Acidity in coffee is a way to describe the bright flavors we so love. For some people, it is also the reason for troublesome heartburn and acid reflux. Both these things are seemingly intertwined. It would appear that you can’t get rid of the problem aspect without negatively affecting flavors and taste.
That is where the best low acid coffee comes into play. The idea is to reduce the problematic side of acidity, without sacrificing flavors and taste.
There are ways to deal with the troublesome heartburn and acid reflux without sacrificing the flavor. Although there cannot be an entirely acid-free coffee.
Read more: Best organic coffee beans
Overall, we look for coffee that is pleasing to the taste buds, but won’t cause the stomach to revolt!
Editor’s Choice: Lifeboost Medium Roast Low-Acid Healthy Coffee
Claims to low acid coffee are common, but few stand the rigor of a laboratory testing. Lifeboost Medium Roast Low-Acid Healthy Coffee gets its spot as the editor’s choice because the coffee is pH test proven to be 27.7% less acidic than common store-bought coffees.
There’s no sacrifice on taste either – this coffee brews a mean cuppa. Plus, it handles several ethical concerns as well. Lifeboost is USDA organic, fair trade, non-GMO, and free of pesticides and similar chemicals.
It’s a flavor-rich coffee, with beans grown in the mountains of Central America. The single-origin coffee is sourced from Nicaragua and is a fine example of the high-quality beans that grow in the mountains of the country.
Highlights:
- Shade grown coffee
- Medium roast
- Proven pH test at 27.7% less acidic than store-bought coffees
- Available as whole beans and ground coffee
- Certifications: USDA Organic, Fair Trade
Top Low Acid Coffee Brands And Options To Consider
- Lucy Jo’s Coffee, Organic Mellow Belly Low Acid Blend
- Java Planet – Organic Coffee Beans- Guatemalan Single Origin
- Clean Coffee Co Ground Coffee
- Tieman’s Fusion Coffee, Low Acid Decaf
- Volcanica Coffee Geisha Coffee Costa Rica
- Mommee Coffee – Half Caff, Low Acid Coffee
- Euromild Low Acid Ground Coffee
- Brim Low Acid Ground Coffee
- Café Sello Rojo Premium Colombian Coffee
- trücup Low Acid Coffee- Stuck in the Middle
- Puroast Low Acid Coffee
Reviewed: Low Acid Coffee Choices For 2020
1. Lucy Jo’s Coffee, Organic Mellow Belly Low Acid Blend
Lucy Jo’s Coffee, Organic Mellow Belly Low Acid Blend has been created specifically keeping acidity in mind. Beans from Indonesia and Brazil come together to create a coffee that claims to be flavorful, yet low in acidity.
This blend comes with taste notes that are sweet and earthy, with a hint of spice. It’s fairly good taste and the naturally low acid content helps move things along. The key to its low acid content is the sourcing of beans. I think it’s the Brazilian beans pushing the acid content towards the lower side.
Highlights
- Ground coffee
- A blend of Brazilian and Indonesian coffee
- Earthy taste notes with a hint of spice
- Certified USDA Organic
- Coffee roast: medium dark
2. Java Planet – Organic Coffee Beans- Guatemalan Single Origin
This coffee benefits from low acid content thanks to its growing conditions. Java Planet – Organic Coffee Beans- Guatemalan Single Origin can fit into flavorful and low acid categories quite easily.
Guatemalan coffee has a reputation for going easy on the acid content quite naturally. Yet it retains the gourmet qualities that make this country’s coffee so famous and desirable.
Java Planet’s coffee has fruity taste notes with hints of caramel and chocolate.
The coffee is non-GMO and USDA certified organic. It’s also Smithsonian Bird Friendly Certified. This certification doesn’t exclusively apply to birds but speaks to coffee quality as well.
This implies the coffee is shade-grown with foliage and tree cover for the plants. This method is more natural and produces better quality coffee. In comparison, plantations where all vegetation (except coffee plants) has been removed can produce more coffee, but the quality is likely to be lower.
