Low Acid Coffee Brands

coffee cupsDo you love coffee but avoid it due to stomach problems like heartburn? This article is about the available low acid coffee brands: how to choose a stomach-friendly brand of coffee and how to prepare it.
Scientific studies show that coffee is beneficial for our health. It lowers the risk of heart disease, and helps to ward off cancer as it contains antioxidants. It’s a mild pain killer, it helps you recover after a workout. About 40 million people don’t drink coffee because of the stomach irritation. If you have acid reflux you don’t have to change your habits and resign on coffee. Just pick a stomach friendly coffee brand instead of a regular one, and enjoy it without unpleasant side effects of heartburn.

What is low acid coffee actually?

There are at least three things people mean speaking of low or least acidic coffee:

  • one is a chemical result of the production process – a coffee with a low ph.
  • another idea are naturally low acid coffee beans, which contain little acid even before the processing begins
  • finally there are stomach friendly coffees, which cause the least irritation to the digestive system.

Low acid coffee – how is it made?

Low acid coffee brands are made using multiple different technological processes. Even if the final result is coffee with lowered acidity, i.e. with pH value of 5.0 or more, there are many ways to achieve it. Manufacturers use one or many of the following methods to make coffee low acid:

  • Slower than normal roasting or interrupting the roasting process. This method produces coffee beans with reduced acidity, but also with less chlorogenic acid and reduced aromatics.
  • Removing the waxy outer layer of green beans (treating) with steam. Treated beans are dried and roasted subsequently. This process lets acidity drop but also reduces aromatics.
  • Using chemical solvents, e.g. dichloromethane or ethyl acetate to treat green beans.
  • Picking green coffee variety with less acidity. Less acidic coffee beans are grown in Sumatra and in some regions of Brazil. Coffee beans growing in Kenya or Costa Rica are very acidic on the other hand.
  • Darker roasting (called also French Roast) – studies have shown that dark roasts are friendlier for the stomach than mild or light roasts. Dark roasting tends also to develop certain bitter tastes masking acidity.
  • Removing acidity by drying the beans in whole fruits or fruit pulp.
  • Using an acid-buffering agent.
  • Monsooning or aging.
  • Using only arabica and no robusta.

Are you looking for the best low acid coffee? It’s not easy to decide which one is the best, but five low acid coffee brands are the most popular (and can be conveniently bought online): Folgers, Simpatico, Mavericks and Puroast. Low acid coffee comes in many package sizes and varieties, read some customer reviews and pick your choice according to your taste preferences and your budget. Here you can find more scientific information about the coffee roasts and their acidity.

Low acid ground coffee

The most popular type of low acid coffee is ground coffee:

Did you know it? Folgers Simply Smooth is not really “low acid”, even if usually called so by the customers. A special preparation process makes it stomach friendly without targeting the acidity of the coffee.

Low acid coffee whole beans

Whole beans are also available as a low acid variety:

Low acid decaf coffee

Are you looking for low acid decaf coffee? Try these two low acid coffee brands:

Cheap low acid coffee – is it possible?

Are you looking for the best price without resigning on quality of a brand product? Go for the big packaging. If you use a lot of coffee (e.g. in the office with your co-workers) big packaging gives you the most bang for the buck. A big bag is obviously going to be whole beans, ground coffee would lose its flavor:

Cold brew systems

Another good way to lower coffee acidity is to use a cold brew system to brew your coffee. According to the claims of Toddy, the manufacturer of the most popular cold brew system, the acidity will drop to about 33% compared to classic hot brew methods. High end brew systems promise even acid free coffee. You don’t need any special coffee beans, the regular ones will be perfectly fine. The best selling cold brew systems are:

If you decide to order a cold brew system, do not forget about replacement filters.

There are more low acid coffee brands on the market, than the above mentioned four. However the brands are sold by reliable merchant, where you can check reliable reviews of other customers. That’s why I recommend buying your low acid coffee by Amazon.com.

Photo: Image courtesy of eziquelzic / stock.xchng

7 Comments

  1. Dan Longtin
    • James Wellburne
      • Sherry Kelly
      • James Wellburne

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