands-down the best, with a rich, balanced flavor. It has a simple, minimalist look that would be at home in any kitchen, and its opaque stainless steel materials mean it can be stored anywhere you like. The twisting motion to vacuum-seal the canister is intuitive and easy to do, and the green indicator button helps you know when the canister is successfully vacuum-sealed. It’s also easy to open with the push of a button.

What we didn’t like: This canister was on the pricey side compared to others in the lineup, though you are investing in quality here. It did take a fair amount of twisting to seal up the canister when it was mostly empty. You  have to be very careful with the lid, as it can’t get wet during cleaning. You also can’t store ground coffee in this canister, as it can clog the fine mesh of the vacuum sealing mechanism. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel with silicone seal
• Capacity: 1.2 liters, holds 1 pound of coffee beans
• Care instructions: Canister and lid are not dishwasher-safe; hand-wash only with damp, non-abrasive sponge. Do not clean lid under running water and prevent liquid from getting inside the lid. 
• Dimensions: 4.25-inch diameter, 6.75 inches tall
• Canister type: Vacuum

The Best Budget Coffee Canister

OXO Steel Coffee Pop Container

$23 at Amazon View on Webstaurant Store $23 at Oxo

What we liked: Of the airtight canisters tested in this lineup, this one was the best. Coffee made from beans stored in it was rated fairly highly by tasters, noting many of the same flavor elements present in the first tasting of the coffee. The coffee wasn’t as strong as that of the Fellow Atmos, but was deemed “normal-tasting” and “smooth.” Its lid is very easy to open and close with a push of its central button, and the silicone material around the lid’s edge makes a very effective airtight seal. This canister is affordable and versatile—you can store either beans or ground coffee in it—and it stacks well.

What we didn’t like: The material of the canister is tinted and claims to block UV rays, but we can’t speak to its effectiveness. We generally recommend storing clear containers out of the light in a dark cabinet, drawer, or pantry to maintain maximum coffee freshness. The stainless steel look of the lid was sleek, but it did show a lot of water spots after washing and scratched easily (though the lid is interchangeable with other OXO POP lids if you’d like to swap it out). Since this canister is a simple airtight container, it won’t keep coffee as fresh and vibrant as one that uses a vacuum-seal design.

Key Specs

• Materials: BPA-free plastic container, stainless steel lid with silicone seal
• Capacity: 1.7 quarts/1.6 liters, holds 1 pound of coffee beans
• Care instructions: Container and removable seal are dishwasher-safe; lid is hand-wash only.
• Dimensions: 6.25 inches long, 4 inches wide, 6.5 inches tall
• Canister type: Airtight

The Competition 

• CoffeeVac Patented Airtight Coffee Vacuum: This canister is a hybrid between a vacuum-sealed canister and an airtight one. To close it, you push a button in the lid as you press down, which pumps out a small amount of air from the top of the canister as it descends. It does create a vacuum seal to lock out external air, but some oxygen remains inside the canister. The coffee made from beans stored in this container was okay but a little flat. Tasters described it as “not very strong,” “hotel coffee,” “level,” and “subtle.” If you’re interested in the benefits of vacuum-sealing, the Fellow Atmos does a better job.
• Planetary Design Airscape Coffee Canister: This displacement-style canister uses a plunger to push out air from inside the canister before sealing the top with a silicone-ringed lid. The plunger was fairly easy to push down, but a bit hard to tug on to release, especially when it was near the bottom of the canister. The model we tested was very large and bulky—it could hold over two pounds of beans—taking up a lot of real estate on our kitchen counter and making it awkward to wash (though it does come in smaller sizes as well). Tasters found the coffee made from beans stored in this canister as “harsh” and “ashy” with a “neutral strength.” 
• Coffee Gator Coffee Canister: This airtight canister did a pretty good job at keeping the coffee fresh-tasting. Tasters noted toastiness and cocoa flavors in the brewed coffee, though it was a bit on the acidic side. The canister has a one-way CO2 valve built into the lid, allowing the coffee to de-gas as it sits, but preventing oxygen from coming in. That design does make this canister a little finicky to wash, as the filter can’t get wet. You have to change the filters periodically, which is a bit of a nuisance.
• MiiR Airtight Coffee Canister: We had high hopes for this displacement-style canister given its sleek design, but using it was incredibly frustrating. To displace the air inside the canister, you place an accordion-style stopper on top of the beans, then flip a switch on the top of it to push it open, sealing it against the sides of the canister. We found it almost impossible to flip the switch, which had so much resistance to it that we could barely press it down with one hand, especially when it was down at the bottom of the canister. On top of the difficulties opening and closing the canister, tasters found its coffee sample to be “weak,” “watery,” and “very acidic,” and it only holds 12 ounces of beans. 
• Williams Sonoma Coffee Bean Canister: The coffee made from beans stored in this straightforward airtight canister was pretty good, with notes of hazelnut and vanilla, though tasters found it “a little flat.” Its one-piece lid pushes into the top of the container, and you pry it out to open it, which is simple enough to do, though it does have a bit of resistance. Its plastic body is tinted, though the product description does not specify whether it blocks UV light. Its slim profile makes it easy to store, but it may be a little difficult to wash for folks with larger hands.
• Oggi Stainless Steel Coffee Canister: This swing-top airtight canister is made from stainless steel and has a silicone gasket in its latching lid. It was easy to open and close, though its latch felt a little bit flimsy. It did already have some scratches on its powder-coated exterior from shipping, making us wonder how it would hold up over time. It also has a very specific design aesthetic that would be most at home in a country or traditional-style kitchen. The coffee brewed from beans stored in this canister was okay, with some notes of chocolate and bright acidity, but it was also deemed “watery” and “beany” by tasters. 
• Progressive International Plastic Coffee ProKeeper Storage Container: This airtight canister came in a close second to the OXO model. Like the OXO, it features a lid with a silicone seal and a translucent plastic body that blocks UV rays. It employs a plastic latch on its lid, which was just a smidge harder to use than OXO’s ergonomic button, as you have to ensure the lid is all the way pressed down in order to hook the latch properly. Tasters deemed the coffee “buttery,” “nutty,” and “strong,” though they did not detect some of the cocoa or fruit notes from the original sample. If you prefer this design over the OXO, this canister will do a decent job.