Highlights
- Single origin Guatemalan coffee beans
- Fruity taste notes with hints of caramel and chocolate
- Excellent aroma
- Certifications: USDA Organic, Smithsonian Bird Friendly
- Coffee roast: medium
3. Clean Coffee Co Ground Coffee
This coffee claims to be “a hot friend with benefits”. All aboard the cheesy marketing train! I love you coffee, but our relationship is destined to stay platonic.
Coming back to the point, this coffee is sourced from Papua New Guinea. The low acidity is a natural result of the local climate and coffee growing conditions. Clean Coffee Co says the coffee is smooth in taste, rich in flavor, high in antioxidants, low in acidity, and a friend with benefits.
Highlights
- Ground coffee
- Single-origin coffee from Papua New Guinea
- Excellent taste and aroma
- Coffee roast: medium dark
See pricing and buying options
4. Tieman’s Fusion Coffee, Low Acid Decaf
Tieman’s Fusion Coffee is an excellent pick for low acid decaf coffee. It also works very well for those with more pronounced problems with acidity. This “fusion coffee” is a blend not just of coffee, but also of ingredients.
The coffee used involves premium arabica beans from Central and South America. Additional ingredients are added to further soothe acidity issues.
The fusion coffee has Matcha green tea, which is supposed to bring in more energy without jitters. Complementing that is Rooibos Red Tea that soothes the stomach. Finally, there’s Goji Berry powder for anti-inflammatory effects.
As you can very well imagine, the taste of this coffee takes a departure from conventional decaf. However, the added contents are flavorful in their own right and don’t overpower the brew.
Highlights
- Ground coffee with matcha tea, rooibos red tea, and goji berry
- Decaf
- Coffee beans sourced from Central and South America
- Good taste profile and aroma
- Coffee roast: medium dark
5. Volcanica Coffee Geisha Coffee Costa Rica
The popular Geisha coffee from Costa Rica boasts gentle acidity and a medium body. This well-regarded gourmet coffee comes with a delicate profile and complex aroma. Taste notes of lavender and cocoa give it a fine touch.
Geisha is also a low caffeine variety and can have as much as 30% lower caffeine as compared to arabica beans. Overall, this is an excellent pick when you’re looking for a low caffeine and low acidity coffee.
Highlights
- Whole coffee beans
- Gourmet Geisha beans from Costa Rica
- Expensive
- Complex aroma
- Taste notes of lavender and cocoa
- Coffee roast: medium
6. Mommee Coffee – Half Caff, Low Acid Coffee
Mommee Coffee – Half Caff, Low Acid Coffee is marketed towards moms. According to the company, it’s a “guilt-free coffee for all stages of motherhood: trying to conceive, pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond”.
Given its target market, the coffee makes an attempt to be on the gentler side of things. It starts by going half caff to provide a kick without going overboard with caffeine. The coffee goes low on acid to be more comfortable for moms who have a “more-sensitive-than-usual stomach”.
Keeping up with its soft and responsible theme, the coffee used is organic, water-processed, and fair trade certified.
Highlights
- Whole beans coffee (also available as ground coffee)
- Half caff and fair trade
- Carefully processed to be gentle
- Certified USDA Organic
7. Euromild Low Acid Ground Coffee
Euromild coffee is processed to go very low on acidity. They claim to have stripped the coffee off 99.5% of its acidic content. That’s a rather bold claim and I’m not sure if I can believe those numbers. However, the coffee is seemingly processed to reduce acid and be gentle.
Whatever process they use to remove acidity does seem to remove the taste as well. It tastes something like coffee, and won’t really do much for the tastebuds, but it is something to look at. The coffee is available on Amazon, and might be worth a try. However, I won’t explicitly recommend this one.
Highlights
- Ground coffee
- Processed to be low acid coffee
8. Brim Low Acid Ground Coffee
Brim Low Acid Ground Coffee is a blend made from premium arabica coffee. It has been processed to reduce the acid content while attempting to keep the taste intact. It succeeds in one, but fails in the other category.
This is an enjoyable low acid coffee. However, this is not an enjoyable coffee full of flavors. It is a fairly good low acid experience, but there are touches of sourness and lack of flavor that haunt this coffee.
