Mark MorphewThe team over at Ankomn was kind enough to send me one of their turn-n-seal coffee storage containers to test for this review.
I own a handful of various coffee storage containers all of which seem to bring something new to the table when it comes to effectively keeping your coffee beans fresh. Some containers use a locking clasp and others a simple screw lid but the Ankomn container uses a locking system I’ve not seen before, they use a turn and lock lid that removes the air from the canister and forms a tight seal.
Obviously, by removing the air from the inside of the container, you will prolong the freshness of your coffee, after all, air along with other elements is the number one killer of coffee freshness.
So how does the Ankomn compare with the competition and does it do a good job at keeping your coffee beans fresh? I’ve had a good play with the Ankomn Turn-N-Seal container over the past week, here are my thoughts.
Just Turn and Lock
Off the bat, the Ankomn container is super easy to use, that’s a big plus in my book. There’s nothing worse than fumbling around with an awkward container when your bleary-eyed early in the morning – you simply turn and lock the Ankomn and your coffee is safe and sound.
The entire process of locking the lid is done with a few quick turns of your wrist, there’s no need for batteries or any other complicated locking mechanisms. It’s those few quick turns of your wrist that forms an airtight seal and a small button in the corner of the lid pops down to let you know a good seal has been formed.
In fact, the twisting action is actually sucking out the air from inside of the container; if you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you should already know air and coffee results in stale coffee (more on that further down).
To remove the lid you simply press the small button located on the corner of the lid for a few seconds. You should hear a slight hissing sound, only then can you easily remove the airtight lid.
Ankomn Keeps Coffee Fresh For Longer
To keep your coffee fresher for longer, eliminate four main elements – Moisture, Air, Heat, and Light. This can be tricky especially if your canister doesn’t form a good airtight seal, and if the coffee isn’t hidden from direct sunlight.
The good news is that the Ankomn ticks the box for eliminating three of the four enemies of coffee freshness.
Moisture
Because the Ankomn container produces a strong airtight seal that keeps the air out, it ultimately means it also locks moisture out by creating a perfectly dry location for your coffee beans.
Air
Coffee is just like any other perishable food item that will lose freshness and flavor when exposed to air. So keeping your coffee beans locked inside an airtight environment is one of the number things you can do to keep your coffee fresh.
Light
Light plays a small role in the freshness of your coffee, for many of you reading this, you needn’t worry unless you’re keeping your coffee beans in a clear glass jar on a windowsill in direct sunlight. Ideally, coffee should be stored in a dark environment such as a kitchen cupboard.
What I like about this storage canister is that it’s black, Ankomn does have clear plastic containers, but for coffee, black will be the best choice; you’re guaranteed that no sunlight will ever reach your coffee beans once they’re safely locked inside.
Construction Material
Even though the Ankomn container is manufactured from plastic, it’s surprisingly tough. The plastic used isn’t immediately clear from the provided instructions. But, after doing a bit of digging around on their website I discovered that the plastic used to manufacture the Ankomn container is Polycarbonate.
If you don’t know, Polycarbonate is an extremely durable plastic that’s impact-resistant, and temperature resistant (up to 185° F). Unlike some other types of plastics that are prone to cracking and discoloration, Polycarbonate is strong and tough and won’t fade or discolor over time.
The plastic used to manufacture the Ankomn container has also undergone some rigorous testing to make sure it’s safe for food use, and one page on the provided instructions shows the testing that’s been done and also states that the container is BPA free and FDA approved.
So as far as I’m concerned the Ankomn Turn-N-Seal storage container gets a big thumbs up with the material used – it’s strong, can withstand high temperatures, and it’s FDA approved.
How Does The Ankomn Compare?
Most coffee canisters use a rubber gasket and a clasp to form an airtight seal, just like a mason jar. The problem with this type of seal is that the air is still trapped inside the canister which is the number one enemy for keeping food and coffee fresh.
Because the Ankomn effectively removes all the air, your coffee beans will stay fresher for a lot longer when compared to other popular coffee storage containers that use a clasp.
One Small Problem
This really isn’t a deal-breaker, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Most of you reading this probably buy your coffee from places like Amazon or you might have a coffee subscription set up with your favorite brand, so this might not be much of an issue for you.
However, if you source your coffee beans directly from the roaster or you’re able to get your hands on fresh coffee beans, you might want to keep on reading.
Coffee beans will continue to release CO2 for 3 to 5 days after they have been roasted. Now, this can cause a slight problem when you’re using the vacuum seal found on the Ankomn.
If you place extremely fresh coffee beans inside the Ankomn whilst they are still releasing CO2, you will find that you won’t be able to get a good seal due to the escaping gasses from the coffee beans eliminating the negative pressure created by the twist and lock lid.
As I said, this is a small issue that to be honest many of you reading this won’t ever encounter. The coffee beans have to be extremely fresh for the escaping CO2 to counteract the vacuum inside the Ankomn Turn-N-Seal storage container.
Wrapping It Up!
I have had my hands on many coffee containers, too many to count, but this is the first time I’ve come across a container that uses a locking system like this. For keeping your coffee fresh the Ankomn is a winner in my book.
The vacuum seal, being able to keep the moisture out, and with the black plastic container body stopping the direct sunlight from ever reaching the coffee makes this a container a great option.
The marketplace seems to be inundated with coffee storage devices but if you want one that will keep your coffee beans fresh look for one that uses a locking system like this – it’s definitely better than those other clasp containers.
Ankomn Turn-N-Seal
When he's not fiddling around with a new coffee gadget, you'll find him busy doing DIY projects around the home and taking his German Shepherd for a walk, who funnily enough is called Kona!
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Since the creation of the Bean Ground coffee blog in 2014, Mark and a small circle of coffee hobbyists have rigorously tested, reviewed, and researched coffee gear. In most cases, they have purchased the items themselves with the sole intention of rating and evaluating.
In that time, they have built up a list of quality points to look for and what makes specific equipment better than others. They cut through the noise and marketing hype that often surrounds products to give you their unbiased opinions so you can make clear decisions on your next purchase.
