Acid Coffee: The In-Depth Guide That Answers Your Questions

Do you want to learn more about acid coffee? 

You’ve come to the right place since many justcoffeebuzz readers have requested an in-depth guide on acid coffee, what makes coffee acidic and ways to bring down acidity in coffee. Stick around I’m going through the ins and outs of the topic.

Let’s jump straight into it. 

What is acid in coffee? 

To help you understand more about acid and acidic drinks, let’s talk about what sort of drinks are regarded as acidic. 

The pH of water is 7, and any drink with pH near to this figure is considered neutral, neither alkali nor acidic. Any drink with pH below 7 is acidic, while brew with pH over 7 is alkali.

What’s the pH of coffee then? 

The pH of coffee typically ranges from 4.85 to 5.1 This means that coffee is acidic like other popular drinks including tea. 

Here’s a list of drinks and their pH level to help you compare coffee with them: 

• Black Tea → 4.9 – 5.5
• Herbal tea → 6 – 7
• Green tea → 7 – 10
• Coke → 2.5
• Orange juice → 3.5
• Lemon juice → 2 – 3 
• Milk → 6.4 – 6.8
• Milkshake → 3.5
• Wine → 2.9 – 4.2
• Beer → 4 – 4.4

Similar to many other fruits and vegetables including oranges and lemon, coffee contains acidity. In fact, there are various kinds of acids in coffee.

The major ones are:

• Chlorogenic 
• Quinic
• Citric 
• Acetic
• Lactic 
• Malic 
• Phosphoric
• Linoleic
• Palmitic

The amount of acids each coffee bean type contains has an effect on the flavours, aromas and overall taste of coffee it produces. Also, some coffee beans are more acidic than others, depending on the amount of acids they contain. 

Why it’s vital to know about coffee acidity? 

If you drink a couple of cups of coffee every day, read through this section. 

Drinking acidic coffee every day might lead to stomach issues including GERD and acid reflux. 

What’s acid reflux? 

The acid level in your stomach goes up and this might cause the contents of your stomach to slip through the stomach and move up to your mouth; one of the most common symptoms of acid reflux is heartburn. Many experience it at night before or during sleep or when they exercise. 

It’s wise to be proactive and have an understanding of acidity in coffee, so you can find ways to reduce acidity in coffee and avoid health issues related to acidic coffee. 

Coffee acids 

Let’s talk about the major acids coffee contains. 

Chlorogenic acid

Chlorogenic acid is predominantly a group of phenolic acids and they help our body with blood pressure and glucose regulation. They’re also good for the overall health of our liver. The amount of chlorogenic acids is reduced during the roasting process. Robusta coffee beans contain more chlorogenic acids than Arabica, and that’s why they are more acidic. 

Quinic acid 

Contrary to chlorogenic acid, the amount of quinic acid in coffee beans is increased during roasting. Typically, French roasts are rich in this kinda acid.

Citric acid

Citric acid (as you might have guessed) is also found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and tangerines. It adds a tangy spin to coffee that’s rich in citric coffee; Arabica coffee beans are richer in this kinda acid than Robusta. Coffee growing in Kenya, Burundi, Guatemala and Panama is usually rich in these tangy and fruity notes. 

Acetic acid

Vinegar is normally enriched in acetic acid giving this liquid its distinct flavour and aroma. The amount of acetic acid in coffee is way less than citric but it contributes to a rounded coffee taste adding adding a subtle winey taste in coffee, making your cup of coffee richer in taste. 

Lactic acid

Lactic acid fermentation (LAF) is known for increasing the level of acidity in various foods and drinks and this way it prolongs their lifespan. When it comes to coffee, this acid enhances the flavours, aromas and texture.

Malic acid

Malic acid is a group of phosphoric acids and it’s typically found in fruits like peaches, plums, apples and pears. It sweetens coffee and gives it a mellow more rounded overall taste. 

Phosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid doesn’t have any particular taste but when it’s mixed up with other coffee acids it enhances the flavour of coffee. It gives a sparkling sensation in your tongue with each sip of your coffee. 

