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Bean vacuum sucks the air out of your coffee
Coffee snobs will tell you that stored beans won't oxidize and turn bitter as quickly if they're held in a vacuum. The problem is, sucking on the hole in the bag as you roll it up and bend over those little twisty tabs doesn't really work very well. This Bean Vac canister from The Sharper Image should do the trick however. Capable of holding over a pound of beans, the Bean Vac has a tightly sealed locking lid, and a vacuum pump that sucks the air out running on 4 AA batteries. Sharper Image says you can also use it to store things like cookies, nuts and chocolate, but I would never know as that stuff doesn't last more than a day in my house.
The Bean Vac is available now for about $40.
Sharper Image, via Cooking Gadgets
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By benwah at 9:19 PM ON 05/17/08
I've had one since Christmas and love it! Every time I open it and see my oily little beans, I know I'm getting the freshest coffee possible, short of going to Peet's every day!
Too bad The Sharper Image isn't doing so well! If you want one, better hurry!
By incontext at 4:01 PM ON 05/18/08
Get a tilia vacuum sealer. You can use Ball Jars to store coffee in the fridge. It costs more up front but is far more flexible to use because you can store a ton of stuff vacuum sealed, where this limited device can store one lb of something.
By myrddin at 8:00 AM ON 05/19/08
the "freshest coffee possible" comes from roasting your own beans. if you roast just enough to last you every few days, you don't need fancy storage gadgets like this.
By coffeesnob at 8:27 AM ON 05/19/08
this is blatantly wrong. coffee releases gases, namely carbon dioxide, as it sits. putting it in a vaccuum sealed container just encourages the release of those gases, which is what makes coffee taste stale. you need to seal them in a container *compressed* with CO2 to keep them as fresh as possible. don't fall for the marketing hype.
By paul_geddy at 9:13 AM ON 05/19/08
They are out of business and took over 50 million dollars worth of issued gift cards with them.
By knotquiteawake at 9:55 AM ON 05/19/08
Don't buy this! I bought one with credit card reward money and its really crappy. It doesn't hold the air in very well and has to keep running the pump. I had to replace the batteries in less than a week.
By lessismore at 10:12 AM ON 05/19/08
Regardless of it working or not, why the heck is it electric? Are we that lazy we can't push a lever?
By PopGoesWeasel at 10:56 AM ON 05/19/08
By the time most people buy their coffee, it is already stale. This device cannot help that fact.
A person needs to buy green beans and roast them themselves to get really fresh coffee.
By toocaffeinated at 11:16 AM ON 05/19/08
I've used both this device and a vacuum sealer and I like this best. Its quieter and takes up less space. Storing coffee in the fridge or freezer aren't good practices. The issue of using batteries quickly seems to be limited to early models. The new models have a timer that allow you to select when it operates. The problem isn't the outgassing of CO2 it is oxygen, so pressurizing the beans won't help except that it keeps out oxygen. Oxygen is what makes beans go stale. The one-way valve on coffee bags lets out oxygen but not C02 allowing the CO2 to push out the oxygen keeping the beans fresher. I roast my own beans every few days but I still want them as fresh as possible!
By benwah at 8:28 PM ON 05/19/08
TOOCAFFEINATED has the right of it. The pump removes air and any CO2 created by the beans as they age, ensuring a vacuum that keeps the beans from oxidizing.
I have the later model with variable pump timer, and I have yet to replace the batteries I put in there at Christmas. A great product!
I agree, though, that a battery operated one is a good (bad?) example of our lazy, throw-away society. I'd planned on making something similar with a container that would hold a vacuum, and a wine cork/pump. The problem was that I couldn't find a good container that wasn't glass, and then I found this one...
By Spacemanspliff at 2:12 AM ON 05/20/08
This thing is a piece of crap that can't even hold a vacuum. Don't waste your money. It doesn't even work as advertised.
By msummerhill at 2:26 AM ON 05/24/08
I have had this container since Christmas and it does very well for me. I too have the newer model and have not had to change the batteries. I still have that fresh roasted smell and oil bean look every time I open the container. I very much recommend this product! When you do order one or go to a Sharper Image store to buy one, do make sure it is the newest model.