The best low acid coffee is a life preserver in the open ocean for some people, especially when considering both the modern diet and lifestyle.
We eat more processed food, sugar, soda, and unhealthy grains than ever before.
It's taken a toll on our ability to digest as we once did, having lived mostly on water, fresh veggies, a bit of protein, and maybe some fruit.
Millions of Americans deal with intestinal, kidney, or esophageal distress to some degree.
Those of us who feel the effects of lemon juice, spaghetti sauce, or fried foods will undoubtedly feel the same with coffee.
And for someone who loves coffee, in all its flavorful and health-packed glory, the idea of permanently shunning their morning cup simply isn’t an option.
Hence the life preserver.
Low acid coffee allows coffee aficionados with stomach issues to still experience the incredible smell that permeates their house, the taste that fills their mouth, and the satisfying effect of coffee every single morning.
How?
Acid plays an important role in coffee.
It’s a major component of the flavors that make a great cup something to savor, but the acidity in coffee (and the caffeine itself) can also contribute to an ill effect on the stomach.
Simpatico's Low-Acid Dark Roast is shade-grown at high altitudes in Mexico and is naturally low-acid. It's sweet and toasty with a mild finish and comes in either 2 lb or 5 lb bags of whole bean coffee.
Tieman's Fusion Coffee isn't just coffee. They infuse their 100% Arabica beans with green tea, red rooibos tea, and goji berries for an intriguing blend that's low in acidity but high in antioxidants, caffeine, and flavor.
HealthWise uses an FDA-approved process called TechnoRoasting that reduces acid with minimal degradation to their 100% Colomian Supremo Arabica beans. In addition to K-Cups, HealthWise offers ground coffee as well.
Simpatico's Low-Acid Dark Roast is shade-grown at high altitudes in Mexico and is naturally low-acid. It's sweet and toasty with a mild finish and comes in either 2 lb or 5 lb bags of whole bean coffee.
This low-acid single-origin roast from the Sumatra region of Indonesia is sweet with a heavy body and intense, syrupy aftertaste. It's also Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance certified for a sustainably-brewed cup.
"The World's First Acid-Free Coffee." It's a bold claim, but Tyler's Coffee claims their unique roasting process prevents acids from forming. This organic coffee comes in regular, decaf, ground, and whole bean.
An organic, low-acid coffee from Colombian, this medium roast from Java Planet is Fair Trade certified and organic with a smooth, bold, and full flavor that puts many other low-acid coffees to shame.
A medium-roast blend of 100% Arabica from Indonesia and Brazil, Lucy Jo's Mellow Belly is an organic, low-acid option that's smooth and sweet with a hint of spice. It also comes in both whole bean and ground coffee.
Tieman's Fusion Coffee isn't just coffee. They infuse their 100% Arabica beans with green tea, red rooibos tea, and goji berries for an intriguing blend that's low in acidity but high in antioxidants, caffeine, and flavor.
Puroast's Low-Acid French Roast is big and bold but easy on your gut. A balanced, organic, single-origin coffee from Venezuela, it has deep chocolaty notes with a rich, earthy backbone without being over-roasted.
Mommee Coffee is designed for and by moms, and their low-acid series offers 4 different caffeination levels: regular, half-caf, quarter-caf, and decaf. It's a solid choice for moms and dads alike.
HealthWise uses an FDA-approved process called TechnoRoasting that reduces acid with minimal degradation to their 100% Colomian Supremo Arabica beans. In addition to K-Cups, HealthWise offers ground coffee as well.
truCup offers a wide range of low-acid coffees from their light to dark to espresso roast. They remove the acid through a gentle, chemical-free process, leaving flavorful, easy-drinking, 100% Arabica coffee behind.
A low-acid espresso roast from Mastermind Coffee, their Brain-Enhancing blend is smooth and strong with a hint of sweetness but not much complexity. Some claim a cup helps your mind, but it's definitely easy on your stomach.
Simpatico's Low-Acid Dark Roast is shade-grown at high altitudes in Mexico and is naturally low-acid. It's sweet and toasty with a mild finish and comes in either 2 lb or 5 lb bags of whole bean coffee.
This low-acid single-origin roast from the Sumatra region of Indonesia is sweet with a heavy body and intense, syrupy aftertaste. It's also Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance certified for a sustainably-brewed cup.
"The World's First Acid-Free Coffee." It's a bold claim, but Tyler's Coffee claims their unique roasting process prevents acids from forming. This organic coffee comes in regular, decaf, ground, and whole bean.
An organic, low-acid coffee from Colombian, this medium roast from Java Planet is Fair Trade certified and organic with a smooth, bold, and full flavor that puts many other low-acid coffees to shame.
A medium-roast blend of 100% Arabica from Indonesia and Brazil, Lucy Jo's Mellow Belly is an organic, low-acid option that's smooth and sweet with a hint of spice. It also comes in both whole bean and ground coffee.
Tieman's Fusion Coffee isn't just coffee. They infuse their 100% Arabica beans with green tea, red rooibos tea, and goji berries for an intriguing blend that's low in acidity but high in antioxidants, caffeine, and flavor.
Puroast's Low-Acid French Roast is big and bold but easy on your gut. A balanced, organic, single-origin coffee from Venezuela, it has deep chocolaty notes with a rich, earthy backbone without being over-roasted.
Mommee Coffee is designed for and by moms, and their low-acid series offers 4 different caffeination levels: regular, half-caf, quarter-caf, and decaf. It's a solid choice for moms and dads alike.