Linoleic acid 

Did you know that coffee beans and pumpkin seeds contain 50% of Linoleic acid? It’s part of the Omega-6 acids and one that our body can’t produce it itself and it helps us with our overall mental and physical health. 

Palmitic acid 

Light roast coffee beans contain more Palmitic acid than medium and dark roasts. Its content decreases while the altitude where coffee grows increases. 

Possible effects on health 

Coffee is known for its health properties as it contains antioxidants that help cleanse your body. It also helps with several diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

But consuming big amounts of coffee on a daily basis might aggravate health conditions like gastric ulcers, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). If you’re suffering from 1 of these, it’s wise to give up on coffee for a couple of weeks or months to completely heal your stomach.

Acid reflux

In plain English acid reflux is when stomach contents slip through the stomach and move back to the oesophagus (the tube that connects the mouth and stomach) causing discomfort. 

Many experience common symptoms of acid reflux when they have lots of acid drinks during the day while exercising or sleeping. It is a condition that can deteriorate if you keep on consuming acidic foods and drinks in excessive amounts, and you can heal your stomach by simply changing your diet or taking medication –  it rarely needs surgery or any kind of therapy. 

For those suffering from acid reflux for quite some time, it might turn into GERD. 

The most common symptoms of GERD are: 

• Heartburn is an unpleasant burn in the chest that you might experience when exercising, eating, or lying down. 
• Upper chest pain
• Backwash when stomach contents come up your mouth 
• A sensation of a lump in your throat
• Finding it difficult to swallow 

Gastric Ulcers 

Gastric Ulcers (Stomach Ulcers) develop on the lining of the stomach. 

Another common ulcer you get is in the part of the intestine beyond the stomach which are known as duodenal ulcers. 

What really causes Gastric Ulcers? 

What normally causes Gastric Ulcers is a bacterial infection Helicobacter pylori, and consuming too much coffee or spicy food deteriorates the condition. 

The most common symptoms of Gastric Ulcers are: 

• Discomfort during and between meals 
• Stomach ache that might interrupt your sleep 
• Bloating stomach 
• Stomach pain that is on and off 
• Various lengths of discomfort (it might last minutes or hours) 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a condition that typically has an effect on the digestive system. 

This is a lifelong problem and it somehow affects your everyday life. 

Let’s talk about the most common symptoms of Irritable Bowl Syndrome: 

• Unusual pain, bloating or cramping
• Unusual changes in bowel movement appearance 
• Changes in the frequency of how often you have a bowel movement. 
• Increased gas or mucus 

Indigestion

This is a common problem that many suffer from; the good news is that (if your conditioning isn’t that serious) you can heal your stomach with medication. 

Because coffee contains acidity and causes heartburn, it might cause you indigestion and discomfort after each meal. 

Some of the most common symptoms of digestion are: 

• Feeling full easily 
• Feeling sick or nauseous
• Moving up fluid or food into the oesophagus

What is low-acid coffee

As you might have guessed there are coffee types that are less acidic than others.

What makes a coffee type less acidic than others?

There are various reasons that a certain type of coffee contains more acidity such as the altitude it grows, the origin, the type of coffee itself (Arabica or Robusta), and the roasting process.

What does low-acid coffee taste like? 

Too acidic coffee tastes sour, the extra acidity makes the taste of your coffee excessively sour and this is an effective way to tell whether your coffee is acidic or not. 

On the other hand, low-acidic coffee is balanced and rounded coffee, meaning that it’s slightly bitter, and tangy with chocolate or cocoa hints (depending on the climate it grows).

How to reduce acidity in coffee

Luckily, there are various simple yet effective ways to reduce acidity in coffee which I’m going to talk about in this section. 

Coffee type 

In general, there are 2 types of coffee Arabica and Robusta. 

Arabica is considered to be better-quality coffee and as you might have guessed is more expensive to buy. The top producer countries of Arabica coffee are Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Honduras, Vietnam and Colombia. Equally, the countries that produce the majority of Robusta are Indonesia, Uganda, Brazil and the Republic of Congo. Robusta is the one that is more acidic coffee of the 2 as it grows in higher altitude meaning that the coffee they produce are higher in caffeine and acidity.

So, if your aim is to drink less acidic coffee, it’s a good idea to go for Arabica coffee beans. 

