7 Best Coffee Canister and Storage Containers

A great cup of coffee starts with the right coffee beans, but not often not enough attention is given to how we treat them. Like any natural product, coffee degrades over time, and without the correct storage, even the best beans will become stale and flavorless.

So what makes a good coffee canister? Read below for the storage must-haves and some of our favorite brands.

While you may have bought the best coffee on the market, if you store it in a low-quality or makeshift container, it will be stale long before you can use it all. Stale coffee has an unpleasant, sharply bitter taste. Definitely not the flavorful experience you were hoping for!

Though many people are under the assumption that coffee, unlike other natural food, can’t go bad, it actually has a very finite shelf life (1).

So when it comes to storage and keeping your beans fresh, what is the best approach?

Invest in a proper coffee container! We promise it is worth the time and money, because without one, you essentially throwing out all the beautiful coffee you just bought.  

7 Best Coffee Storage Containers To Keep Your Coffee Fresh

We highly recommend investing in good coffee-making gadgets such as milk frothers (see our top picks), gooseneck kettles (like these), measuring devices, and containers as they make our coffee-making experiences and the taste of coffees a lot better.

While a mason jar or similar container may do an ‘okay’ job of keeping your coffee beans fresh, you are still missing out on the best flavor notes lost by not storing it as well as you could. Just as with food preservation, there are good and bad ways to make the coffee last as well as possible.

While there are lots of coffee canisters on the market, they are certainly not all created equal.

Since finding a quality coffee canister requires a bit of research and know-how, we went ahead and did the work for you. Below are our top 7 picks for the best coffee storage containers. Find the one that fits your needs and kitchen aesthetic and show your coffee some TLC.

The Coffee Gator canister features a convenient date wheel on the lid so you can know at a glance how long your coffee will remain fresh.

The canister keeps out air via the secure lid latching system while CO2 is still allowed to escape via a valve on the lid. Unlike some of the other options on this list, the valve on this canister has a premium look to match its quality. Coffee Gator recommends replacing the valves every 6 months, with extra valves available for purchase.

The Gator coffee container protects your coffee from harmful sunlight and comes in plenty of different colors, so you can choose the one that vibes best with your kitchen aesthetic.

This canister is available in sizes small, medium, and large, each capable of storing about a half pound, .9 pounds, and 1.3 pounds respectively. The Coffee Gator also comes with a 30mL scoop and a 4 oz. travel coffee canister for convenience.

San Francisco brand Fellow has made a name for themselves creating beautifully designed products for coffee lovers, and this coffee storage is no exception. If you’ve seen the Fellow kettle, grinder, or French press, you’ll know that this canister continues the same minimalist lines.

The standout feature of the Atmos is the unique way that it seals. The lid twists back and forth to create a vacuum, and a green light on the top of the canister will alert you that you’ve reached the necessary pressure. To open the lid, simply press the easy release button. Combined with an airtight silicone ring seal, this does an excellent job of keeping oxygen away from your beans, but it is missing a one-way valve that would allow the buildup of CO₂ to escape.

The Atmos vacuum canister is offered in three different sizes and two different materials: glass or steel. Unless you’re storing your coffee in a dark cupboard, opt for the stainless steel versions to keep your beans safe from UV rays.

The Airscape Coffee Storage Container features a patented valve system that forces out oxygen and CO₂ and then securely vacuum-locks the lid into place. This canister is built to meet every acute need of coffee storage by allowing users to adjust the lid to fit more snugly according to the amount of coffee.

The canister comes in several classic colors and in two size options: 64oz, holding up to 1lb. of coffee, and 32 oz, holding up to ½ lb. The Airscape can also be used to preserve dry food items.

Beyond the airtight lid that fits onto the top of the canister, the Airscape features an internal lid that can be inserted into the container to the exact level of the coffee. This feature and its sleek design has made the Airscape highly-regarded as one of the best tools for secure coffee storage.The top lid is made of clear BPA-free plastic, allowing you to see exactly how much coffee remains in the canister.

The OXO Good Grips Pop Container stores coffee beans in a BPA-free container. It can hold up to 1 pound of whole bean coffee, ground coffee, or pretty much any other dry goods you like.

Coffee is kept safe from air with the simple push-button vacuum seal on the lid of the container. Even with the button on the top, this container is still conveniently stackable, making for easy kitchen or pantry storage. These Pop containers by OXO come in all shapes and sizes, so you can pick up multi-packs for all your food storage needs.

