5 Best Low Acid Coffee Options For Those With Sensitive Stomachs

Sean Gregory All About Coffee | Coffee Reviews
8 minute read

Coffee is one of the top three consumed commodities in the world and something most coffee lovers simply can not live without. However not all of us are created equal and many coffee drinkers are sensitive to acidic foods and drinks and suffer from acid reflux, GERD and heartburn as well as tooth decay.

Add in those who suffer from IBS (irritable bowl disease) and those who just end up with a sour stomach and you have a need for a lower acid coffee option. Cutting out coffee just wont be an option and we don't dare recommend you switch to decaf (yeah, we said decaf).

Acids in coffee also effect the flavor profile and will give those bright and tart flavors that many coffee drinkers enjoy.

So you may be asking, how do I know if a coffee is lower in acidity and what are some of the best options. Keep reading as we showcase the 5 best low acid coffee options.

Our Top 5 Low Acid Coffee Options:

But before we break down each option, lets look at what can impact the overall acidity of coffee so you can get the best cup possible from these brands.

What To Look For When Choosing A Low Acid Coffee

The Roast - Darker roast will be less acidic than light roast. As the beans are roasted longer, some of the acidity will burn off leading to a lower acid coffee. Air roasted coffee is also a great low acid option.
Caffeine Content - While highly caffeinated coffee sounds appealing, caffeine can actually increase acid production in your stomach leading to more acid reflux.
The Beans - Arabica coffee beans are more acidic than Robusta beans but Robusta has up to 4 times more caffeine which can counteract the lower acidity levels.
The Origin - Coffee beans from Ethiopia, Mexico and Central America have lover acidity levels compared to other regions.
Brewing Method - Cold Brew coffee will be less acidic than regular hot brewed coffee.
Freshness - Consuming your coffee quickly and not letting it sit around will prevent a greater release of quinic acid which is known to sour stomachs.

1. Volcanica Low Acid Coffee Blend

We picked the Volcanica Low Acid Blend as our top for several reasons. This blend is actually not a dark roast and lowers it's acidity by carefully selecting beans from regions known for lower acid levels.

Sourced from Brazil, Sumatra and other low altitude arabica regions this blend still maintains the flavor profile of a medium roast. A hint of tangerine sweetness blends with a chocolate flavor for a delicious coffee blend.

The medium roast profile will also retain more caffeine giving this coffee a slight boost of energy compared to the dark roast options.

PROS	CONS
Medium roasted - Great aroma	A blend and no a single origin option
Higher caffeine content	Less consistent flavor as a blend
Naturally low acid beans
An affordable option

2. Invade Air Roasted Original Blend

We put Invader Coffee's Original Blend as our second best option as this company is veteran owned and operated and they air roast their coffee to provide a dark roast with a rich and bold flavor profile. We've found that although this is an arabica blend it possess a deep French Roast flavor profile.

Air roasting produces a lower acid coffee as the longer roasting process helps burn off some of the acid without giving the beans a burnt you can find in dark roast which are roasted under higher temperatures. It also produces less smoke and carcinogens and no burnt flavors.

Invader Coffee air roast all of their coffees making them a great overall low acid bland although not all of their roast will be as low in acid as the original. The best part? They give back to veterans through numerous charities.

PROS	CONS
Slow Air Roasting Process	Slightly expensive for single bags
Veteran Owned	Less Caffeine Content
Uses 100% Premium Arabica Beans
All their blends are lower in acid due to the air roasting process

3. Lifeboost Dark Roast Coffee

Lifeboost Dark Roast comes in third on our list. Lifeboost prides itself on being a healthy coffee option which uses only fair trade beans that are lab tested to make sure you avoid consuming mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides plus 400 other toxins per their website.

This roast is from Central America and is shade grown at high altitudes (at least 5,700 feet above sea level) on small farms which allows for higher absorption of antioxidants.

The main drawback to this coffee is the slightly expensive price but it is well known in the coffee world that higher quality beans will come at a premium price. Luckily you can use our special link for 15% off your first order.

PROS	CONS
Organic, Fair Trade, Non GMO & Pesticide Free	Relatively expensive
Premium 100% Arabica coffee beans	Less Caffeine Content
Bold and consistent dark roast flavor
Great aroma when brewing

4. Volcanica Komodo Dragon

Volcanica's Komodo Dragon is more than just a kick ass name for a coffee. This blend is for anyone searching for a low acid option from premium growing regions and not looking to break the bank.

Volcanica makes our list twice with this 100% arabica bean coffee option. Once again they have created a low acid option without the over roasted dark roast flavor profiles many others resorted to.

This roast has a hint of tobacco, cocoa and some floral notes for a slightly sweet cup of coffee and will maintain a higher caffeine content due to the medium roast.

We like that this single origin is Rainforest Alliance certified and carefully roasted, wet hull processed and from Flores Island in Bali which is known for its high elevation.

You can save a little and get free shipping on orders over $60 on all Volcanica's coffee flavors and blends.

PROS	CONS
Reasonably priced	Only slightly less acidic
Single origin, kosher and Rainforest Certified	Earthier flavor which is not a match for everyone
Volcanica only roast after order for freshness
100% Komodo beans and not a blend

5. Healthwise Low Acid Supremo

Healthwise Low Acid Supremo makes the list mostly as the most cost conscious option. Healthwise uses what they called their trademarked TechnoRoasting process to produce a low acid coffee that still contains beneficial vitamins, nutrients and and minerals and is made with Colombian coffee beans.

To be as honest as possible, the flavor and aroma is more along the lines of a mass produced coffee and does not match the small batch brands above. It can also have a slightly bitter flavor profile especially due to the larger can and chance that the coffee goes stale over time.

The bitterness is likely why some reviews report upset stomachs when drinking Healthwise Coffee.

PROS	CONS
Low Price Option	Tends to be bitter
One of the lower acid options	Pretty weak overall flavor
Available in bulk sizes	Not a strong aroma when brewing
	Some people report it causes an upset stomach

Other Low Acid Coffee's

While we could add many other brands to this list we figured we would include two more as honorable mention.

For those looking for a high caffeine content coffee with a low acidity check your Black Insomnia Coffee. This brand is 6x stronger than most other coffees and uses Robusta beans for a lower acidity level. If you find caffeine does not effect your stomach, try this one for a extra boost.

Our next option is Tyler's Acid Free Coffee. Advertised as the World's First Acid Free Coffee we kept this one off the list due to it's higher price point and the fact that for many the slight acidity in other brands provides just enough of a sweet fruity and floral flavor profile.

So Which Coffee Is Best?

We will leave this up to you to try. As each person will prefer a different roast, flavor profile and bitterness we find calling one the best is more an opinion that will vary.

However in terms of overall quality, flavor and health claims we would put Lifeboost at the top. The only reason we kept it from the top spot above is due to their more expensive price which may not be ideal for every coffee drinker.

Keep in mind that if you require a lower acid stomach friendly coffee you will find most carry with them a higher price. This is one type of coffee we find to be worth the extra cost as lower acid coffee requires premium beans, small batch roasting and finding coffee beans from specialty regions around the world.

Check out 9 other ways to avoid or lessen the effects coffee has on acid reflux.

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