Are you looking for ways to reduce acid reflux that doesn’t involve giving up coffee?
If yes, then you are at the right place. In this article, I am gonna tell you 11 different ways to reduce acid levels in Coffee.
How do you make coffee less acidic?
Although the acidity of coffee can’t be eliminated entirely, there are a few things you can do to reduce acidity in coffee.
- One of the easiest ways is to use Alkalizing granules like Tamer Coffee.
How To Make Coffee Less Acidic?
You can make Coffee less acidic by using top quality Arabica beans grown at low elevations, use medium to dark roast fine ground coffee, alkaline water at 195F to 205F or use cold brew coffee using an infusion method to decrease acid levels.
You can also use additives like acid reducers, salt, baking soda, milk, cinnamon, and natural sweeteners to reduce the acidity of a brewed coffee without affecting the coffee flavor. Here are the 11 proven ways to make Coffee less acidic.
- Choose Low Acid Beans
- Which Coffee Roast Is Least Acidic?
- Grind Size – Choose Fine Grind
- How Does The Brewing Method Affect Acidity In Coffee?
- Adding Eggshells To Reduce Acidity In Coffee
- Acid Reducers For Coffee
- Use Paper Filter Instead Of Metal Mesh
- Use Alkaline Water To Make Less Acidic Coffee
- How Water Temperature Impacts Acidity In Coffee?
- How does Caffeine Impact Acidity In Coffee?
- Don’t Leave Coffee In Thermos
11 Ways To Reduce Acidity In Coffee
I have further explained in detail the list of things to do to have a low acidic coffee. Try to follow these simple techniques and drink a low acidic cup of coffee every day.
1. Choose Low Acid Beans
Choose the best quality dark roasted Arabica beans grown at low elevations from regions like Sumatra, Guatemala or Nicaragua to reduce acid levels in Coffee. Always select coffee beans that are dark roasted in small batches right before shipping.
After a thorough research of various low acid coffee brands, I found Tylers Low Acid Coffee beans to be a good fit. With neutral pH levels, this low acid coffee is very gentle on the stomach.
I highly recommend you give Tylers Low Acid Coffee beans a try for your sensitive stomach.
Acidity in beans varies from plant to plant, altitudes, growing region and type of bean. Coffee beans grown at low elevation contain less acid than those grown higher up in mountain regions.
Coffee tastes more acidic when grown at high altitudes. Knowing where the coffee bean was grown can provide you with a naturally low acid coffee.
A few coffee brands treat coffee beans differently. So, the final product will contain less acid, but these Low Acid Coffee beans still retain full flavor. Each bean’s acidity is significantly reduced by roasting the beans very slowly. Simply interrupt the roasting process.
2. Which Coffee Roast Is Least Acidic?
Dark roasted coffee beans are the best source of low acidic coffee. It is rich in antioxidants with a lack of acidity. But still maintains a good caffeine boost, bold flavor and full-bodied cup.
For a dark roasted and best tasting low acid coffee, pick Lifeboost Low Acid Coffee. This coffee is low in acidity levels and high in taste.
Life boost low acid coffee is going to be life changing for you. A coffee that your stomach can now tolerate and your taste buds will thank you for.
Dark roast coffee produces bold and rich, less oil coffee. The time and heat required to roast remove different compounds from the coffee bean including organic acids. Making the dark roast a less acidic coffee.
Dark Roast coffee beans stay longer or at a high temperature on the roasting machine. It means the beans will lose more moisture, making them less dense and less caffeinated. A single note in flavor and lower their chlorogenic acid levels.
How the coffee is roasted determines the level of acidity, as this process breaks down the acids.
3. Grind Size – Choose Fine Grind
Grind your coffee beans to a fine size to reduce acidity in coffee. The smaller the ground, the greater the surface area exposed, Which leads to more flavors and aromas being extracted.
A coarse grind size will slow down the extraction rate because of its lower surface area. Using a coarse grind may result in a more acidic cup of coffee because of extraction. The moment water comes in contact with coffee, the flavor and aroma begin to diffuse into the water.
Acidity is a particular symptom of extracted coffee. That will lead to a sour taste, which happens when your grind size is too coarse or brewing time is too short.
Less acidic coffee? Grind finer.
More acidic coffee? Grind coarser.
4. How Does The Brewing Method Affect Acidity In Coffee?
Brewing Coffee is the procedure of extracting the soluble material in roasted & ground coffee. Solubility and extraction can be affected by a wide range of things. Like Grind size, Water mineral content, Roast degree, and Brew methods.
Extraction is the speed at which flavors and aromas are extracted.
Brew time is the amount of time the ground coffee spends in the water.
The longer you brew coffee, the higher the level of caffeine in your beverage. Along with brew time, brewing methods such as Cold Brew also help to reduce acidity in coffee.
A healthier alternative to a regular hot brew coffee is cold brewing. As it lowers acidity and may help heartburn and acid reflux.
