If you need to store a pound of coffee longer than a week, get thee a VacuVin coffee saver!
Positive Product Points
Keeps coffee beans fresh for longer periods of time. Easily to clean. Easily holds 500g coffee. Fun to perform scientific vacuum experiments with (you can make water boil at ~80C)
Negative Product Points
Cannot store extremely fresh beans under vacuum due to outgassing. Somewhat clunky vacuum pump. You have a small bomb in your kitchen when the container is under maximum vacuum.
Detailed Commentary
Before owning a VacuVin coffee saver I simply stored my coffee in the bag with a tin tie. As I'm the only person in my house that drinks coffee on a regular basis, a pound of coffee beans can last me upwards of two weeks. That is a long time for coffee beans to be sitting around. With the VacuVin, now I just dump the entire pound of coffee beans from the bag into the container. If I buy coffee that's reasonably fresh, I can expect it to hold its flavor and body much longer than would be possible in the bag.
Why not just use a tightly sealed container? Because the coffee is always breaking down into the air around it. With the VacuVin, you're removing a good portion of the air that would otherwise degrade your coffee. This is why coffee is sold vacuum packed. Don't think for a moment that you're creating a total vacuum, though, with the VacuVin. The vacuum it does create makes it nearly impossible to remove the lid from the container under maximum vacuum, though, and you will notice the extra time needed to pump the container when it's empty than when it's full.
Be careful not to drop the VacuVin when it's under vacuum, it could be liable to implode and send shards of lexan/coffee all over your kitchen.
Buying Experience
I bought one as a Christmas gift, and when my guinea pig, er I mean, Friend liked it I bought two for myself. Rafters is a retail store in Canada. Very easy to deal with.
