This post was updated in September 2021 to ensure accuracy and relevancy.
This article is about low acid instant coffee brands. Do you want just to buy coffee? Click on any product picture below. Do you want to learn more? Scroll down and keep reading.
If you enjoy drinking coffee, but your stomach gives you a hard time, low acid instant coffee might be the way to go. There are many good low acid coffee brands, and some of them are available as instant coffee.
Coffee Acidity
Acidity is measured on the pH scale, where 0 is extremely acidic and 14 – extremely basic. Pure water which is neither acidic nor basic is in the middle of the scale at the pH level of 7. Coffee averages a pH value of 4.85 to 5.10 and thus falls in the acidic category. During the coffee brewing process nine acids are released that contribute to the drinks overall flavor profile.
There are nine acids, released during the coffee brewing process that contribute to the full bodied coffee taste.
Coffee’s acidity level depend on several factors, like the location where the coffee beans are grown, roasting process and its duration, method of brewing and how finely the coffee is ground.
Beans Origin
Each place where coffee is grown contributes to the overall beans acidity in a number of ways. Shade grown coffee produces coffee beans with less caffeine and less acid. Coffee beans grown on mineral rich volcanic soil and at higher altitudes also have a slightly different acidity (lower elevations produce less acidic beans).
The type of coffee beans also influences the acidity of coffee. Arabica coffee beans contain naturally less acid than robusta beans.
Many coffee lovers prefer fair trade and organic coffee. You can find these information on the packaging, certified organic coffees are always a bit more expensive.
Roasting and brewing
The roasting process makes the coffee more or less acidic. The hotter and longer the coffee beans are roasted, the less acidic they become. Low acid coffees are usualy medium or dark roast. Vienna roast and french roast are examples of dark roast coffee, with vienna being only a bit darker than medium roast coffee.
Cold brewing is another popular way of bringing the acidity down. Cold brewed coffee will have a pH level of around 6, compared to hot coffee with pH around 4 to 5.
Our picks
- Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee Dark Roast Packets French Roast
As of today (September 2021), rated 4.5 stars with 8,594 ratings.
Starbucks doesn’t need an introduction for coffee lovers. French roast in instant packets combines Starbucks high quality, low acidity of a dark roast and the convenience of instant coffee. After the coffee is delivered please count the packets – some customers complained about receiving different size of packaging. Buying it on Amazon will make solving this kind of issues unproblematic. - Kava Reduced Acid Instant Coffee
As of today, rated 4.5 stars with 1,128 ratings.
This coffee is sold for over 30 years now. It was cancelled by the manufacturer, but following customers’ requests it is available again. Kava is sold in 4 oz. glass jars, again – buying it at Amazon will save you trouble in case a jar gets broken on the way to you. You can buy one jar, 3, 6 or 12. The price per ounce drops significantly if you buy in bulk. Acid reduced and acid neutralized Kava are the same coffee. The product label has been changed to be more specific and to avoid a false impression that there is no acid in this coffee. According to the manufacturer Kava is 90% acid free. - Kopiko Low Acid Instant Coffee
As of today, rated 4.5 stars with 21 ratings.
This is a slightly different product as it is not pure coffee but already mixed with a non-dairy creamer and has a coconut flavor. The packaging says L.A. Coffee, with “L.A.” meaning “Low Acid”. If you like Vietnamese coffee, you’ll love it.