We consume coffee to keep ourselves fresh and energized throughout the day. As much as we talk about the benefits of coffee it can also cause some problems, especially for those with sensitive stomachs. Coffee’s Quinic acid affects your stomach, leading to IBS and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) as well. Thus the need for low acid coffee (little-to-no Quinic acid). In our Best Low Acid Coffee Review article, we’ll not only review some low acid coffees but also shed light on the problems and solutions of drinking regular coffee.
What Is Low Acid Coffee?
Low acid coffee is a type of coffee that’s been either brewed or roasted to have little-to-no Quinic acid. Most regular coffees have a pH level of 4.85 – 5.13. So, a good low acid coffee should have a pH level of about 6 since the neutral level is at 7.
Coffees that are less acidic, have a medium to darker roast. This coffee is generally perfect for folks who’re suffering from digestive issues. Regions that produce high-quality low acid coffees are Sumatra, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Brazil, and Guatemala.
Benefits Of Low Acid Coffee
Low acid coffee can aid even more than soothing one’s digestive system. Here are some of the best aspects of drinking low acid coffee:
- Safer for teeth as the low acid coffee has less damaging acidic effects on the enamel
- Scientific research suggests that low acid coffees also contain a higher level of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties
- Acid reflux and GERD symptoms occur frequently when someone’s exercising. A good low acid coffee helps health-conscious folks to avoid those pains while training
- For those who’re struggling with gastric ulcers, IBS, and gluten or dairy intolerances, low acid coffee can be the gentler drink your stomach can be benefitted from
Best Low Acid Coffee: Product Reviews
Before we dive into the detailed reviews, let’s have a quick look at the products we are reviewing –
Lifeboost Coffee Medium Roast Whole Bean
Pros
Cons
Delicious and ethically sourced coffee, making it one of the best. Lifeboost’s non-GMO organic whole beans are low in acid but high in flavors. These beans are sun-dried and then spring water washed; as a result, pure and natural coffee is straight into your hands.
Sourced from the mountains Of Central America (Nicaragua in this case), Lifeboost Single Origin Acid-Free Coffee is also shade-grown in those high-elevation mountains of Central America. These exclusive farms are all bird-friendly to ensure a stress-free environment for the coffee. Their low acid organic coffee beans are rich in antioxidants that deliver all the wonderful benefits of coffee without any unwanted side effects.
Lifeboost beans are USDA-certified and 3rd party tested for mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides. You can try a bag of Lifeboost Coffee for a month. If you don’t like it then they’ll full-refund you. Standard bearer among the best low acid coffee brands.
- Single-origin coffee
- Premium Nicaraguan coffee beans
- High-elevation shade-grown and medium-roasted
- Non-GMO, sun-dried, hand-washed, and hand-selected beans
Don Pablo Signature Blend
Pros
Cons
Made with medium-dark roasted Arabica beans, Don Pablo’s Signature Blend can easily be considered to have the best low acid coffee beans. Making it more enjoyable for coffee lovers without the guilt. These beans are sourced from Central America’s finest farms (Colombia, Guatemala, and Brazil). Their beans have distinct body characters and more complexities.
It also has a sweet, very smooth cocoa-tone, and a well-integrated taste with a medium to full body. The Don Pablo medium-dark roast does a slight caramelization of the natural sugars in the beans while still preserving the natural flavors. That’s why the brew offers a sweet, pleasant aftertaste. Its grounds from the beans can be used in a traditional drip machine, or even in a French press.
- Medium dark roasted
- GMO-free coffee beans
- Coffee has a very smooth cocoa-toned finish with low acidity
- Blends are sourced from Colombian, Guatemalan, and Brazilian beans
Java Planet Organic Coffee Beans
Pros
Cons
Java Planet coffee roaster is family-owned and operating in Tampa, Florida since 2009. They promote coffee that attributes to a healthy body and a healthy planet causes. Hence, their coffees are certified Bird Friendly, Fair Trade, and Rain Forest Alliance.