Highlights
- Ground coffee
- Low acid, but lacks flavor
- Blend of arabica beans
9. Café Sello Rojo Premium Colombian Coffee
Café Sello Rojo Premium Colombian Coffee puts together the goodness of premium Colombian coffee and low acid coffee. It isn’t essentially treated for low acidity. The coffee relies more on careful sourcing as a way to pick low acid coffee.
The use of premium Colombian beans ensures a good taste and remarkable flavor profile for the coffee. Café Sello Rojo tends to be on the expensive side of things. However, given the taste profile and lower acidity, it can be a better pick compared to coffees that sacrifice taste for lower acidity.
Highlights
- Ground coffee (medium grind)
- Colombian coffee with good taste and flavor
- Coffee roast: medium
See pricing and buying options
10. trücup Low Acid Coffee- Stuck in the Middle
trücup Low Acid Coffee is a good pick for your single-serve coffee machine. The pod is compatible with most Keurig machines and will happily work to get you a convenient and quick brew.
Coffee beans used for this cup are processed with steam to remove tannic and lipid acids. This makes it a stomach-friendly coffee and a useful option for those suffering from GERD or similar problems.
Though it goes low in acid, the coffee maintains a fairly good taste. It won’t win in a taste test or competition, but it doesn’t have the weird flavor low acid coffees tend to pick up. As a plus, it uses a biodegradable K cup made from non-plastic materials. The K cup used is commercially compostable.
Highlights
- K cup for single-serve machines
- Uses a biodegradable K cup
- Coffee beans processed to have low acidity
- Retains flavor and taste
- Coffee roast: medium
11. Puroast Low Acid Coffee
Puroast is one of the better known low acid coffee brands. The company makes use of a proprietary process to reduce the acid content in the coffee. They claim that these K cups contain almost 70% less acid as compared to other coffees. This makes it quite a pick for those who need low acid coffee.
However, Puroast Low Acid Coffee can be a bit of an acquired taste. The coffee doesn’t necessarily taste terrible, but it does take a different flavor that can take some time getting used to. It is a pretty good option for those who need low acid coffee due to medical or health necessities.
Highlights
- K cup for single serve machines
- Proprietary roasting process reduces acid content
- Acceptable flavor and taste
Things To Know When You Want A Low Acid Or Acid Free Coffee
About The Jargon: Low Acid VS Low pH
Discussions on low acid coffee often flit between technical and layman terms. This can make it confusing, if not overwhelming, for the average reader. A quick look at the jargon should make things easier.
Let’s start with the technical side first. Acidity is measured on a pH scale that goes from 0 to 14. The value of 7 is represented by pure water and is considered neutral. Everything lower than 7 is acidic and above it is basic.
When we say something has “low pH”, that means it is acidic. The lower the number, the higher the acidity. In simpler terms, when we say something has low acidity, that means the pH value is higher and somewhere near 7.
Of Coffee And Acidity
Here’s another factor that complicates things. When experts talk of coffee acidity, they aren’t necessarily talking of things on the pH scale. Often, the acidity represents the flavors and taste of the coffee. So a “vibrant acidity” often ends up as a description of the taste notes of the coffee bean.
Similarly, coffee grown at high elevations is termed to be more acidic because of the more pronounced taste notes. If you enjoy drinking coffee, you want this sort of acidity, because it represents flavors. Of course, what we don’t want is an actual acidic profile, which causes stomach issues and similar problems.
Roasting affects the acidity of the coffee. Darker roasts tend to be low on acidity, however, they also tend to be higher on quinic acid. Many consider this acid as a cause of acid reflux or heartburn due to coffee. If something like that is a cause of your problems, picking a medium or light roast might be a better choice.
Stay With What Works For You
There is no truly acid free coffee. If it has a flavor, it is probably acidic. And if it has no flavor, why even bother! Everyone is different and what works as the best coffee for acid reflux for one person may not necessarily be the same for someone else. It can be something of a gray area without clearly defined boundaries.
If you find a coffee that works for you, stay with it. Picking a coffee processed to reduce its acid content is also a good way to get the least acidic coffee. These have a better chance of going easier on the stomach, though they often end up sacrificing some flavor.