Roast type

There are 3 main roast types:

• Light
• Medium
• Dark

What’s the difference between the 3? 

It has to do with the time they are roasted (light roast coffee beans are roasted less time than dark). 

Are they different in taste? 

Light roast coffee beans usually produce coffee that tastes fruity with citrus hints while medium has more mellow flavours and dark roast coffee beans often have a more complex taste with notes of cocoa and chocolate. 

Because dark roast coffee beans are roasted for a longer time than medium and light they have the least acidity content among the 3; as you might have guessed, coffee beans lose some of their acidity during the roasting process, and the longer they have roasted the less acidity they contain. 

If you want to brew low-acidity coffee, your go-to option should be a dark roast.

Iced coffee

Iced coffee is slightly less acidic than hot coffee.

Let me explain: 

Water in terms of pH is neutral (neither acidic nor alkali), and because it’s less acidic than coffee (7pH vs. 5pH) when you add water to your coffee it will neutralise the acidity in your brew. 

This means that when you pour coffee over ice cubes and the ice starts melting and this way your brew becomes less acidic. 

Cold Brew 

If you want to drink low-acidic coffee, you have one more reason to make Cold Brew. 

Cold Brew is made in a different way and this makes this refreshing drink less acidic. 

Dripping coffee and espresso machines tend to extract too much acidity from the coffee grounds during the brewing process. 

On the other hand, during the process of making Cold Brew (which typically lasts around 12 hours) not much acidity is extracted during this long process. 

In fact, because not much acidity is extracted when making Cold Brew, this cool beverage is one of the least-acidic brews. 

Eggshells

This is an unusual way to reduce acidity in coffee but it does wonders. 

Eggshells are an alkali which means when you mix them up with coffee grounds you bring down the pH of your brew.

Here are the steps you need to follow: 

• Crack 1 egg and give the eggshells a good wash
• Crash the eggshells and make powder from them 
• Add a pinch of the powder to your coffee grounds before getting on with the brewing 
• Throw the used coffee grounds with eggshell powder and you’re good to go

If you believe that the eggshell powder is going to ruin the taste of your coffee, feel free to use 1 of the other methods discussed in this section. 

Milk 

Did you know that milk is less acidic than coffee? 

The pH of milk is between 6.4 and 6.8, meaning that when it’s mixed up with coffee it neutralises the pH of your brew and makes it less acidic. A splash of cow milk, oat, hazelnut or almond will be enough to reduce the acidity level of your brew. 

Coffee cream

Similar to milk, coffee cream contains less acidity than coffee.

All you need to do with coffee cream to reduce your coffee’s acidity is add a serving of it to your brew and the pH of your beverage will go down. 

Water temperature 

It’s not wise to brew coffee with super hot water.

I get it, it’s quick to brew with hot water as it extracts coffee flavours and aromas from coffee grounds quickly.

But it’s not a good idea to brew with too hot water as it extracts too much caffeine and acidity from the coffee grounds. 

The ideal temperature for brewing coffee is 195°F to 205°F (90°C to 96°C). As long as you stick to this temperature range your coffee isn’t going to be too acidic. 

Alkali water 

Alkali water is less acidic than regular water (9pH vs. 7pH).

Did you know that 97% of your coffee is just water? 

If you brew coffee with alkali water it means that your brew is going to be less acidic. 

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an excellent way to reduce acidity in coffee. Plus, it adds an extra layer of taste to your brew and makes it even more delicious.

Baking soda 

This is another unconventional way of reducing acidity in coffee yet one of the most effective ones. 

Baking soda is an alkali and when it’s combined with coffee or other liquids, it neutralises their pH. All you need to do is pop a pinch of baking soda in your drink and this will be enough to make it less acidic. 

Top tip: just put a pinch, it’s not wise to put more than this as baking soda produces carbon dioxide which means that your coffee is going to be bubbly.

Let’s wrap it up

That’s a wrap, I hope you learned a thing or 2 on what acid coffee is, why it’s important to know and found a couple of easy ways to reduce acidity in your coffee. Keep reading articles on this blog like the Ethiopian coffee, as there are other ones on acidity in coffee and brewing tips and tricks.