Is Coffee Acidic?

Yes: coffee contains acids, and that can cause problems for some people. But while some acidity in a cup of coffee contributes to the flavour, other acids might give you (along with 5 million Canadians every month) the nasty sensation of heartburn.

Whether you’re suffering from GastroEesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or you simply dislike the taste of acidic coffee, don’t worry…we’ve got solutions.

In this article, we’ll talk about the ways the acidity of coffee affects you, and then offer a few suggestions on how to tame the burn. If you’re just looking for Low-acid coffee brands, read this guide.

Acidity In Coffee – Friend Or Foe?

Coffee beans contain at least 850 different compounds that contribute to coffee’s unique taste and aroma (1).  When we talk about the acidity of coffee, we don’t necessarily mean a sour or acrid taste. Sour coffee is often the result of poor extraction – but that’s another topic.

What is The PH of Coffee?

Acidity is measured on the pH scale:

• A pH of 7 is precisely neutral.
• Values lower than 7 are considered acidic, while values up to 14 are alkaline.
• Coffee ranges around 5, with some light roasts in the 4.7 range.
• For comparison, orange juice is a 3, tomato juice a 4.

Not all acids in coffee are bad. For example, phosphoric acid and malic acid can make coffee taste sweeter. Other acids, such as citric acid and acetic acid, add tartness in low concentrations but can produce sour-tasting coffee in excess. It’s all about the right balance of acidity. That is one of the keys to a great cup of coffee.

Chlorogenic acid, which sounds frightening, may contribute to weight loss (2). It also adds much of the bitterness coffee drinkers perceive as coffee acidity, but there’s a bright side – or in this case, a dark one: a longer roasting process tends to break down Chlorogenic acid. So that dark roast coffee you’ve been eyeing might help settle your stomach.

The main culprit is Quinic acid, produced as coffee degrades, especially when left on a hot plate or burner. You know the bitter, burned flavour of old breakroom coffee? That’s Quinic acid, and it has negative effects on the digestive system. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix for this: buy an insulated coffee carafe and ditch the warmer.

If you’re interested, you can watch a video introducing the chemistry of coffee in more detail:

Coffee Acid and Health

Some people experience discomfort after drinking coffee, often attributed to the acidity of the drink (4). In reality, it might not be the coffee acidity that causes GERD – coffee can stimulate the production of stomach acid (5).

If you’re prone to heartburn, avoid drinking too much coffee or switch to decaf, which has been found to reduce acid reflux symptoms (​6​​​). Here’s a list of recommended decaf coffees to check out.

If you wanna know why does coffee taste sour, watch our fun video:

10 Tips To help you avoid or reduce Acidic Coffee

Whether you don’t like the flavour or the side effects, here are our top ten tips on taming acidic coffee:

1. Use low-acid coffee beans

There’s a growing market for low-acid coffee beans. Some of these are naturally produced in a way that reduces their acid content; others have compounds added to them to tame the burn.​

Check out this article which lists the best low-acid coffee brands available online.

2. Use Arabica beans

Arabica beans generally contain considerably less acid than their lower-grade, caffeine-infused Robusta bean cousins. Using an Arabica bean for your brew can be a great starting point for lower acidity – but you should already be doing this by default (if you drink good quality coffee)

3. Pay attention to altitude and soil

Coffee grown at high altitudes tends to be more acidic. Similarly, volcanic soil also often contributes to acidity (​7​​​). While this may seem like an unlikely thing to just “look up”, it’s easy to find out if you’re buying your beans from a quality establishment.

Any good coffee provider worth their salt knows all about the altitude and soil where their certain beans were grown. If the bag doesn’t say, just ask. They’ll likely be more than happy to spout their coffee knowledge at you, we promise!

4. Try different coffee growing regions

While each coffee farm has its own unique flavour profile, there are general characteristics that each coffee region can tend to produce. Kenya, for example, often grows fruitier and more acidic coffee beans. Coffees from Brazil and Sumatra, on the other hand, tend to have low acidity.

Learn about acidity and a host of other coffee factors from various regions in our article: Are You Murdering Your Coffee Beans? There’s a Good Chance You Are.

5. Roast Matters!

Lighter roasts emphasize acidity – coffees described as “bright” or with the taste of citrus fruits usually get these characteristics from acids such as malic acid.

Light roasts and medium roasts have risen in popularity with the third wave of coffee, possibly because they are well suited for brewing single origin beans with pour over methods.

If you’re not a fan light-roasted coffee, so-called ‘Espresso’ and ‘French roasts’ are a better option.

6. Watch your extraction

Once you’ve found the perfect beans, you need to get the brew right. Acidity is a typical symptom of under-extracted coffee; which happens when your grind size is too coarse or your brew time is too short.

The perfect grind size and brewing time depend largely on your brewing method. Just find the right recipe for you and stick to it. Coffee rewards precision.

7. Add milk

Another method to reduce the acidity of your coffee is to simply add milk or cream (​8​​​). The milk helps to balance out the PH level.

Because of their acidity, light roasts tend to take milk less well. This is especially true for soy milk which will curdle in acidic coffee – something to take note of if you prefer plant-based milk in your coffee. So along with getting that dark roast, feel free to add a splash of cream to help tone down the acidity!

8. Use eggshells

Looking for something to take the edge off of a black cuppa? Consider brewing with eggshells.

Eggshells are alkaline, which means they help neutralize the natural acidity in coffee, balancing things out and even removing any bitter, over-extracted flavours in the process.

9. Add salt

You may have heard this one before, because it works well: add a dash of salt to your grounds before brewing.

This works regardless of the brewing method and can make a big difference in reducing the acidity and can even bring out your coffee’s sweetness. Just be sure to add the right amount. You don’t want to overdo it (9).

10. Brew it cold

Did you know that steeping ground coffee in cold water can produce coffee with up to 60% less acidity (​10​​​) than hot brewed? It’s true – the cold brewing method is simple and a great way to reduce acidic beans.

THE VERDICT

The beans you choose, and the way you brew are key!

While you can’t avoid acids in coffee, you can choose coffees that aren’t overwhelmingly acidic. This top ten list contains a range of things you can try, but getting low-acid beans and brewing them properly are the biggest contributors.

Have you tried these tips? Did they help you? Or do you have a tip of your own to share? Let us know in the comments!