Low Acidity Coffee

Coffee’s acidity is what gives it the tart and bright flavour that many coffee drinkers love. However, lots of people struggle with or are sensitive to the acidity in coffee and thus, seek low acidity options. Those with acid reflux, heartburn or people who want to avoid tooth decay often seek alternatives that mean they don’t have to give up coffee altogether.

Thankfully, there are quite a few different options when it comes to low acidity coffee, so there’s still something for all tastes. In this article, we’ll look at low acid coffee in more detail before introducing you to the best low acid coffees available in the UK.

What is Low Acid Coffee?

One of the main characteristics of coffee is its acidity. Coffee beans come from inside the fruit of the Coffee plant. In fact, they’re the seeds of the cherry-like fruit that grows on the plant. These seeds are sour and acidic. Among other things, their acidity is assessed as a part of the tasting process as this forms an important part of the coffee’s richness.

There are two types of low acid coffee. The first type is treated coffee beans. This means the beans are processed to reduce their acidity. For example, coffee beans that are naturally more acidic might be roasted in a different way. Their roasting might be interrupted or slow, for instance.

The second type of low acid coffee is coffee that is naturally less acidic. Coffee plants that grow at lower altitudes are usually less acidic. As such, choosing coffee grown in areas like Brazil, Peru, Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala, and Sumatra will be naturally less acidic.

Why would you want to drink low acid coffee?

Health professionals have been pushing the problematic acidity of coffee for a while. For some people, normal coffee can cause or worsen gastro issues. Those with Crohn’s disease and Coeliac disease will benefit from a low acidity coffee, for example. The availability of low acid coffee means more people are able to enjoy a great cup of coffee without the negative side effects of an acidic drink.

Also, coffee with high acidity is known to damage enamel and teeth and so many people opt for a low acid coffee to reduce the impact their favourite drink has on their smile.

Can you make normal coffee low in acid?

If you’ve got a favourite brew that you don’t want to stop drinking but you like the idea of low acid coffee, there are things you can do to reduce its acidity. Firstly, you should avoid a light roast. This is because coffee roasting kills the acids. With a light roast, more acids are present.

Another option is to choose a light roast coffee but prepare it as a cold brew. Cold brewing reduces the acidity.

Finally, adding milk to your coffee will reduce its acidity naturally too.

However, if you’re looking for a coffee that’s naturally low in acid, here is a selection of the best around.

Exhale Organic House Roast

Exhale sells its coffee as a “healthy, clean, organic coffee.” In fact, they say it’s “ridiculously healthy.”

The company lab tested and tasted 45 different coffees from all around the world to find their unique cup. With their beans chosen, they then tried various methods of roasting to enable the healthy compounds to remain. This specific brew is grown in the Chiapas region of Mexico and is produced by Ek Balam, Jaltenango. It has tasting notes of hazelnut, caramel and apricot. In terms of grade, it’s been denoted “speciality grade” and is 84/100 on the SCA scale.

What’s also great about Exhale is that it’s a single-origin, fair trade certified coffee that’s fully traceable. It comes in compostable, plastic-free packaging and is available as a one-time purchase or a subscription service.

One bag of Exhale is 225g, which is around 14 cups of coffee and one cup provides the equivalent level of antioxidants of 55 oranges and 12 blueberry punnets. It’s also recognised as organic coffee by the Soil Association and is pesticide and mycotoxin free.

Coffee is actually the 3rd most sprayed crop, which means a lot of coffee on your shelves is full of pesticides (as is the ecosystem as a result). Exhale only buys from certified organic farms. They also donate 2% of their revenue to environmental charities that work to restore the natural environment.

The coffee has also been optimised for polyphenols, which are naturally occurring chemicals found in plants. There are over 500 different polyphenols and they are known to combat cell damage and even influence gut bacteria. Research even suggests these chemicals are able to lower a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes as they boost your insulin sensitivity and slow down how quickly your body absorbs and digests sugar.

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Pact Fazenda Reis

Next on our list is Pact Coffee’s Fazenda Reis. This coffee is grown by José Carlos dos Reis in Brazil. It is a medium-dark roast and comes in a 250g back, which makes around 15 cups.

Like Exhale, this is a speciality-grade, single-origin coffee. While we’re talking about this coffee because it is low in acid, we love that this brand pays around 60% above the Fairtrade Base Price. It’s also really fresh too as the beans are only roasted days before being sent to you.

This coffee has a sweetness of refined sugar with taste notes of peanut butter cups. It’s a creamy coffee and mildly acidic.

Pact is all about sustainability. They even give you information about the farmer and farm where the beans have been grown. In this instance, the coffee has been grown on five hectares of land at 950 metres above sea level.

The farmer, José Carlos dos Reis runs sustainability projects and even builds houses for employees. What’s more, 40% of his 116 employees are female – and he hopes, one day, to pass things on to his daughter. This is definitely somewhere we’d like to buy coffee from!

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Exhale Decaf

If you like the idea of Exhale as mentioned above, but want a decaf low acid option, this one’s for you. Like the organic house roast, this organic decaf roast is healthy, mycotoxin-free and chemical-free. Every shipment is tested to ensure it is free from mould, yeast, heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins. Unlike supermarket coffees that are ground and roasted months before being put on the shelves, Exhale only roasts and grinds just before the coffee is sold.