This Organic coffee consists of 100% Arabica coffee sourced from a higher-level elevation, non-GMO coffee farms. They’re also roasted in small batches for quality and flavor. The medium-dark roast provides a full-body, balanced flavor, and the best low acid coffee with beautiful fruit tones as Colombian Arabica is known for. This coffee has all the beneficial antioxidants naturally found in high-altitude-grown coffees.
- Medium dark roasted
- Colombian single-origin blend
- Low acidic, gourmet Arabica whole beans
- Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and Non-GMO certified
Tieman’s Fusion Coffee
Pros
Cons
Made from 100% premium Central and South American Arabica beans. The beans are naturally fused for 5-7 hours with Macha Green Tea. As a result, you’ll get sustained energy and no jitters from the brew. The Macha green tea adds a boost of energy for 5 hours.
Tieman’s experts also added the Rooibos Red Tea for stomach-settling benefits and Goji Berry powders for anti-inflammatory benefits. Each cup from Tieman’s fusion coffee will provide 5 times more antioxidant protection than a body needs daily. This is a coffee that was designed to enhance, rather than mask, the delicious natural coffee flavors with all the health benefits.
- An average pH range of 5.85%
- Low acid dark roasted coffee beans
- Ultra-smooth flavor and stomach-settling benefits
- 100% Arabica beans from Guatemala, Ecuador, and Colombia
Lucy Jo’s Organic Mellow Belly Low Acid Original Blend
Pros
Cons
Lucy Jo’s Coffee is a family-run and certified organic coffee roastery based in rural upstate New York. They specialize in roasting high-quality organic coffees in small batches. Lucy Jo’s Organic Mellow Belly is a low-acid blend and it’s a favorite among their customers.
Each ingredient of coffee in their blends can stand as a single origin solidly. They source the best quality 100% organic Arabica green coffee to meet health concerns. Their hands-on approach to small-batch coffee roasting allows freshness with optimum flavor. There are a variety of roast levels and blends you can choose from. But this Organic Mellow Belly Low Acid Blend with medium-dark roast seems to be one of their top-rated low acid coffee.
- Medium-dark roasted
- Earthy flavor with a hint of spice
- A mix of Indonesian and Brazilian beans
Thompson’s Healthy Bean Organic Coffee
Pros
Cons
The Healthy Bean (HB) Espresso Roast by Thompson’s is an espresso roast that’ll surprise you with its full-bodied and well-rounded flavor profile. It’s also a low acidic, organic, healthy coffee blend! The specialty-grade coffee beans combined with the roasting process – HB lowers the acid content of their coffee beans by 5 times according to the pH levels. Also eliminates up to 50% of the Chlorogenic acid, one of the main culprits behind acid reflux, GERD, heartburn, and similar digestive problems.
HB organic coffee has 9.5 times more naturally occurring beneficial antioxidants also. These antioxidants play a key role in heart, brain, immune, and digestive functions. Unlike most traditional brands, HB is a USDA-certified organic coffee brand. Their coffee is also free of mold and mycotoxins – fitting their aim to deliver clean and healthy coffee.
- 5x lower in acidity
- Low-acid and organic coffee
- High in Antioxidants and free of mold and toxins
Kava Reduced Acid Instant Coffee
Pros
Cons
Kava is a flavorful and smooth low acidic instant coffee. Kava comes with at least 50% less acid per cup of their coffee than other leading coffee brands. Made from premium beans, you’ll be able to enjoy the rich, full-bodied taste of the coffee minus all the bitterness. For an even richer cup of coffee, you can add creamer, or pour over some ice cubes for a refreshing summer drink.
No matter how, you can choose many ways to enjoy Kava, knowing your coffee has less acid. A real favorite among health-conscious coffee lovers. Also recommended for those who’re looking to avoid the effects of regular acidic coffee on the stomach, body, and health overall.