Getting The Least Acidic Coffee — What Are My Choices?
Getting a coffee that’s low in acidity generally comes from two categories:
Inadvertent Low Acid Coffee
This represents coffee that hasn’t been specially treated to be low on acid. This coffee has a lower acidity due to the growing conditions and climate or soil of the region. For example, many coffee growing regions in Brazil, Guatemala, Sumatra, and Mexico naturally produce low acid coffee. Similarly, coffee grown at lower elevations may have lower acidic content.
Treated Low Acid Coffee
This represents using processing or other methods to lower the acid content of the coffee. The least acidic coffee available in the market is generally a treated coffee. Treatment can involve specific roasting processes to reduce acid content.
Common methods include slow or interrupted roasting to reduce acid content. Another popular method is steaming coffee beans to remove their waxy outer coating before roasting.
As an aftermarket option, consumers can buy a stomach-soothing or alkalizing powder for their coffee. Adding these to coffee affects its taste and flavor (often to the detrimental side).
Roasting And Brewing Options For Lower Acidity
Get Yourself A Cold Brew
A cold brew is likely to be less acidic than the conventional hot water extraction for coffee. In many instances, cold brew can have as much as 60% less acidic content than regular coffee.
Consider pairing the cold brew method with one of the naturally low acid coffees and you can get a pretty delicious and low acid coffee. A cold brew can efficiently make for one of the best low acid coffee options.
Coffee Roast And Its Connection With Acidity
As I mentioned earlier, coffee roast and acid content of coffee are interrelated. A darker roast usually has low acid content, though it can have a higher concentration of quinic acid. There is another aspect at work here. While the bean itself can have lower acidic content after a dark roast, the brewed coffee generally isn’t very different from other roasts on acidity levels.
It is believed that a prolonged roasting of coffee produces a chemical called N-methylpyridinium. This chemical encourages the stomach cells to reduce their acid production, which can be beneficial for those suffering from GERD or heartburn.
Coffee varieties can also affect the acidic content. When comparing the major varieties, Robusta has a significantly higher acid content than arabica.
Coffee Grind And Preparation Can Play A Role
The coffee grind is important not just for the brew of your choice, but also for its acidic content. Conventionally, a coarser grind is likely to have a lower acidity as compared to a fine grind. For example, if you use a coarse grind with a French Press, it is likely to have a lower acidic content than a fine grind used for a Moka Pot.
Adding milk or creamer to the coffee can also result in reduced acid content. This is largely because the calcium in the milk has some antacid properties that can help soothe the acid content of coffee.
FAQs Related To Low Acid Coffee
1. Is Low Acid Coffee Better For You?
Acidic coffee can be tougher on the body. Apart from problems related to heartburn and/or GERD, it can also play a part in tooth decay by dissolving the enamel. However, most coffee sits at or above 5 on the pH scale. This is usually a lower acidic content than many fruit juices and shouldn’t be a matter of concern.
Theoretically, low acid coffee is easier on the body as compared to regular acidic coffee. However, this isn’t likely to be any noticeable problem for a healthy person.
2. Is Low Acid Coffee Good For Acid Reflux?
Yes. If you have acid reflux problems/symptoms increased after drinking coffee, consider a low acid coffee. It is not a cure for acid reflux, but if you love coffee, it can at least reduce the problems caused by the acid content of the coffee.
3. How Do You Make Coffee Less Acidic?
The simplest way to make coffee less acidic is by adding milk. The calcium in the milk or creamer acts as an antacid and helps reduce the acid content of coffee. Another way is to use a coarser grind (like for the French Press) or a medium grind (like a conventional drip machine). Finally, picking the least acidic coffee options from the market can be useful.
Wrapping Up For Low Acid Coffee
The options listed here should fit various requirements for the best low acid coffee. There cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, since everyone may have different requirements or expectations.
If lower acidity is your only concern, pick a brand that processes beans for lower acid content. This can affect the taste, but the coffee will have low acidity. To match brew quality with lower acidity, it is useful to pick beans grown in regions with naturally low acid content.
Finally, consider options like adding milk or using a coarser grind to reduce the acid content of your coffee.