Exhale have decaffeinated this coffee with an all-natural process using CO₂. There are no artificial ingredients or chemicals involved in the process, yet 99.9% of the caffeine is removed. The use of CO₂ in a close-loop system means the coffee is both better for you and for the planet.

The packaging is, once again, compostable and plastic-free and it comes in a 225g bag, equivalent to 14 cups of coffee.

The Exhale Decaf is a single-origin, speciality-grade coffee that’s 84/100 on the SCA scale. The beans originate in Cajamarca, Peru and are produced by Ivan, La Libertad & Maria, Trapiche.

In terms of tasting notes, this brew has notes of milk chocolate, raisin and stewed plums – delicious!

It’s optimised for polyphenols and antioxidants and is naturally high in vitamin B3 (niacin), which is important for good health and cholesterol levels.

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Lean Caffeine Nicaragua Coffee

Next on our list of low acid coffees is Lean Caffeine Nicaragua Ground Coffee. This is described as a super clean, mycotoxin-free bulletproof coffee. It is lab-verified to be free from mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides and is, therefore, an extremely clean cup of coffee.

This coffee is ideal for those who love a darker roast. It has a full depth of flavour while being silky smooth. It’s ideal for anyone on a low carb, gluten-free, paleo or keto diet seeking a natural energy boost, and it can be made into an espresso, americano or even AeroPress coffee.

In terms of certification, this product has the Rainforest Alliance seal, which means it’s a sustainable coffee that is helping to improve the livelihoods of farmers while also mitigating climate change. Though the farmer does follow organic practices, he is not organic certified, which is why the product doesn’t have the organic label.

Though grown in the San Jose region of Nicaragua, the coffee maintains its freshness by being dark roasted in the UK. Lean Caffeine actually buys the whole crop off the farmer and then processes it themselves.

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Lucifer’s Roast

This Italian Robusta coffee by KIQO comes in a 1kg pack. It’s described as “extremely strong coffee beans” that are low in acid.

The company describe its low acidity being down to its use of 100% Robusta beans, which also provide its extreme strength. If you like your espresso like the Italians, you’ll love this brew.

It is an ideal coffee for both American and espresso and is full-bodied with a fine crema. The beans are picked by hand and assured to have no cracks. They’re also roasted by hand so that each bean receives the perfect even roasting. There is a maximum of 5kg of beans roasted at once, which means this is the opposite of mass-produced coffee.

The company adds no flavour enhancers or additives and the production process is biologically sustainable as well as vegan.

The beans are sourced from coffee farmers directly so there are no intermediaries. They’re grown in Vietnam, Indonesia, Nicaragua (altura), and Guatemala (altura).

The clue’s in the name. Lucifer’s Roast is a devilish coffee that is apparently, one of the strongest coffees available in Europe and its caffeine content is 2.86% (5.71 mg per cup).

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MyPaleo Coffee

This coffee by MyPaleo is designed for followers of a Paleo diet. It is a strong and dark roast that is naturally high in caffeine, low in acid, and free from mycotoxins. It’s also organic and pesticide free.

MyPaleo uses a blend of Arabic and Premium Robusta beans that are roasted and packed in the UK. The coffee can be used as a pour-over, French press, AeroPress, cold brew or espresso.

It can be bought in 1kg bags of either beans or ground coffee, or 227g and 500g bags of ground coffee.

MyPaleo claims that their coffee won’t give you that caffeine crash a few hours after consumption. This is due to it being free from mould toxins, heavy metals and pesticides. They design a roasting profile for each of their coffee lots in order to minimise the risks to health and maximise the health benefits.

As well as this dark & strong version, they also have a light roast.

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HealthWise Low Acid Coffee

Though HealthWise Low Acid coffee looks a little more old-fashioned than some of the other coffees in this article, don’t let that put you off. This is a Columbian decaffeinated low-acid coffee that comes in a large, 340g tub.

This really is a coffee for people who need a low acid alternative. If you’re really suffering from problems due to the acidity of coffee, this is an option but it is very expensive for what it is – especially when you consider the lack of caffeine too.

HealthWise make their coffee using a trademarked process called TechnoRoasting™ which reduces the natural acidity and bitterness of coffee to produce a rich, smooth cup that is kind on the stomach. It’s ideal for anyone with acid reflux, for example. HealthWise coffee has a pH of 6.18, which means it is over ten times less acidic than your average coffee.

Though the acidity is removed, the process won’t remove the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals from the coffee. There are no additives used either.

The beans are sourced from Colombia’s Paisa region, a rural area in the Coffee Triangle to the west of Bogotá.

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Verdict On Low Acid Coffee

Compared to a few years ago, the UK is awash with a variety of low acid coffees. As ever, quality (and taste) varies depending on what you go for and how much you’re willing to pay.

If you’re looking for a good all-rounder that is low in acid but still has great flavour, Exhale Organic House Roast is a fine choice.

This is naturally low in acid and has many other benefits like being single origin, sustainable, and organic. Let us know if you’ve found a great low acid coffee we’ve not mentioned.