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What Is Low Acid Coffee?

What Is Low Acid Coffee?

6 min read JUL 07, 2022

Hailed by Thomas Jefferson as "the favorite drink of the civilized world,” coffee is the third most popular drink worldwide, next to only tea and water. Enjoyed daily by countless millions of people, its popularity isn’t likely to decline any time soon.

But for some unfortunate people, the acidity of coffee can cause physical discomfort.

Thankfully, that’s not an issue with the low-acid coffees now available. But what exactly is low-acid coffee? Does it taste as good as regular coffee? If you think you should make the switch to low-acid coffee, make sure to read our guide below.

What This Article Covers:

Which Coffee Roast Is Least Acidic?

It may surprise you that most coffee is acidic, with pH levels between 4.85 and 5.13. Compared to water’s neutral pH of 7, this may seem alarming. It’s especially true because the average coffeeholic drinks several cups a day.

Who wants all that acidity accumulating inside them, right?

Sure, there are non-acidic coffee alternatives. Maca root or yerba mate are examples, but you don’t necessarily have to take such drastic measures. You can still enjoy your coffee by switching to a less acidic brew. But first, let’s examine why coffee is so acidic and how you can avoid the problem.

What Makes Coffee Acidic?

The depth of the roast and even the brewing method can influence your coffee’s acidity. But the fact remains that coffee will always be slightly acidic no matter what you do to it.

It may not seem like a problem for most, but if you suffer from digestive issues, this can make the difference between a pleasant drink and days of discomfort.

The Most Acidic Coffee

All coffee contains several naturally occurring acids, but quinic acids are the most problematic ones. They give the coffee its distinctively bitter taste. Quinic acids also produce the sensation of indigestion in your stomach. This byproduct of the roasting process is the main culprit we are trying to avoid.

It’s simple to do so. Burned or reheated coffee contains far higher concentrations of quinic acid. The same goes for coffee that was left to sit for too long before drinking. So keep this in mind when you enjoy the next dose of your daily caffeine fix.

You want to make sure you’re drinking coffee when it’s freshly brewed, otherwise you might be in for a bad time.

The Least Acidic Coffee

The least acidic coffee is a light roast coffee brewed or treated to lower levels of quinic acid, resulting in a pH level of about 6. This isn’t too far off a neutral pH of 7.

Interestingly, coffee beans grown at high altitudes are usually more acidic. Look out for coffee-growing regions that produce low-acid coffee beans, for example, Brazil and Sumatra.

Benefits of Low Acid Coffee

If you don’t have digestive problems, you may wonder if there are any other benefits to making the switch. There are benefits for anyone who loves to drink coffee, so you may want to consider it.

Aside from the relief for sufferers of digestive complaints like GERD, IBS, and acid reflux, there are plenty of other great benefits.

The Top Benefits of Coffee with Lower Acid Levels

Lower acidity levels are a good idea in general. But here are two fantastic benefits that stand out.

Improves Your General Health

Research findings suggest you’ll enjoy higher antioxidant levels from a cup of slow-roasted, non-acidic coffee.

Antioxidants are known to be beneficial to your heart health. They may also lower your risk of other infections. What’s more, antioxidants are natural cancer-fighting agents, too. That’s good news for all coffee drinkers.

It Gives You a Reason to Smile

Low-acid coffee can even benefit your appearance.

Regular coffee with high acid levels can harm your teeth, discoloring them and possibly eroding your tooth enamel over time. But with lighter roasts that are more alkaline, your teeth suffer far less damage. So you’ll have more reason to smile.

Best Alkaline Coffee

There are ways to lower the concentration of harmful acid in your coffee. You can change your coffee-making and drinking habits to reduce quinic acid consumption. Alternatively, you can trust us to provide you with the best alkaline coffee options.

How to Avoid Acidity in Your Regular Brew

You can master the art of making low-acid coffee by following these simple tips:

Give preference to coffee beans that were grown at low altitudes. These tend to be less acidic.

Longer roast times and higher heat result in increased levels of quinic acid. So choose a lighter roast instead, and buy it in smaller batches, freshly roasted if possible.

Choose coarser coffee grounds. Better yet, grind your coffee beans yourself. Finely ground coffee releases more acidity, so try to avoid this.

Be wary of burning your coffee, and don’t overheat it. Make yourself a fresh cup instead and don’t drink coffee that has been sitting for too long.

You could also make yourself a batch of low-acid cold brew coffee. Research suggests that it’s less acidic than hot coffee.

Buy Certified Low-Acid Coffee

If all that info seems as difficult to digest as acidic coffee, just buy yourself some coffee that you already know is lower in acid. But how do you get your hands on this tummy-friendly brew? Make your life easier, and get yourself some of our certified organic, low-acid coffee.

Only 2% of the coffee beans in the world meet our high purity standards. What’s more, our coffee is further optimized and tested to ensure a low-acid content.

You’ve might have heard that organic coffee is the best choice. But does it mean that organic coffee is less acidic than other coffees? What’s great about organic?

Why Buy Organic Coffee?

Organic coffee beans aren’t always less acidic than other coffee beans. They do, however, offer benefits of their own.

Organic coffee beans are grown without using synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, or insecticides. They’re grown under strict conditions to meet stringent USDA-certified organic standards.

Decaf Low Acid Coffee

You haven’t been forgotten about, decaf drinkers. By now, you’re probably wondering how all this applies to you. We realize that acidity is not the only concern for some coffee lovers. Some people are sensitive to caffeine, but does low-acid coffee have less caffeine? And if not, are decaf options available?

What’s the Point of Decaf?

The issue isn’t so much whether low-acid coffee is lower in caffeine. Caffeine is a problem for some coffee drinkers, especially those with gastric issues.

Caffeine can stimulate excess gastric acid production in the stomach, leading to heartburn and digestive tract irritation. This stomach irritation is more pronounced in some people. They would be better off drinking decaf coffee.

Why Drink Low Acid Decaf?

You coffee drinkers who are prone to digestive issues benefit from coffee that’s both decaffeinated and less acidic. With our best organic decaf coffee beans, you can reap the benefits of low acid coffee even when it is decaf.

Decaf coffee tastes just as good as regular coffee. It’s just coffee that’s had most of the caffeine extracted. Simply follow our tips above while using these beans to enjoy lower acid and caffeine levels in every flavorful cup.

Conclusion

Now you know why your coffee’s acid levels matter and that low-acid options are available. So what’s the next step? Try it out yourself. Get our premier quality coffee today and start reaping all the benefits.

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