Best Low Acid Coffee Brands: Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Reviewed by Urban Bean Coffee Team

on September 8, 2022

17

Products Considered

173

Hours of Research

14

Experts Interviewed

36

Customers Consulted

Low-acid coffee is indispensable if you experience heartburn, acid reflux, or other digestive problems but still love coffee.

In addition, low-acid coffee is suitable for people who want to take care of their teeth and for those who simply don't like the bright acidity of regular coffee.

We spent almost two weeks studying reviews, ordering coffees, and brewing the coffees to find the best low acid coffee brands.

Each product on our list is either naturally low in acidity or roasted using special technology to obtain a low-acid coffee.

You just have to choose your desired roast or appropriate brewing method.



OUR TOP PICK

Spirit Animal Coffee

Spirit Animal Light Roast Coffee

This coffee is grown in Honduras and has a natural mild flavor and sweetness. It is light on the stomach and is suitable for people with acid reflux.

Key Features

Full, bright flavor due to slow aging in the shade

Hand-harvested for the highest quality beans

50% discount on a set of 3 bags

BUDGET LOW ACIDITY COFFEE

Volcanica Coffee

Volcanica Kona Coffee

If you are a real coffee lover, Volcanica is your best bet. The company specializes in coffee beans from exotic countries, and their blends have unique taste profiles.

Key Features

Blend of Arabica beans from Brazil and Sumatra
• Flavors of chocolate, nuts, and tangerine
 Kosher certified

SPECIALTY-GRADE COFFEE

Lifeboost Coffee

LifeBoost Dark Roast Coffee

Lifeboost coffee is one of the healthiest and smoothest coffees we've ever tried. Its ultra-low acidity is ideal for people with stomach or digestive problems. Combine this with a rich, full-bodied taste, and Lifeboost coffee is a pleasure that you will look forward to every day.

Key Features

100% natural inadvertent low acid Arabica beans

USDA organic, mycotoxin and pesticide free certified

• All roasts available



Top Rated Low Acid Coffee Brands

What is the least acidic coffee? Our team has compiled a list of the best low-acid coffee brands and is sharing it with you. For convenience, we have included a variety of specifications for each product.

1. Lifeboost Coffee - Specialty-Grade Coffee

Looking for the least acidic coffee? Look no further than Lifeboost.

Editor's Rating: 9.7

LifeBoost Dark Roast Coffee

Specifications:

  • Type of Beans: Single Origin 100% Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Mountains of Nicaragua
  • Type of Roast: Dark Roast
  • Flavor profile: Dark Chocolate and Sweet Shades of Brown Sugar
  • Whole or Ground: Whole and Ground Beans Available

This organic low acid coffee is ideal for people with stomach issues and digestive problems. It has a full-bodied flavor with a great aroma and the packaging is natural and well-designed.

Lifeboost low acid organic coffee is a deliciously balanced product with subtle notes of nuts and chocolate.

What is the secret to Lifeboost coffee? It's all about the special attitude toward growing conditions.

The environment strongly influences the taste of the high-quality Arabica coffee beans that Lifeboost grows. Therefore, all Lifeboost low acid organic coffee is grown in remote areas, where the maximum ecological purity of the area is possible. This raises the price, but trust me, the coffee is worth it.

The highlands of Nicaragua are ideal for growing this lowest acid coffee. This coffee is grown without any chemicals and is 100% organic. It also ranks high in our list of the best organic coffee beans.

Plus, it is single-origin coffee, so you can always be sure of its taste. Preferred brewing methods for this coffee include drip, espresso, French press, and pour-over.


2. Spirit Animal Coffee — Our Top Pick

Editor's Rating: 9.5

Spirit Animal Light Roast Coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Specialty Arabica
  • Origin: Honduras
  • Type of Roast: Medium or Light
  • Flavor Profile: Mango, peach, sugarcane/Jasmine, rose tea, juicy tropical fruits
  • Whole or Ground: Whole and Ground Beans Available

Coffee grown in Honduras is mild with a natural sweetness. Therefore, it is light on the stomach and is suitable for people with acid reflux.

The company uses only specialty Arabica—the highest-quality coffee available. The beans are not treated with chemicals or pesticides, and they are harvested and processed by hand. This means that there will be no chipped, mildewed, or other defective beans in the bag.

The beans ripen slowly in the shade of trees to absorb more minerals and nutrients. Therefore, the taste of the coffee brewed with them will be fuller and brighter.

The company has a lucrative offer right now. You can order a set of 3 bags of coffee with a 50% discount. This is enough for 100-120 cups, so it's an excellent opportunity to enjoy high-quality coffee that won't cause stomach problems.


