Welcome to Mavericks Coffee special review of low acid coffee brands. At the time of writing this post, this list is the most complete list of known low acid coffee companies on the internet. Since the internet is a big place and some of these coffee roasters are not, we apologize if we missed anyone. We will add to the list if any other low acid coffee brands come to our attention.
According to Coffeebeaned.com, which compiles a list, there are approximately 1,600 coffee roasters in the United States. Considering there is less than 20 low acid coffees roasters that I have found that means there are less than .01% of coffee roasters that concern themselves with producing coffee with less acid.
So not only is choice, supply, and availability a concern, but you might have a hard time finding a roaster that even makes coffee with low acidity. Also, keep in mind that not every coffee roaster that claims to have a low acid coffee, produces a truly low acid coffee.
So what is the best low acid coffee? Who are the least acidic coffee brands? I will be endeavoring to answer this and other questions.
In our ultimate guide to low acid coffee brands, I will be putting each of these low acid coffee brands through a rigorous test. I will be evaluating each roasting company’s entire process from roasting to fulfillment and everything in between. I will also be detailing what you can expect to taste in your cup and I will also be sending each coffee out to a lab for an independent analysis from a third party lab in order to see just how low in acid these coffees really are. Here is a list of the areas will be evaluating.
My testing will not include any national coffee brand that happens to make one coffee that is low acid. For example, if Folgers or Maxwell House produces a less aciditic coffee, you will not need this list to find them as they have the resources to get their product found. This list is for people that are searching for low acid coffee beans that are specialty grade and well worth drinking.
Why People are Suffering from High Acid Coffee?
I have observed many trends within my 13 years in the coffee industry, and I have identified three major reasons that more people are suffering from drinking coffee today than ever before.
- Coffee continues to gain in popularity and the in the frequency consumed. This is not your Daddy’s cup of coffee. More people than ever including kids drink coffee, and the frequency of consumption per individual has increased dramatically.
Coffee is not only trendy and cool, but most importantly coffee tastes better than ever before. Thanks to big coffee national chain stores, popularizing espresso based hot and cold drinks like mochas and flavored lattes, the pool of drinkers has become both larger and there is a more broad appeal to a much younger audience. While sugar helps, one of the reasons coffee tastes better today, is the specialty coffee industry and its firm reliance on specialty grade high-grown Arabica coffees. These high-grown Arabica coffees are better quality and simply taste better. This brings us to our second reason that more people are suffering from affects of high acid coffees.
- These great tasting high-grown specialty Arabica coffee beans today can be higher in acidity. High-grown Arabica are typically denser in cellular structure and can contain more organic acids, including Chlorogenic acid. Many of these organic acid compounds can present unique flavor notes in the cup. Which leads us to our third reason, more people are struggling with sensitivity to coffee.
- Coffee roasters today are roasting their coffees shorter and at lower temperatures in an attempt to capture the flavor notes presented by these other organic acid compounds. The conventional roast profile used by most coffee roasters today is simply less effective at reducing acidity in coffee. (link to article)The modern roast profile is the main culprit in contributing to this problem. In a nut shell, modern roast profiles, roast coffee much faster and they finish the roast at much lower temperatures.
To produce low acid coffee beans through the process of roasting, time and temperatures are key. Typically, you will find that lighter and medium roasts do not achieve the necessary heat and nor do they have the duration of roast time to significantly impact coffee acidity levels. Key temperature points must be achieved and sustained for a specific duration in order for roasting to impact acidity level in any significant way.
Not only does the science bare this out, but it is mostly a given within the coffee industry that darker roasts, which are longer in duration and typically achieve higher temperatures can be low in acid then light and medium roasts. But even with modern roast profiles darker roasts can only moderately affect acid levels. So the coffee drinker is still left with a coffee that contains a fair amount of acid, and are left with only dark roasts to chose from that still retain rather higher levels of acid.
This is where slow roasting excels in the reduction of Chlorogenic acid. iN the next section I will discuss several methods and processes developed that can yield coffee that is lower in acid.
Why Low Acid Coffees?
Due to the high levels of Chlorogenic acid in coffee, many coffee drinkers suffer discomfort and pain when they drink coffee. Some of the reported symptoms can be reflux, heartburn, gerd, among many others, including general digestive discomfort and overly active bowel to name a few. Many people can even be affected with some of the more mild and generalized symptoms and be completely unaware. While some coffee drinkers have had to stop drinking coffee altogether.
Today, there appears to be more people than ever suffering from the negative effects of high acid coffees. In the next section, I will give a brief explanation of some of the reasons that more people seem to be suffering and why low acid coffee is becoming more popular.
How to Reduce the Acidity of Coffee
Is Maxwell House a good coffee?
The Maxwell House instant coffee offers a balanced and timeless flavor profile that is neither too mild nor too strong. Since it is a medium roast and manufactured into instant coffee, it has a lower acidity than most pre-ground coffees.
How much caffeine does Maxwell House have?
When you actually calculate the numbers, the difference in caffeine is not so big. Per 8 oz cup of coffee, Maxwell House has about 112 mg of caffeine. Folgers coffee also comes in with about the same numbers. What gives?
What does Maxwell House coffee taste like?
The taste of each brand comes down to the beans they use. Arabica beans will be more flavorful and have more sweetness. Robusta beans will be more bitter, heavier, and have more of a diner-style flavor. Typical, Maxwell House coffee is known for having a sweet aroma with notes of nuts and chocolate. From personal experience, that’s pretty spot on.
Does Maxwell House use robusta beans?
A coffee’s soul is its beans. The quality of the beans used plays a pivotal role in the overall taste and aroma. Many argue Maxwell House uses lower-grade beans. Robusta beans, usually cheaper and bearing a more bitter taste, are often used in lower-end coffee blends. For many coffee enthusiasts, this can diminish the drinking experience.