If you're worried about the acid content in your coffee, you're not alone! Many people are trying to limit the amount of acid in their diet, whether it's for preventing heartburn or even lowering the risk of chronic diseases.
But worry not—because if you've been thinking you might need to cut down on your coffee intake due to its acid content, I've got great news for you!
By making a few seriously simple changes—which we'll get into below—it's possible to keep enjoying coffee just as much as before, while cutting down on your acid intake.
So follow the tips below, pour yourself a cup, and relax! Your stomach will thank you.
Does Acid-Free Coffee Exist?
First of all, contrary to popular belief—there is an acid free coffee on the market. Tyler's Acid-Free Coffee is the world's first (and only) acid-free coffee.
So if you're really concerned about acid, you don't even have to bother with the tips below—just give Tyler's a try!
How to Make Low Acid Coffee
If you are looking to make coffee with lower acid, there are a few basic things you can do.
- Use dark roasted beans: As mentioned earlier, dark roasted beans tend to be less acidic than light roasted beans.
- Use a cold brew method: Cold brew coffee is less acidic than hot brew coffee.
- Use a coarser grind: A coarse grind will have less surface area exposed to water, and hence less acid extracted.
How Roast Affects Coffee Acidity
"Acidity" is one of the factors that give different coffees their unique flavor profiles. The roasting process itself affects how much acid is in the coffee beans.
There are three main types of roast—light, medium, and dark—and each produces coffee with different levels of acid.
In general, the darker the roast, the less acidic the coffee.
This is because the longer coffee beans are roasted, the more their acidity is reduced. In turn, light roasts are generally more acidic than dark roasts, so you may want to switch to dark roasts if you're concerned about acid and currently drink lighter roasts/blends.
How Grind Size Affects Acid (in The Final Cup)
Coffee grind size is another important factor. The finer the grind, the more surface area of the bean is exposed to water.
This results in a higher extraction rate, and coffee that tends to lean more acidic. A coarser grind will have less surface area exposed to water, and hence less acid extracted.
It's important to note that this only changes the extraction rate of the acid, it doesn't prevent acid from getting in your cup. Let your coffee steep for too long with a coarse grind, and it can have just as much (or more) acid than a cup made with a fine grind.
How the Brewing Process Can Change Acidity
The brewing process also affects the acidity of coffee. For example, cold brew coffee is less acidic than hot brew coffee because the beans are not exposed to heat during the brewing process.
If concerns about acid are holding you back from trying a new light roast, then cold brewing might be the way to go. The lower temperature of cold brewing extracts less of the acids found in coffee beans.
Coffee brewed hot is far more acidic than cold-brewed, according to scientific studies. Some people also say that cold brew has a "sweeter" taste because of its lower acid content.
So if you're looking for a smoother cup that won't give you "bitter coffee face," give cold brewing a try!
So in conclusion, if you are looking to make a cup of coffee with lower acid—other than using an acid free coffee like Tyler's—there are basically three things you can do. You can use dark roasted beans, a cold brew method, and/or a coarser grind. Just remember that even with these methods, your coffee will still contain some acid.
But using any of these methods can help to reduce the amount of acid in your coffee a bit, and using all three will give you the lowest acid cup of coffee possible—almost. If you're looking for completely acid-free coffee, try Tyler's, the world's first and only acid-free coffee.
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