Inside The Cup: Understanding Acidity in Coffee
Acidity is a natural part of coffee
All coffee contains naturally occurring acids. These compounds, which include acids such as chlorogenic, citric, malic, acetic, and other organic acids are naturally present in coffee beans, where they help contribute to the aroma, flavor, brightness, and complexity that people associate with coffee. The concentration and composition of these acids can vary based on the coffee’s origin/growing condition, processing method, roast level, and brewing method. Interestingly, research examining the chemistry of coffee has identified organic acids and chlorogenic acids in both green coffee beans and roasted coffee.
So if you hear someone say that coffee has “no acidity,” that is not an accurate statement. The more important questions would be about what acids are present, at what levels, and what kind of experience the person drinking the coffee has with it.
What about people who say coffee bothers their stomach?
We hear this often from people who have largely given up drinking coffee because of how it makes them feel.
For some individuals, coffee can legitimately contribute to stomach discomfort, heartburn, or reflux. Research shows that coffee can stimulate gastrin and gastric acid secretion, and some people report symptoms such as heartburn or reflux after drinking it. Each person needs to listen to their body when it comes to coffee consumption, yet also remember that it doesn’t necessarily mean all coffee will affect them the same way. The relationship between coffee and digestive discomfort is often more complicated than simply saying, “coffee is too acidic.” Coffee contains hundreds of naturally occurring compounds; and factors such as the coffee itself and its growing conditions, roast level, caffeine content, brewing method, serving size, along with whether coffee is consumed on an empty stomach, and the individual’s own digestive system can all influence how someone responds to coffee.
Because of that, we would never promise that a particular coffee will automatically eliminate digestive discomfort. What we can say is this: not all coffee is the same.
Different coffees contain different concentrations of acids, and roasting changes the chemical composition as well. So someone who has written coffee off completely because of a previous experience may, therefore, find that another coffee, roast, or brewing method affects them differently and potentially could become more tolerable.
Why we test our coffee and what are the results
At Elo Coffee Co., we believe transparency and knowing what is in your coffee matters. That is why every roast we offer is laboratory tested through Eurofins, a global network of independent laboratories that provides testing and analytical services across food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. We send every coffee origin we offer to Eurofins to undergo testing for a number of different things you don’t want in your coffee such as mycotoxins, pesticides, and heavy metals, as well as specific testing that allows us to evaluate titratable acidity levels in our coffee.
Our goal is not to claim that coffee is acid-free. It isn’t. Coffee naturally contains acids. But rather, our goal is to verify that the different coffees we offer meet the standards we have established as a company of having modest acidity levels. We want our customers to have greater transparency about the coffee they are drinking.
The titratable acidity levels across our different coffee origins vary slightly in test results– with our African coffees (Ethiopia and Rwanda), which come from higher-altitude regions in East Africa, having more pronounced acidity than others in our lineup and are generally known for their brighter profile. Things like elevation and thus a slower cherry maturation, green coffee bean variety, processing method, and roasting all still ultimately influence the organic acids and flavor that end up in the final product of these African coffee beans. The acidity in these African coffees is not a defect; but rather, it’s what gives them their distinctive fruit-forward and bright character. Comparatively, our coffee from Central and South America (Guatemalan Aurora & Anchor and Peru & Decaf Peru) often present with a rounder, more balanced acidity rather than a sharply bright one. These will tend to give notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts, and softer fruits.
So, as you can see, no two coffees are exactly the same! Acidity in coffee will vary from roast to roast and across origins and brands. What matters to us is understanding what’s in each of our coffees, third party testing them, and giving our customers a level of transparency that allows them to make a more informed choice about their coffee.
We’re always happy to share our Eurofins testing results with anyone who would like to see them. If you’d like a copy of the results for any of our coffees, simply send us a message at hello@elocoffeeco.com and we’ll be glad to provide them.
Sources:
Yeager SE, Batali ME, Guinard JX, Ristenpart WD. Acids in coffee: A review of sensory measurements and meta-analysis of chemical composition. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023;63(8):1010-1036. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1957767. Epub 2021 Sep 23. PMID: 34553656.
Santanatoglia A, Angeloni S, Caprioli G, Fioretti L, Ricciutelli M, Vittori S, Alessandroni L. Comprehensive investigation of coffee acidity on eight different brewing methods through chemical analyses, sensory evaluation and statistical elaboration. Food Chem. 2024 Oct 1;454:139717. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139717. Epub 2024 May 20. PMID: 38810441.
Muftah M, McCarty TR, Hartnett D, Flanagan R, Hiramoto B, Chan WW. Association of Coffee Intake With Risk of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2026 Apr 1;17(4):e00996. doi: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000996. PMID: 41677121; PMCID: PMC13102429.