Unfortunately, while these OXO good grips containers certainly don’t allow any air in, they also don’t allow the natural CO₂ produced by roasted coffee to escape. Other coffee storage canisters are equipped with a one-way valve to expel the CO₂ to keep coffee fresher for longer, so if you don’t buy fresh beans all that frequently, this is not the best option for you. We also wish these containers were opaque. Unlike the steel and opaque containers, the clear polypropylene can’t protect coffee from harmful UV rays, so make sure you keep them in a dark place.

The Veken canister is an Amazon bestseller and we can see why. It has a long list of features that will delight any coffee lover, including some we didn’t even know we needed.

Let’s look at the basics first. The canister itself is made from stainless steel, which provides the best protection against sunlight that will degrade your beans. The lid closes with a bail clip and includes a BPA-free silicone seal to make it airtight. Importantly, the Veken includes a one-way valve, also with a silicone seal, for added freshness.

User-friendly extras include a date tracker that allows you to set the day and month you filled the canister. Even beans stored correctly will go stale over time, so it’s good to keep an eye on the use-by date. On the inside, there’s a scale line that tells you how many ounces are left in the container. You can see at a glance how many cups of coffee you can make before you need to buy more beans.

The design might be a little clunky, but we appreciate the fact that it comes in seven different colors. You’re sure to find one to match your coffee maker or kitchen decor.

The Coffeevac may look basic, but it is one of the highest-rated coffee storage units on the market today. For people looking for versatile coffee tools, the Coffeevac can also be used to keep other dry foods fresh.

It has a partial vacuum, airtight seal to keep your beans fresh along with a pressure-release valve to release any CO2 buildup inside the container. The Coffeevac Coffee Canister is airtight and holds up to one pound of coffee, so you can store a whole bag’s worth without worrying about it going stale.

Like the Lovffee Coffee Canister, the Coffeevac Airtight Coffee Container is dishwasher safe, making cleaning and maintenance super-easy. That being said, it is known to crack easily, so take care when cleaning your Coffeevac.

Aside from coming in plenty of color combinations, the Coffeevac is also 100% recyclable.

The sleek, Friis Coffee Vault is well-built canister capable of storing a full pound of coffee beans.

The lid provides an impermeable airtight seal to keep out air while the freshness valve simultaneously allows CO2 to escape. These valves typically last around 2 months before they lose their maximum efficacy. Users can buy replacement valves on the company website.

The combination of stainless steel and BPA-free plastic provide adequate protection from sunlight and look nice in any kitchen. The Friis comes in silver, black, and red and is not washable in the dishwasher, so take a minute to just hand-wash this canister.

What Turns Coffee Stale?

Temperature and humidity fluctuation can disturb the equilibrium of the beans, as with most food, and impact flavor. As we mentioned before, coffee in any form should be stored in a room temperature environment with mild levels of humidity

Time, of course, can also affect the freshness of coffee, particularly if it is not stored well. However, regardless of your storage method, there is a finite amount of time that coffee beans or grounds will be fresh enough to enjoy.

What Is The Best Way To Store Coffee Beans?

The best way to keep roasted coffee from going bad is in an opaque, airtight container. Ideally, one that has a vacuum/airtight seal.

Now, while the airtight seal is important, the best coffee container will have a valve that allows the natural CO2 emitted by roasted beans to escape. By allowing the beans to “de-gas,” you are allowing for easier extraction when you are ready to brew (3).

When it comes to the various forms of coffee, there are general recommended ways to store it.

• Ground Coffee – Pre-ground coffee from a shop can’t go stale, because it already is! Use it right away! As a general rule, only grind as much coffee as you are ready to use right away, so you capture the best possible flavor.
• Roasted Whole Beans – Best stored in a cool, dark place and maintained at room temperature. When stored away from light and oxygen, roasted beans are generally fresh for about 15 days.
• Green Coffee Beans – Place them in an airtight container in a room temperature and in an environment with neutral humidity. Properly stored, green coffee lasts for about a year or even longer​. If exposed to air and humidity, green coffee beans can either dry out (low humidity) or grow mold (high humidity).

Related: Best Home Coffee Roasters

The Verdict

The bottom line is that if you want your beans to stay at their best, not just any container will do. Our favorite is the Coffee Gator canister, which will keep your speciality beans safe from oxygen, sunlight and moisture. We also like the addition of the date wheel, and the range of fun colors.

Whatever design you choose to go with for your coffee, just remember to keep it away from heat. And if the container is not completely opaque, you’ll need to store it somewhere dark, like a cupboard.