3. Volcanica Coffee Company - Budget Low Acidity Coffee

Editor's Rating: 9.5

Volcanica Kona Coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Blend of Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Brazil and Sumatra
  • Type of Roast: Dark Roast
  • Flavor profile: Chocolate, Nuts, and Tangerine
  • Whole or Ground: Whole and Ground Beans Available
  • Key Feature: Kosher Certified

Volcanica's low acid coffee is a fine Brazil and Sumatra blend, deliciously smooth, with a rich aroma, low acidity, and exotic taste with an intense, syrupy finish. This wet-processed coffee has been recognized by the international coffee community for its high quality, which puts it among the best coffee beans in the world. It's Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance certified.

Volcanica Coffee is a specialized importer of exotic best-tasting coffee beans that have a truly wonderful taste. The company strives to offer only the highest quality coffee from volcanic regions around the world.

Currently, this company sells more than 130 varieties of coffee, including single-origin, decaffeinated, and flavored coffee.

The beans are roasted on their state-of-the-art equipment in Atlanta, Georgia.


4. Quills Coffee - Premium Pick

Quills takes due care in roasting coffee and makes sure that you always receive freshly roasted coffee.

Editor's Rating: 9.2

Quills coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Blend of Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Brazil and Colombia
  • Type of Roast: Medium Roast
  • Flavor profile: Chocolate and Caramel
  • Whole or Ground: Whole and Ground Beans Available

The company has different types of coffee, but the Southern Gothic blend was made specifically for those who drink low acid coffees.

Despite its mysterious name, Southern Gothic is quite simple and straightforward for any coffee lovers. It's a blend of beans from Brazil and Colombia. The rich flavor brings out a lot of chocolate and caramel sweetness. The body of the drink is creamy, with light notes of juicy fruits. And as it cools, the taste of chocolate becomes more pronounced, but without bitterness. It has an amazing aftertaste!

This least acidic coffee is strong, so you can get quite a good espresso from it. In general, the flavor reveals itself well with all brewing methods, be it French press, pour-over, or even cold brew.

This is truly the perfect acid free coffee for your morning cup of joe. You will always enjoy a smooth, balanced cup.


5. Java Planet - Best Dark Roast 

Editor's Rating: 9.0

 Java Planet low acid coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Single Origin 100% Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Colombia
  • Type of Roast: Medium-Dark Roast
  • Flavor profile: Floral and chocolate, with notes of caramel
  • Whole or Ground: Whole Bean Coffee

This low acid coffee for acid reflux is an excellent choice for those who prefer dark roast. Java Planet coffee is smooth and not at all bitter. The taste of this drink is saturated and balanced, and there's hardly any acidity.

Java Planet Organic Coffee Roasters is a family-owned company that produces USDA-certified organic, non-GMO coffee. Colombian Arabica beans are used to create this low acid product. They are roasted in small portions, which contributes to the preservation of taste and freshness.

Best dark roast coffee like this goes well with snacks like peanuts or cookies. Java Planet Colombian low acid organic coffee is great for breakfast or even a midday cup of joe and will complement your day.


6. Tieman’s Fusion - Best for Pour-Over

Editor's Rating: 8.7

 Tieman's Fusion Coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Single Origin 100% Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Central and South America
  • Type of Roast: Dark Roast
  • Flavor profile: Chocolate and Hazelnut
  • Whole or Ground: Ground Coffee Beans

Tieman’s Fusion coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans from South and Central America. The word “Fusion” in the name means that it contains added red rooibos tea and matcha green tea.

As a result, the product has an almost neutral character and, therefore, the concentration of acids in it is low. Also, the content of antioxidants in Tieman's fusion coffee is five times the daily requirement.

Matcha green tea helps burn fat stores and generate energy. So you can get a dose of caffeine without side effects like nervousness and indigestion, with the added benefit of contributing to weight loss! This coffee has a balanced and mild taste. This no acid coffee is recommended to be prepared in a French press.


7. Simpatico - Best for French Press

Editor's Rating: 8.6

 Simpatico Low Acid Coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Single Origin 100% Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Mexico
  • Type of Roast: Dark
  • Flavor profile: Vanilla and dark chocolate
  • Whole or Ground: Ground Coffee Beans

Dark roast Arabica beans, which comprise 100% of this product, reduce the acid content of Simpatico Low Acid Coffee and make it the perfect drink after dinner. Thanks to this coffee, you can enjoy the same tastes that you have always loved without suffering from stomach problems.

