Do you find coffee to be too acidic? Maybe you get heartburn when you drink coffee, or perhaps you are worried about how the acid will affect your teeth over the years. If you still love the flavor of coffee and want it to hold a place in your life, then there may be a solution. There are lower-acid coffees available. If you want to enjoy coffee with less acid, it's all about picking the right coffee, and then also brewing it in the right way.
Choosing Low-Acid Coffee
If you visit a store that sells a lot of specialty coffees, you will probably find some that are specifically labeled "low acid." Generally, these are single-origin coffees that have been tested and found to have a higher pH than usual. A lot of coffees grown at higher altitudes in places like Hawaii fit this description.
If you're not at a specialty coffee store, then you'll have to do a bit more reading to find coffees that are low-acid. The longer a coffee is roasted, the less acidic it becomes. So, buying dark roast coffees should be pretty safe. If you can find a single-origin, dark roast coffee that the label says has a lot of caramel and chocolate notes, there's a good chance it's low-acid.
Making Low-Acid Coffee
Once you have your coffee in hand, you want to make sure you prepare it in a way that encourages a lower acid content. There are two guidelines to follow here. First, you want to brew the coffee with water that's not quite boiling. This way, fewer of the acidic components will come out into the coffee. Try bringing your water to a boil and then letting it cool for 5 minutes before you brew your coffee.
Second, you want to limit the contact time between your coffee and the water. In other words, avoid brewing methods like the French press and percolator that have the water sitting over the beans for a long time. Pour-overs are a good choice for low-acid coffee. You could also use a standard, drip coffee maker, as long as it does not get too hot.
If you don't respond well to acidic coffee, that does not necessarily mean you need to give up coffee entirely. Instead, focus on choosing and brewing low-acid coffee. The tips above should help guide you, resulting in a delicious and low-acid cup of joe. Contact a local coffee shop, such as Mavericks Coffee, to learn more.
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