Low Acid Coffee

Learn what causes stomach issues, which brands and low acid beans are best, & how to brew it.

For some people, coffee causes stomach issues like acid reflux or GERD. It can be almost impossible to enjoy a morning cup, especially knowing the after effects. Drinking coffee may make your acid reflux worse because it stimulates excess gastric secretions that could rise up to the esophagus.

For those who love a strong cup of coffee, but can’t stomach the acidic beverage – we’ve got good news. There are actually some ways to make low acid coffees and enjoy them without having any issues at all!

In this article you will find out which roasting type is best, brewing methods and coffee types that will keep you caffeinated, leave your palate satisfied, and it’ll be easy on the stomach.

This is also useful for those that drink more than a cup in one sitting. Perhaps that 2nd cup of coffee upsets your stomach. Making the 2nd cup low acid is an alternative.

Table of Contents

Table Of Contents

This is also useful for those that drink more than a cup in one sitting. Perhaps that 2nd cup of coffee upsets your stomach. Making the 2nd cup low acid is an alternative.

Java Groove's Choice

The Best Low Acid Coffee

Puroast Low Acid Coffee

It kept it’s full flavor and it’s backed by science.

Coffee Acidity vs Coffee Acid

There may be some confusion between the 2 types of acid in coffee.

The negative acids that cause acid reflux, stomach or gastric issues have to do with the pH levels.

The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of aqueous solutions. Zero represents extremely acidic conditions. A solution with a 0 has neutral values; 14 would be considered base (alkaline is anything above 7), while 0 is very acidic (acid).

The misunderstanding in the coffee world is how it is used to explain coffee’s flavor notes’ “acidity.” To complicate things, the term “acidity” is sometimes used to explain the characteristics of the coffee’s flavor, such as “bright.”. Think Starbucks Blonde coffees.

But the type of acidity that we are talking about is how to reduce the pH level of coffee. We are looking at beans that are not, for example, “bright”, but also ways of roasting and brewing to achieve low acid coffee.

Low Acid Coffee Roasts

The next part is to choose a proper coffee roast that is low on acid. Dark roasts typically have lower acid. This is why most low acid coffees tend to be dark roast.

By following our 3 suggestions you should be able to find delicious, low-acid coffee that you can enjoy without worrying about the side effects.

How to Make Low Acid Coffee

Low Acid Coffee Brands

Since low acid coffee has become more popular as of late you can find the major coffee brands offering low-acid coffee at the grocery store and chain coffee shops like Starbucks.

If you’re looking for more information on how to choose the best coffee for yourself, you can check out this article that explains what coffee makers mean with their coffee terms and adjectives.

Folgers Simply Smooth

Folgers is available at every grocery store, so there is a good probability that you can find this low acid coffee at the grocery store.

They offer a low acid type coffee type with a mild and light flavor. While Folgers Simply Smooth isn’t technically a true low acid coffee, it is a specialty blend that is roasted in a way so that it doesn’t cause stomach discomfort.

Folgers K-Cup

Folgers also offers Black Silk in K-Cup. Like the Simply Smooth, it’s not low acid. However, since it’s a dark roast of Arabica beans, users claim it doesn’t irritate their stomachs.

If you’re a Folgers fan and live with others that want a full flavored coffee, it’s worth giving a shot before completely converting to low acid coffee.

Does Starbucks offer Low Acid Coffee?

As of this writing; no, Starbucks does not offer low acid coffee. They do offer plenty of dark roasts. One specifically is Sumatra. Sumatra Dark Roast from Starbucks coffee is grown in a lower altitude, which is known to contain lower acidity.

Trader Joes

Trader Joes has a low acid coffee. Although it is difficult to find in grocery stores. You may not find it at your local store either. Trader Joes low acid coffee can be found on Amazon.

Organic Low Acid Coffee

The term organic and low acid tend to go hand-in-hand. That being said, simply because it is organic coffee doesn’t make it low acid. Most of the best rated, and most popular low acid coffee is organic.

The Best Low Acid Coffee

Flavor is subjective. Some coffee drinkers enjoy the bitter flavors of over roasted coffee in order to achieve a low acid cup of joe. That is why we suggest trying several smaller batches in order to find the best low acid coffee that suits your palate but also doesn’t upset the stomach.

Lifeboost Coffee

Lifeboost Coffee uses certified USDA organic beans and is grown in Nicaragua. The thing that makes these low acid beans special is that they are grown 5500ft above sea level, which is rare for low acid beans.

Typically low acid coffee beans are grown lower to the ground. You can learn more about how elevation affects coffee here.

Puroast Low Acid Coffee

Puroast coffee uses an old school way of slowly roasting their coffee beans. That’s where their name comes from. A large part due to their roasting process, which allows the beans to have 70% less acid than other coffees. The science is backed by Dr. Shibamoto of UC Berkeley (research source).

Puroast Low Acid K-Cups

Lucy Jo's Coffee

You’ll find several types of low acid coffee from Lucy Jo. The 2 most popular are the Sumatra dark roast and a Mellow Belly. Lucy Jo’s Arabica coffee is organic, sourced from Indonesia and Brazil, and easy on the pocket.

Best Low Acid K-Cup Coffee

We understand many people are out looking for the best low acid K-Cups because your stomach begs for mercy with typical K-cups. Fret not! We’ve compiled a list of the best low acid K-cup coffee available.

Healthwise Low Acid K-Cups

This Arabica coffee is produced using a FDA-approved process called TechnoRoasting, which eliminates the heartburn-inducing acids that cause stomach irritability.

According to Healthwise, this method ensures that “significant vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other elements frequently lost by conventional roasting are preserved.” Their roasting technique is patented, so you’re not going to find anything like it.

trücup Low Acid K-cup

trücup has a humble marketing strategy. You won’t find a donkey or an Italian on their package. They call their coffee, Stuck in the Middle low acid. They also made a commitment to reduce the amount of plastic waste and switched to 100% biodegradable k-cups.

trücup uses a natural steam process to remove acids from their Arabica coffee. Their process is proprietary, but natural. Leaving the flavor, and caffeine but naturally removing the components that cause issues.

Summery

If you suffer from a sensitive stomach and are looking for an alternative there are many to try on this list. Perhaps it’s the caffeine that is causing issues, so see if decaf does the trick. Then there are dark roasts that may prevent issues. Another way to get low acid coffee is to brew your coffee differently.

If all else fails, give one of the low acid coffees on our list a shot. You’re bound to find the right combination of brewing method, coffee brands and roast type, so you can enjoy your favorite beverage without consequence.