HealthWise uses an FDA-approved process called TechnoRoasting that reduces acid with minimal degradation to their 100% Colomian Supremo Arabica beans. In addition to K-Cups, HealthWise offers ground coffee as well.
truCup offers a wide range of low-acid coffees from their light to dark to espresso roast. They remove the acid through a gentle, chemical-free process, leaving flavorful, easy-drinking, 100% Arabica coffee behind.
A low-acid espresso roast from Mastermind Coffee, their Brain-Enhancing blend is smooth and strong with a hint of sweetness but not much complexity. Some claim a cup helps your mind, but it's definitely easy on your stomach.
Interestingly, many of the acids found in roasted beans are also found in other foods we ingest.
Citric, malic, and formic acid are found in many fruits and vegetables.
Lactic acid is found naturally in fermented food items like yogurt and kombucha.
Acetic acid gives pickled products (and specifically vinegar) the tart flavor they possess.
Incredibly, chlorogenic acids (found in coffee, blueberries, potatoes, etc.) have been found to make up around 7% of the dry basis weight of Arabica coffee, and over 17 chlorogenic acid-like substances have been found in 42 robusta samples.
Chlorogenic acid is very prevalent in coffee and is responsible for much of the perceived acidity that we experience in our cup.
Acidity & Flavor
If you’re as curious as we are about the science behind what you’re actually tasting when you think of acidity, it’s as follows, according to Starbucks:
Acid
Flavor Impact
Citric Acid
Showcases lemon, orange, grapefruit notes
Phosphoric Acid
Tastes sweeter than most acids and can turn sour-tasting grapefruit to sweet
Malic Acid
Tends to exhibit essences of stone fruit, apple or pear
Chlorogenic Acid
Represented in high levels in light roasts, making them taste “bright”
Acetic Acid
Found in vinegar and while low levels are pleasant, high levels create a bitter bite
Tartaric Acid
Grape or wine-like at low levels and sour if concentration is too high
Quinic Acid
Can give coffee a clean finish, but too much can taste sour and highly astringent or harsh
Citric acid, the stuff that makes lemons sour, can be found in coffee. (Source)
Growing Regions & Acidity
The location of where the beans were harvested plays a big role in determining how much (and what type) of acidity you might experience.
For instance, Ethiopia is a great region to get a good grasp of how much acidity you might enjoy, as it tends to be higher. Ethiopian coffee is often described as bright and citrusy, with hints of lemon and orange popping in your mouth as you sip.
On the other end of the spectrum, Guatemalan coffee has bit of a lower acidity level. Guatemalan coffee drinkers may notice apples, pears, and berries, along with a soft, balanced acidity, driven by the malic acid that’s inherent to the roasting process.
Another example that’s quite different from the former entries is the coffee growing region of Sumatra in Indonesia. This coffee is characterized by chocolaty, earthy flavors, and Sumatran coffee offers a very soft and mellow experience relevant to its acidity.
All of these factors are inherent to the beans found in their specific region.
It’s plain to see that acidity, for better or worse, contributes greatly to flavor, which is why resorting to low acid coffees will definitely sacrifice some flavor.
Now that we understand how region weighs heavily on the acidity level of your coffee beans, what other factors make your coffee less acidic?
Although it doesn’t have a huge impact, it’s been shown that calcium-containing products like milk (or even eggshells, if you’ve ever seen the movie The Big Store) help neutralize acids.
Pro Tip: If you’re a milk-user when it comes to your coffee, choose low-fat milk as it contains more calcium.
The best way to deal with a rebellious stomach, though, isn’t to try to neutralize existing acids. Instead, focus on reducing acidity with a change to your brewing process:
Try a darker roast or a bean from a region with lower acidity
This should come as no surprise when you consider that lighter roasts tend to contain more caffeine, and caffeine is directly responsible for an increase in stomach acids to be released.
Coarsely-ground pour-over coffee, pre and post-brew. (Serious Eats)
In turn, caffeine also causes the esophageal sphincter is relaxed. Â Some people experience heartburn when the acids reflux back into the esophagus.
Other options to reduce the acidity in your coffee:
Try a dark roast over a light roast, as mentioned previously.
Go with coarsely ground coffee, which extracts more slowly and releases fewer acids than finely ground coffee.
Robusta beans over Arabica, as Robusta beans tend to have less acidity naturally.
Final Thoughts When Choosing The Best Low Acid Coffee
Even the best low acid coffee isn’t going to win taste awards when compared to the finest traditional beans available.
It’s simply a situation where the chemistry of coffee is true to its nature, and some of the reason for coffee’s brightness and flavor also puts stress on the human body.
At the end of the day, though, low-acid coffee provides an answer for those who love coffee, but not its possible side effects.
Best Low-Acid Coffee
The Coffee Maven's Top Pick
Simpatico Low-Acid Dark Roast
Simpatico's Low-Acid Dark Roast is shade-grown at high altitudes in Mexico and is naturally low-acid. It's sweet and toasty with a mild finish and comes in either 2 lb or 5 lb bags of whole bean coffee.
I'm Bryan but most people know me as The Coffee Maven. I grew up outside Boston, Massachusetts and received my Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Providence College. My first introduction to coffee was during my college days, when I used it as a source of caffeine to fuel late-night study sessions, but soon I became obsessed with the chemistry of coffee. How did changes to water temperature or contact time affect its taste? Why do beans from Africa taste fruity while beans from Indonesia taste spicy? I launched The Coffee Maven in February 2017 to explore these questions and help others brew their perfect cup. Welcome to my site, and thanks for reading!