FAQs

Can I store ground coffee in a canister?

In the airtight and displacement ones, yes, but not in the Fellow Atmos. According to the Fellow website, “Storing ground coffee or very fine substances may clog the intake valve and prevent a proper vacuum seal.”

What size coffee canister do you need?

Air is the enemy of coffee (well, it'll speed up the beans' degradation, at least), so the best size of coffee canister should hold roughly the amount of beans you'll go through in two or three weeks. The Fellow Atmos we recommend comes in three sizes: 0.4, 0.7, and 1.2 liters. Most households will get by just fine with something in that range.

Can I use a coffee canister for other items?

Yes! If you're looking for other pantry storage, there’s nothing about most canisters that is specific to coffee. You can use them to store tea, spices, or anything else that could degrade over time when exposed to oxygen. But be mindful and read the instructions to make sure there aren’t exceptions for your particular model. For example, Fellow suggests you shouldn’t store ground coffee in its Atmos canisters since the particles could clog the intake valve.

Should I store coffee in the freezer?

While you can store coffee in the freezer, it's not the best storage practice. Constantly reaching in for a scoop for your daily brew causes temperature fluctuations (which cause moisture buildup in your beans), making the coffee taste stale. If you're looking for a short-term storage solution (say, two weeks) and won't touch the coffee, then freezing it is likely fine.

Do coffee beans expire?

Roasted coffee beans will have either a "roasted on" or "use by" date listed. Either way, they're not likely to spoil or become unsafe to consume. (Just avoid getting them wet, which could cause mold to grow.) That said, the longer you wait to brew coffee beans, the more stale they will taste.

Why We’re the Experts 

• Afton Cyrus is a food blogger, recipe developer, culinary instructor, and freelance food writer and editor with a passion for baking. She spent eight years as a test cook and editor at America’s Test Kitchen before becoming a contributor to Serious Eats in 2023.
• Her recipes and food writing appear online for Serious Eats, King Arthur Baking Company, and other outlets, and in print in award-winning and New York Times-bestselling cookbooks for America’s Test Kitchen and Ten Speed Press.
• Afton has learned from the best how to execute rigorous and objective equipment testing protocols. You can see her meticulous approach to product testing in action in her reviews of hand mixers, liquid measuring cups, fondue pots, and pressure canners.
• Ashley Rodriguez has been in the coffee industry since 2010. She worked as a barista, a manager, and a coffee educator before pivoting to writing about coffee in various trade publications as well as her own newsletter and podcast. Ashley first tested coffee canisters in 2022.
• Ashley's research for this piece included listening to a lecture podcast from the Specialty Coffee Association and a video from former World Barista Champion James Hoffmann.