Steep the coffee in cold water for 12-24 hours at a complex or room temperature. Resulting in a perfect cup of coffee with a smooth, rich, and long shelf life. It produces coffee with a more rounded, less bitter taste, and it’s also favored by many people who have problems with acid reflux or other digestive issues.
Cold brewing can effectively neutralize the acid in coffee because it uses cold rather than hot water to extract flavor from beans. As a result, much less acid is drawn into the finished brew.
Cold brew coffee has up to 70% less acid than a regular cup of coffee. So, Cold Brew Coffee is one of the best option to make coffee less acidic.
5. Adding Eggshells To Reduce Acidity In Coffee
Eggshells decrease acidity in coffee as eggshells are alkaline. Add Eggshells while brewing your coffee to neutralize acids, bitterness and over-extracted coffee. Using them reduces acid levels in coffee because of the Calcium mineral content in the Eggshells.
Properly clean and sundry Eggshells before using them to make coffee. Make a powder and mix it with a coffee grind. Use this blend for preparing coffee.
Use a filter before pouring coffee into your cup. Brewing coffee with eggshells not only is a benefit to reduce the acidic nature of coffee. But, it also is good for bones & teeth with calcium. This is definitely my least preferred option to make coffee less acidic.
6. Acid Reducers For Coffee
Acid Reducers are a great source to reduce acidity in coffee. Particularly if you have a susceptible stomach to coffee acid. These act like quick solutions to try and neutralize coffee acids.
High-quality Acid reducers are available on Amazon. I use the Coffee Tamer for myself. I highly recommend you use this Coffee Tamer to get rid of acid content in your coffee.
These acid reducers can remove 90% of acidity from your coffee. One thing to keep in mind, these are not antacids.
Using acid reducers is a proactive method not to let coffee’s acid upset your stomach.
How Does Salt Reduce Acidity In Coffee?
Adding salt to coffee helps reduce coffee acidity by neutralizing the bitterness and making it easier to drink. Without a tangy taste on the sides of your tongue. Though it doesn’t change the pH level of coffee. Putting in a pinch of salt helps relish coffee by enhancing coffee flavor.
The amount of acids in the coffee impacts the bitterness of the coffee. And adding salt to brewed coffee reduces bitterness and makes it easier on the stomach.
Does Baking Soda Reduce Acidity In Coffee?
Add 1/4th teaspoon of baking soda after brewing or while brewing neutralizes acidity in coffee. It makes it easier on the stomach.
Baking soda with a pH of 8 is alkaline. Adding Sodium bicarbonate reduces the bitterness of coffee and makes it a smooth beverage.
Baking soda helps in preventing heartburn. Helps with acid reflux and soothes the stomach against harsh acids,
How Does Milk Reduce Acidity In Coffee?
Adding Milk or Cream is another best way to lower the coffee’s acid levels if you like your coffee with additives. Milk or cream helps neutralize some of the acidity. The calcium in these components helps balance the coffee’s pH, making it less acidic.
Calcium is a mineral present in milk. Which helps reduce heartburn or acidity in general and is used as an antacid. Calcium builds muscle tone and strengthens the lower esophageal sphincter(LES). Preventing reflux in the stomach.
Milk is also rich in fat, which can trigger heartburn and cause more significant reflux. People who face this trouble should use low-fat, skimmed milk. To lower acidity levels in coffee.
How Does Almond Milk Reduce Acidity In Coffee?
Almond Milk is a highly healthy alternative to make your coffee less acidic. Almond milk is the best choice for a non-dairy milk product. Especially for people who are allergic to milk or dairy products. Almond milk has an alkaline composition. Which helps neutralize stomach acid and relieve acid reflux symptoms.
Although you can use almond milk to make hot coffee. Due to its nutty flavor and watery consistency, Almond milk tastes amazing in iced coffee or latte recipes.
How Does Cinnamon Reduce Acidity In Coffee?
Cinnamon neutralizes the acidity in coffee as it’s a natural antacid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. When taken in small quantities after the meal, Cinnamon is prone to reduce acidity levels. So, adding just a pinch of cinnamon helps neutralize acids and doesn’t interfere with coffee smell or flavor. But instead, it tastes good.
Although it’s not technically proven to reduce acidity. We rely on cinnamon due to its natural potential to cure acidity.
Cinnamon, when taken in large quantities, causes acidity. That is why the dilemma is whether cinnamon decreases acidity or increases it.
How Does Butter Help Reduce Acidity In Coffee?
Drinking coffee with butter has not proven to decrease acidity levels in coffee. But consuming butter coffee occasionally might have more incredible benefits. When consumed in small quantities, Butter increases good bacteria in the gut. And helps with digestion by decreasing inflammation.
Butter helps to maintain metabolism. Controlling butter intake is essential as it is a high-fat substance with a pH of 6.1 to 6.4.
People with GERD should avoid taking butter because of the fat content. It might take longer for digestion for people suffering from GERD.
