Buying coffee in a 2-pound bag is often cheaper than buying it in smaller bags. And if you like a particular coffee, why not get the larger bag? Lots of good-quality, Colombian coffee is sold in 2-pound bags, and the beans are nice and fresh when you first open the package. But with so much coffee to go through, how do you keep it all fresh until you're able to consume it? Don't just close the coffee bag with a clothespin or rubber band. Here are three better ways to store your opened, 2-pound bags of Colombian coffee beans.

In a Coffee Container

If you plan on buying 2-pound bags of coffee beans often, it might be worth getting a dedicated coffee storage container. Usually, they are made from an opaque material, so the light can't pass through the container and cause the coffee beans to degrade. They latch shut tightly so that the beans do not get too much air, which would allow them to become stale. Some even have chalkboard-like labels on the front so you can write down what kind of coffee beans are inside. To store your beans in such a container, you simply pour them in and then close the lid tightly.

In a Resealable Bag in the Fridge

If you don't buy 2-pound bags of coffee often and don't want to spend money on a special coffee container, then a resealable bag is a good alternative. Pour the coffee beans in, seal it well, and put it in the fridge. The cold temperature of the fridge will slow down the rate at which the coffee beans go stale. You may want to put a few ounces of coffee in a container that you keep on the counter. Use the counter-container beans first, and refill that container from the fridge as needed.

In a Vacuum-Sealed Bag

If you think it will take you a few months or more to go through the entire 2 pounds of coffee, then you might want to put the beans in some vacuum-sealed bags. This will keep the air away from the beans so they do not go stale quickly at all. Consider making several smaller vacuum-sealed packs instead of one big one. This way, you can open a  new, vacuum-sealed pack of coffee each time you run out, and you won't expose the rest of the beans in the other small bags.

When you buy a large bag of coffee, such as a 2 lb bag of whole bean Columbian coffee, it's important to store it well. Any of the above solutions will work.