The company gets its beans from Oaxaca, Mexico, and the beans are grown in the shade and completely free of chemicals. After they are sent to Sympatiko, the beans are fried in small batches to ensure they are evenly roasted. Although this process takes longer, it helps to release the individual flavors of each bean.

This coffee has a rich, smooth taste made using only the freshest Mexican coffee beans. Simpatico coffee beans are treated with mountain water and has a smooth surface. If you are a fan of dark roast, this is the brand for you.


8. Puroast - Best French Roast

Editor's Rating: 8.3

Puroast Low Acid Whole Bean Coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Single Origin 100% Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Venezuela
  • Type of Roast: French Roast (Darkest)
  • Flavor profiles: Dried Fruits and Tobacco
  • Whole or Ground: Whole Bean Coffee

Puroast produces its low acidity coffee by slowly roasting Venezuelan beans over burning wood. As a result, the acidity of the drink is reduced by 70% compared with the usual product, which is produced by popular brands.

Also, Puroast coffee contains seven times more antioxidants than green tea and five times more than other low acid coffee brands. To create its product, the company uses 100% premium raw materials. It does not contain calories, gluten, nutritional supplements.

Also, this coffee is kosher. As for the taste, it is pleasant, aromatic, such as is characteristic of dark roasted coffee.


9. Mommee - Low Acid Decaf Coffee

Editor's Rating: 8.2

Mommee Coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Single Origin 100% Arabica Beans
  • Type of Roast: Medium
  • Flavor profiles: Floral and Vanilla
  • Whole or Ground: Ground Coffee

Emily first thought about Mommee Coffee during her second pregnancy when she was on an 8-hour car trip from San Francisco to San Diego. She stumbled through her first pregnancy, drinking tasteless caffeine-free low acid brands and diluting regular coffee, and felt guilty on those days when she enjoyed a full pumpkin spice latte in a cafe.

Mommee Coffee provides all this in low acid decaf coffee, without chemicals, fair trade, and with caffeine or caffeine-free, as a mom requires (decaffeinated coffee, 1/4 cafe, 1/2 cafe, full cafe). And on top of that, Mommee Coffee is almost certain that moms will find their coffee tastier and healthier than the coffee they drank this morning.


10. Lucy Jo’s - Best Acid Free Coffee for Cold Brew

Editor's Rating: 8.0

Lucy Jo's Coffee

Specifications

  • Type of Beans: Single Origin 100% Arabica Beans
  • Origin: Sumatra
  • Type of Roast: Dark
  • Flavor profiles: Cherry and Dark Chocolate
  • Whole or Ground: Whole Bean Coffee

Lucy Jo’s Coffee Roastery is a family-owned roasting coffee shop located in New York.

Lucy-Jo creates this ground coffee using certified organic beans, which are 100% Arabica, collected from farms in Indonesia and Brazil. By their nature, they have low acidity.

After slow roasting, a tasty, pleasant drink with a sweet earthy flavor and subtle notes of cherry and dark chocolate are obtained.

Now the company is gradually expanding to a wider audience, of which you can certainly become a part!


Low Acid Coffee Brands

How to Choose Good Low-Acid Coffee

There are a couple of nuances to keep in mind when choosing low-acid coffee.
First, take a look at the pH. On the pH scale, a lower number means something is more acidic. Water is neutral, with a pH of 7, while regular coffee has a pH between 4 and 5 and low-acid coffee has a pH of about 6. Low-acid coffee is well suited not just for people with acid reflux but also for people with other gastrointestinal issues.

If you want to be sure that you are buying high-quality low-acid coffee, look for pH information on the brand's website. For example, on Lifeboost Coffee's blog, they analyzed their coffee for acidity and found that its average pH is 6.

Second, look at what type of low-acid beans are being sold. There are two types: processed (or treated) and inadvertent. 

Processed low-acid coffee refers to beans that have been subjected to special processes to reduce acidity. Slow, intermittent roasting will produce this effect, as will steaming the beans to remove their outer layers before sending them to the roasting pan.

Inadvertent low-acid coffee refers to coffee that is grown on low-elevation plantations. For example, beans grown in Sumatra, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and Nicaragua are naturally low in acid. If you want to be sure that you're buying real low-acid coffee, we recommend using only single-origin coffee from these countries.

How Do You Make Regular Coffee Less Acidic?

There are 3 good ways to reduce the acid in coffee:

1. Avoid light roasts.

The lower the degree of roasting, the higher the coffee's acid content. Medium-to-dark roasts are acceptable choices. The best way to brew medium-to-dark roast low-acid coffees is in a French press, Chemex, or Hario V60. This way you will extract the best flavor components from your coffee without bitterness or acidity. 

