****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
*** Update ***I just bought a fifth cannister. This one will be for storing ground coffee. We have guests coming to visit, and my grinder can be pretty loud in the morning. I had the bright idea to grind the coffee the night before, so it would be ready to go first thing in the morning. Using one of these cannisters, it will stay almost as fresh overnight as whole beans. BTW, because these are black, there is no place on the can or lid to ID the contents with a normal pen or pencil. My wife made a couple of labels for me, black letters on white background, that I applied to the lids, so I don't mix up my coffees. Don't need them for the clear glass ones. Still really love these things.*** Original review 01 May 24 ***The title of this review sums it up. After buying an expensive expresso rig, I wanted a container that would REALLY keep my whole beans fresh. After a lot of research, I decided to give the Soul Hand a try. This was shortly after they came out, and the cannister was glass. Heavy duty, but still glass. I liked it so much that I bought a second one to store a second type of coffee bean (I blend Ethiopian and Sumatran). These two units have worked flawlessly. The only negatives I had were that 1) they were made of glass, so light could get to the beans, if they were not stored in a dark place, like a cabinet, and 2) they were not large enough to store an entire 1 kg (2.2 lb.) bag of coffee beans. Then, I saw that they had come out with metal cannisters. So, i bought two more. Two cannisters hold an entire 1 kg bag of coffee with room to spare. And, the metal cannisters means that now I can keep them out in the open on the coffee station, while the two glass cannisters remain in the cabinet. When the metal ones become empty, I simply refill from the glass ones. the metal ones solved my two negative issues perfectly.1) They block the light, so they can stay out in the open for easy access.2) They are very durable. Don't get me wrong, the glass ones are solid, as well. It's more of a 'peace of mind' thing.Also, the metal ones are easier to grip. The surface is textured, which makes them feel much more secure in the hand.The operation is the same - double tap the button to pull a vacuum, double tap the button to release a vacuum. Like the glass ones, the metal cannisters still have the little holder on the outside for the scoop, which I do not use for the scoop. since it simply fits inside the cannister pressed into the beans. But, the holder does make a nice little handle to grip the lid, when removeing. Also, the lids on these metal ones seem to grab the cannister better to pull a vacuum. With the glass ones, i sometimes have to press down on the lid, until the vacuum secures the lid in place. With these metal ones, I simply seat the lid on the cannister, making sure the gasket is not folded, push the button, and let it do its thing. The gaskets seem to grab the metal better, but I do not know if it is an improved design or just that the gaskets on the older, glass cannisters have lost a little of their grip. Time will tell, but it is not an issue, either way.NOTE: Some reviewers have reported that the pump on the cannister suddenly stopped working. Be advised that, if you long press the button (it is about three seconds on my units), then the mechanism locks and will not pump. IT IS NOT BROKEN. Just long press the button a second time, and the lock will release. It also gives a long beep, both when the lock engages and when it releases. How do I know this? Welll, I did the long press by accident, and I thought the unit had failed, until, by chance, I long-pressed the button a second time. I am sure it is in the instructions, but, who keeps those?Anyway. these are excellent vacuum cannisters, much better than those manual ones, or the ones, where you depress the lid to push out air (which is not even a vacuum). I use these cannisters at least twice a day, and the batteries last several weeks. They recharge in a couple of hours and use a USB Type C connector. I have found the mechanisms to be durable, and they absolutely keep my coffee beans as fresh as I can keep them in a home environment. Oh, and they look good, too.
