Daily Cup of Coffee

Your cup of coffee is a sacred part of the day but you can no longer ignore that burning feeling that accompanies each cup.

Don’t worry, you are not alone.

Low acid coffee allows you to continue this important daily rite without the discomfort or side effects associated with normal coffee. But if you are unfamiliar with this low acid alternative option, you may be forced to give up the regular coffee all together.

Nobody should ever have to give up coffee due to acid reflux or other discomfort.  It is our goal to help you find the right coffee for you.

The Ultimate Guide to Coffees You and Your Stomach Will Love

PictureBrand NameOrganicTaste
(10 being best)
$ Price per ozAcidity
(1 high acidity - 5 low acidity)
Overall Rating

Puroast Low Acid Coffee Organic House Blend
Yes70.6647.2

Puroast Low Acid Coffee Colombian Supremo Blend
No6.50.5547.0

Puroast Low Acid Coffee Organic Dark French Roast
Yes70.534.57.5

Euromild Low Acid Ground Coffee
No7.51.134.56.4

HealthWise 100% Colombian Supremo
No7.50.9747.6

Folgers Simply Smooth Coffee
No70.513.57.9

Simpatico Dark Roast
No9.50.7648.3

Hevla Low Acid Coffee - Gourmet Blend
No7.51.463.56.0

Coffee Lower in Acidity?

A normal cup of coffee is naturally acidic, usually averaging around a 5 on the pH scale (7 is neutral). The acidity in the coffee originates from compounds in the coffee beans, including caffeine. These acidic compounds in coffee give it that unique flavor and sensation. It’s so good that millions of people around the world crave this powerful beverage every morning.

Coffee beans with lower levels of acidity have the similar levels of caffeine with their own rich, coffee flavor. The pain-causing acidity is lowered by selecting beans from certain regions and/or through safe alterations made along the journey from coffee plant to the coffee mug.

Perhaps you are thinking these low acid beans must compromise the taste and full body flavor of coffee that is so familiar to you. It must represent a watered-down version of the real thing like a diet soda.

Dark Roast coffees are naturally lower in acidity

Dark Roast coffees have lower levels of acidity

No need to worry. In fact, you may have already heard of coffees with naturally occurring low levels of acidity. Sumatras, French Roasts, Dark Roasts, European Roasts all carry lower levels of acidity than their light and medium roast counterparts. So if coffee upsets your stomach, try a dark roast first.

Drinking a Morning Roast or coffee from a light colored bean? Stop! These coffees will have higher levels of acidity and cause stomach discomfort.

For very sensitive stomachs, a new category of coffees has emerged and usually feature ‘low acid’ on their labels. These coffees might not taste exactly like your house cup from the coffee shop. They will, however, provide the familiar flavor of coffee while greatly reducing the side effects of heartburn.

 

What Determines the Levels of Acidity in Coffee?

Three things contribute to the levels of acidity found in coffee:

  1. Where the beans are grown (elevation and climate)
  2. Roasting style (how light vs how dark)
  3. Brewing process (hot vs cold)

We will examine each closer below.

Regions that Naturally Produce Stomach Friendly Coffee Beans

Coffee beans are produced in countries all around the world (Where exactly? Check this excellent National Geographic map of the World’s major coffee producers).  Low acidity coffee beans can come from a number of different regions. In general, however, they are produced at lower altitudes.

Certain areas of coffee producing regions in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala are known for their coffees with lower levels of acidity. Indonesia’s coffee growing conditions also produce some great beans lower in acidity.

When considering a coffee that won’t upset your stomach, dig deeper to where the coffee beans come from. Look for low-altitude options within those regions.

Roasting Technique

The technique used to roast the coffee beans can also have a great impact on how much natural acids are released into your cup of coffee. Coffee beans are harvested from farms as a light green color. Roasting the bean turns it into the familiar brown color with the lightest brown associated with light roasts all the way up to a nearly black color for the dark roast beans. It is proven that darker roasts have lower levels of acidity.

Coffee beans can be roasted light to dark

Specialized niche coffee companies are revolutionizing roasting techniques that breakdown the acidic components of the coffee bean more effectively. They do this by applying steam or slow roasting for even greater lengths of time. The application of different types of fires and roasting equipment is driving innovation within the coffee industry.

Brewing Improvements

cold brew ice coffee

Lesser-known brewing styles have proven to make coffees that retain the full flavor and have lower levels of acidity. Most notable is cold brewed coffee.

Cold brewed coffee uses room temperature water instead of hot water. Thus the ground coffee is left steeping for longer periods of time. It turns out that the process of pouring boiling water through coffee creates a reaction that releases acidic components into your cup. Try this brewing technique and you will soon enjoy a wonderful cup of coffee with 60-70% less acidity.  Your stomach will thank you.

Don’t Give up Drinking Coffee

If coffee were just about getting a jolt of caffeine, an energy drink substitute would do the trick. But to you its also about the taste, experience, and ritual of enjoying your coffee everyday that makes it so hard to give up.

Its painful to admit that coffee is responsible for that stomach discomfort everyday. Those diagnosed with more serious acid reflux issues, such as GERD and IC, have to give coffee up all together because the pain is too great.

coffee and acid refluxAdditionally, if your doctor has instructed on a low acid diet then one of the biggest adjustments is eliminating coffee. This can prove extremely difficult, as most people have built coffee into their daily habit. That stimulating cup of coffee provides relief at crucial intervals during the day.

Now with the study and development of coffees lower in acidity, millions can continue to enjoy coffee under these restrictions. People are ecstatic when they find a great tasting coffee that doesn’t cause inflammation in the throat and stomach. No more acid reflux or heartburn!

No Such thing as Acid Free Coffee

Unfortunately, totally acid free coffee does not exist. Taking a coffee bean, roasting the bean into a consumable state, and then brewing the ground up roasted beans inherently creates an acidic beverage. What can be done, however, is to carefully select beans and roasting techniques, combine it with certain brewing styles to produce a tasty cup of coffee that you and your stomach will not regret.

What We are All About

We want to provide information that helps the approximately 20% of the population that does not drink coffee because it causes discomfort and indigestion. Fortunately there are solutions out there to help you break the association between coffee and acid reflux once and for all.

To know more about who I am, check out the About Us page. Also, sign up for our newsletter by leaving your email below to get updates and deals on low acid coffees that are easy on your stomach.