4 Ways Reduce the Acid Levels in Your Brewed Coffee

For some coffee drinkers the acidity of the brewed coffee can be harsh on their stomach. The acidity over time can me too much, making you drink less coffee. The acid in the coffee is one of the most important parts of coffee that affect the taste and flavors of the brewed coffee. Some coffee drinkers prefer the bright taste of a default high-acidic coffee, other coffee drinkers prefer a milder and smoother cup of coffee which means a coffee with a coffee with less acid in each cup. If you are someone who loves coffee but can not handle the acidity, you may look for ways to have less acid levels in the coffee brew without taking away from the pure coffee flavor. Below is a list of easy ways to have less acid in your coffee brew.

4 Ways to Reduce the Acid in a Cup of Coffee

Option 1:

Use low-acid Coffee Beans for Less Acidic Coffee

One of the easiest ways to reduce the acid levels in your coffee brew is by using low-acid coffee beans. This is by far the easiest way to have less acid without changing the way you brew your coffee. Starting off with low acid coffee beans will result in the low acid coffee you want to drink. The low-acid coffee beans can be easy to find as the bag will say Low Acid. This lower acidity level would result in a smoother and less acidic coffee brew, making the coffee easier on the stomach for some people. Buy low acid coffee beans and taste the difference. This may be all you need to do to have a smoother cup of coffee.

When looking for low-acid coffee beans, buy coffee beans that are packaged as “low-acid” or “acid-reduced” coffee beans. The beans are typically treated with a natural or chemical process that reduces the acidity level. Some coffee brands will use a steam treatment process to reduce the acidity in coffee beans. Some coffee beans start out as low-acid, so you just need to find the bean type that has less acid. Coffee beans with naturally low acid: The Brazilian Bourbon Santos.

Option 2:

Switching to Decaf Because it has Less Acid

While you may not want to go to an extreme to have low acid coffee, you may find that decaffeinated coffee is much smoother than regular coffee. Decaf coffee is less acidic than regular coffee just because of the decaffeination process that also removes some of the acid in the coffee beans. Ah, decaf, the last option when looking for coffee beans with less acid. The decaf coffee also has, by definition, less caffeine. If you always want the caffeine boost you may not like this method. Try switching to decaf as an option to your daily coffee drinking. Try alternating your coffee from regular, to decaf so you still have some caffeine in your system.

Option 3:

Change Your Coffee Brewing Method if you Want Low Acid Coffee

Another way to have less acid in your coffee brew is by just changing the brewing method. Some brewing methods, such as drip coffee or espresso, can result in a more acidic coffee. While other methods, such as cold brew or French press, can produce a less acidic coffee brew.

Cold brew coffee is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for at least several hours or the traditional overnight cold brew. The slow extraction process makes a less acidic coffee brew because the cold water does not extract as much acid from the coffee beans compared to the usual hot water brewing methods. A French press coffee uses a coarser grind of coffee beans and longer steeping time, which can result in a smoother and less acidic coffee brew. You could go a step further and make the cold brew or French press coffee with the “low acid” coffee beans. Very smooth.

If you prefer an auto-drip coffee, try using a paper filter instead of a metal filter. Paper filters can help trap some of the acids and oils from the coffee beans, resulting in a milder and less acidic coffee brew.

Option 4:

Add Dairy Milk or Cream to your Coffee to Reduce Acid Levels

This option is for people who will drink coffee with milk or half and half, and also a good black cup of coffee. Adding dairy can reduce the acidity in the coffee brew. For some coffee drinkers, adding milk or cream is just not an option. Milk and cream are alkaline so it can help neutralize the acids in coffee. Using dairy can result in a smoother and less acidic coffee brew.

Adding milk or cream can also dilute the flavors of the coffee, so this may not be the best option for reducing acid in your brewed coffee. If you still want to try this as a way to have less acid in your coffee try adding milk or cream, but you should use high-quality, fresh milk or half and half to avoid any unwanted flavors or textures.

So, there are a few ways you can have less acid in your coffee. You may have heard that adding a tiny pinch of salt to your coffee will result in low acid coffee. The salt can make the coffee less bitter, but the acid is not reduced as much as it is with the other options we have listed here.

A few brands to consider for low-acid coffee:
Puroast Coffee – Low Acid Whole Beans
Paradise Xpress – Low Acid Coffee Beans
Lucy Jo’s Coffee – Mellow Belly Low Acid Coffee Beans – this brand has quite a few low acid coffee bean varieties