2. Cold brew your light roast beans.

If you have light-roasted coffee, don't rush to throw it away. Try making cold brew coffee with it. Cold brewing is the most efficient way to produce a cup of pure, low-acid coffee. Some sources claim that cold brew coffee contains about 70% less acid than hot coffee does.

3. Add almond milk. Adding almond milk to your coffee is also a great idea. Almonds are alkaline and can help neutralize the acidity level of coffee.

Low Acid Coffee and Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is a medical condition where acid moves from the stomach to the esophagus, causing a burning sensation, called heartburn, in the lower chest. The disease can be treated with over-the-counter antacids, diet modifications, and restrictions on coffee and alcohol.

Heartburn gets worse when you eat or drink more acidic foods or beverages, so choosing coffee that's less acidic is one way to reduce acid reflux.

The effects of coffee on your stomach is affected by the degree of roasting. For example, dark roasts have more of the compound N-methylpyridinium, which causes your stomach cells to secrete less gastric acid. Light roasts don't provide this benefit.

Low Acid vs Regular Coffee

Low acid coffee is obviously a better choice for people who experience acid reflux or stomach irritation when drinking more acidic coffee. However, it is also slightly more expensive than regular coffee, and is less widely available due to the difficulty of growing naturally low acid beans.

Another advantage of regular coffee is that it can be brewed with any method. When brewed correctly, you'll always get a decent drink. Low acid coffee is more capricious and won't make a great drink unless you carefully choose a good variety. Plus, low acid coffee doesn't work well with every brewing method. If you like immersion brewing, it's a good choice, but savoring a great espresso won't be easy.

Different Meanings of Acidity

When coffee connoisseurs talk about acidity, they're not usually referring to where coffee ranks on the pH scale. Instead, they're discussing flavor notes.

Coffee contains antioxidants called chlorogenic acids. Rather than affecting pH, these acids indicate flavor and quality. Coffee grown at high elevations and roasted correctly are often described as having acidic notes, and this is a good thing.

Dark-roast coffee has a less acidic taste profile than lighter roasts, but it actually contains more quinic acid, which can cause an upset stomach. Instead of focusing on the taste profile of a coffee to determine if it will cause reflux and other issues, you should focus on more effective ways to determine the pH of your cup, including where the beans were grown, how they were roasted, and how you brew your coffee.

How Is Low Acid Coffee Produced?

Low acid coffees are typically produced in one of two low-tech ways. One popular method is roasting coffee beans very slowly or using the intermittent roasting method.

Another way to reduce the acidity in coffee is to steam the beans before roasting in order to remove their outer layer.

Both of these methods help to remove acidity, but unfortunately, they also often reduce the aromatic properties of the beans.

There is no exact science to reducing acidity, but to produce low acid coffee, many companies buy their green coffee beans from certain regions of Indonesia and Brazil that are known for cultivating low acid coffee. Also, coffee grown at lower elevations is usually less acidic.

It is worth noting that coffee beans are grown at lower heights usually have lower acidity.

Health Benefits From Low Acidity Coffee

Lighter for the abdomen - This fact is crucial for people suffering from ulcers, GERD, gastritis and so on. Low acid content does not irritate the intestines and does not damage the gastric mucosa.

Those who are prone to heartburn or irritable bowel syndrome are unlikely to experience any problems from drinking high acid coffee.

Better for teeth - You may not have known, but any acid is terrible for your teeth, and caffeic acid is no exception.

It removes the protective enamel from the outer layers of the teeth and promotes the formation of cavities for longer periods.

Less acidic coffee will not solve this problem, but they can mitigate the effects. However, brushing your teeth after a cup is the best you can do.

Safe for gluten and lactose intolerance - People who suffer from the above conditions often find inflamed intestines, especially if they do not follow dietary recommendations for those specific health problems.

Sour coffee will only aggravate this, as it usually contributes to even more inflammation.

Such people are likely to tolerate low acid brands, so they can enjoy their favorite morning drink without any pain, despite their conditions.

Summary

Even if you have a sensitive stomach, you can still enjoy great coffee without sacrificing taste or quality.

Our pick for the best low-acid coffee brand is Lifeboost Coffee. This company sells single-origin coffee from the highlands of Nicaragua. The coffee is naturally far less acidic than regular coffee. It has been tested and has a pH of 6, which is almost the same as water, which has a pH of 7. Lifeboost offers all roasts, but we recommend using a dark roast or making a cold brew with a light roast.