7. Use Paper Filter Instead Of Metal Mesh
Use a paper filter to reduce the acidity in coffee as the paper filter traps coffee oils before pouring them into the cup. The acidity in coffee is released during the extraction process.
All the oils are trapped during extraction when using brewing methods like a pour-over or Chemex, or Aeropress. But when coffee is brewed, using a French press and a paper filter reduces the acidity before reaching your cup.
Each coffee bean has roughly 12% of oil and fat. When roasted, depending on the roast level. Coffee beans appear to go through a chemical reaction with oxygen.
8. Use Alkaline Water To Make Less Acidic Coffee
Use Alkaline water to reduce acidity in coffee while brewing. The minerals found in Alkaline water naturally help balance the acidity. And neutralize the bitterness of coffee, giving it a bolder and richer taste.
Alkaline water is “Alkaline” in nature with a pH of 8+. Can be naturally found or artificially made by a chemical process called electrolysis. The pH scale of regular drinking water is 7.
Alkaline water helps Boost Immunity. Neutralize the acid in the bloodstream. Neutralize the acidity caused by poor diet, stress and environmental toxins.
Drinking Alkaline water daily helps with acid reflux. Hard Water and mineral content of water can dramatically affect the flavor of the coffee. Especially magnesium and calcium.
However, drinking excess Alkaline water results in Metabolic Alkalosis.
Include alkaline water as a part of your daily routine to see more remarkable results.
9. How Water Temperature Impacts Acidity In Coffee?
Water temperature impacts acidity in coffee because hot water releases oils that are not dissolved at lower temperatures.
Coffee’s change in taste primarily comes from a difference in the temperature of water while brewing it.
These oils are full of acidic compounds that give coffee its bitter bite. The hotter the water, the more swiftly extraction will happen. If the water temperature is cold, the acids won’t extract.
The coffee that you drink has about 94-98% water. It means water used to brew coffee impacts the taste highly. Traditionally brewed hot coffee has a lot of acids along with antioxidant properties.
10. How does Caffeine Impact Acidity In Coffee?
Checking your caffeine intake is one more way to reduce acidity in coffee. However, it’s not proven that caffeine has any significant effect on acid reflux.
The main factor that causes acid reflux is the stomach acid and not the acid in coffee beans. So, it depends from person to person on the amount of caffeine one can take.
You don’t have to cut the intake of coffee or caffeinated drinks but regulate it according to your diet for a better experience.
Try drinking an espresso made with dark roast instead of your morning breakfast coffee made with a light roast. One shot of espresso has significantly less caffeine than any other morning coffee.
There are caffeine-free options available, like Chicory Coffee, Decaf Coffee(bare minimum caffeine quantity). To disregard the entire confusion on caffeine and acid reflux.
Decaf coffee is the best coffee beverage to eliminate acidity caused due to caffeine. A decaf coffee process eliminates 97% of the caffeine from the bean even before it is roasted.
11. Don’t Leave Coffee In Thermos
To experience the flavor of coffee and its aroma, coffee needs to be consumed within 30 minutes after brewing. The longer it waits, the taste of coffee keeps going bad and loses its flavor, tends to taste bitter and burnt.
If it is stored in a sealed container in a refrigerator, it might still preserve the exact taste for 3-4 hours. But to rule out the acidity factor of coffee, drinking it shortly after the coffee is brewed is advisable.
Summary
To reduce the acidity levels in coffee, choose dark roast beans over light roast, drink cold brew instead of hot, increase brew time, go for a finer grind, and brew coffee at a lower temperature.
All of these methods will help neutralize the acid levels in Coffee for a fantastic experience.
The wonderful thing about brewing our coffee is that we get to drink it precisely the way we like it. If you are like me and love to explore every type of beverage in the world of coffee, go ahead give these a try.
All you have to do is, try any of the methods discussed in our article to reduce acidity in coffee and bid goodbye to that unpleasant feeling in your stomach.
How to Test The Acidity In Coffee?
Acidity in coffee can be tested by using a pH scale. If the reading on the pH scale falls below 7, it is considered acidic. Because the pH of water is 7, anything below the scale is acidic. Anything above 7 is alkaline.
Also, the mouthfeel after you drink coffee explains about acidity in coffee. After a sip of coffee, if you feel tartness on the sides of your tongue, heartburn or an unpleasant feeling in your stomach. It means the coffee you drink is highly acidic.
What Is The Best Temperature To Make Coffee?
The best Temperature to make a coffee is to heat water between 195 – 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is used for optimal extraction. Coffee’s change in taste primarily comes from a shift in Temperature while brewing it. Too hot water will lose quality in the taste, while cold water will result in flat or under-extracted coffee.
Exposing coffee grounds to hot water releases oils that won’t dissolve at low temperatures. These oils are full of acidic compounds that give coffee its bitter bite with an acid shock. The hotter the water, the more swiftly the extraction will happen – but too cool a water temperature and the acids won’t extract.
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