- Gluten-Free coffee
- Gently roasted and OU Kosher certified
- Contains 50% less Acid than any regular brand
Low Acid Coffee Buying Tips
Since you’ve seen our recommended low-acid coffee list, it’s time to go shopping! Coffee is a subjective thing – as some can cherish flavorless and bitter tones while others can cherish exactly the opposite. We’ve added a few tips to help you recognize and pick good-quality low-acid coffee.
Coffee Beans
All the low-acid coffee starts with the choice of beans. There’re 2 factors to check for low-acid coffee beans. The first one is – it has to be the Arabica beans. Most of the superior-grade low-acid coffees are made from Arabica beans. The other factor is where it’s grown. Lower-altitude farms tend to have lower concentrations of acid and the plants are grown under less stress. That’s why, Hawaiian, Nicaraguan, Indonesian, and Brazilian low-elevation Arabica beans for good low-acid coffee.
Roast Length
Obviously, this comes after the beans part. Always look for medium to medium-dark roasted coffee beans for low acidity. Because the longer coffee beans are roasted, the more they release oils, caffeine, and acidity out of the beans. Thus, the best low-acid coffees are mostly dark roasted coffee.
Grounds VS Whole Beans
After the bean roast level, you can either go for pre-ground or whole beans. Ultimately, it comes down to your brewing preference. Whole beans do tend to retain their potency longer. Pre-ground coffee on the other hand makes brewing simpler for people. Also, you can buy good pre-ground coffee at a cheap. Do note that pre-ground beans go stale quickly. So avoid buying them in large quantities.
Price
Low-acid coffee is a specialty coffee, thus it’s costlier. But spending extra can here make a difference, especially if you have related health problems. Check for all the required qualities and don’t rush into picking one.
How To Tone Down Your Coffee Acidity
If you can’t get your hands on low-acid coffee then it’s okay. Because you can add some tweaks to your coffee to turn down the acidity. Here are some of the tips for such:
- Avoid drinking reheated, burned, or old coffee
- Try medium to dark-roasted coffee brands that contain less Quinic acid
- Add a dash of dairy or non-dairy milk. Milk helps to balance out the PH level in coffee
- Use a paper filter for your coffee brewing. The paper filters can absorb some of the acids
- You can add a small amount (1/4 teaspoon) of baking soda to help neutralize the acidity
- If you’re a regular coffee drinker then avoid sodas and sports/energy drinks
- And finally, if you don’t want to do any of the above, just stick to a healthy diet consisting of lean meats, fruits, and vegetables so that your body can adjust the pH level by itself
Drawbacks Of Regular Acidic Coffee
Regular acidic coffee can have a few downsides that include:
Acidic coffee can be cruel to your teeth’s enamel. As it creates discoloration and erosion of the hard exterior layer of a tooth.
The acidity in regular coffee can also create a Laxative effect; meaning drinkers may need to use the restroom more often than usual.
Acidic coffee aggravates your IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) symptoms and causes painful damage to Gastric Ulcers patients.
FAQs
Which Coffee Is Least Acidic?
Medium to medium-dark roasted Arabica beans is the least acidic.
How Do You Make Coffee Less Acidic?
Adding milk and using paper filters can make coffee less acidic.
Does Dark Roast Coffee Have Less Acid?
Yes, they’re less acidic because they contain fewer compounds that cause our stomach cells to produce acid.
Which Roast Of Coffee Is Healthiest?
Dark roasted coffees are the healthiest as they contain fewer acids and more antioxidants.
Is Americano Less Acidic Than Coffee?
An Americano, a diluted espresso is less acidic than regular drip coffee.
Final Words
Coffee is for everyone. The inability to handle its acidity shouldn’t be an obstacle with all of these low-acid and acid-free brands; especially those we’ve mentioned in this review. And finally, for those who want to avoid acidity in their coffee anyway, we’ve shown the easy ways to decrease the acidity in your coffee; without diminishing all the wonderful flavors and aromas.
So with proper guidance, you can enjoy one of life’s greatest pleasures, and you don’t have to relegate yourself to the realm of decaf coffee either.
