Is dark roast coffee less acidic than other coffee types? Since most coffees are considered quite acidic, they can pose some health risks if consumed in high doses. Many coffee lovers turn to dark roast as they believe it is lower in acidity than white roast. Is that true?
Is Dark Roast Coffee Less Acidic?
The answer is Yes. Dark roast coffee will be less acidic than lightly roasted coffee. High temperatures tend to lessen acidity in coffee, and the longer the high heat exposure, the more acid content will vanish. Dark roast allows you to enjoy a tasty cup of coffee without worrying much about the side effects of acidity.
How To Classify Levels Of Roasted Coffee?
Before roasting, the green beans are very soft, have a smell of grass, and have little or almost no flavor.
The roasting process gives these raw coffee beans a sweet scent and crunchiness we’re used to seeing and drinking every day. The flavor, aroma, caffeine, and acid content vary across roasting levels:
Light Roast
Lightly roasted has a light brown color, and the surface of the roasted coffee beans are dry, with no oil. Light roast has a pronounced taste and acidity. This roasting method also retains most of the caffeine.
Medium Roast
This roast has a medium-brown color, darker than the lighter roast. Medium roasts have a more harmonious flavor, more aroma, and lower acidity.
Average Dark Roast
Average dark roasts have a darker color, with some oil starting to show up on the roasted beans. The taste and aroma of coffee can be a bit spicy.
Dark Roast
Dark roasted coffee has a chocolate-like color. Roasted coffee has a thin oil layer on the surface, often visible in cups after brewing. The flavor of the roasted beans overshadows that of the raw beans. The coffee will taste bitter, even burnt, and the roasting process will significantly reduce the caffeine.
Why Does Coffee Taste Acidic?
There are many reasons why coffee has that acidic taste. It can be from the original coffee bean, the roasting stage, or the preliminary process.
The Origin Of The Coffee Beans
Coffee from different regions will have different flavors and acidity. For example, Arabica coffee beans, the Catimor variety, will have many natural acids.
When drinking 100% Arabica roasted coffee (light or medium), you will feel a lot of sour taste. When Arabica beans are roasted dark (full city), you will feel the decrease in acidity.
It also happens when the coffee still has many green beans. This situation is like biting into a green orange, and you find it sour and acrid.
The Roasting Procedure
The roasting procedure changes the acidic composition of the coffee, producing about 30 types of organic acids. The longer the process, the darker the coffee is. So, is dark roast coffee less acidic? Yes, it does.
The Preliminary Processing
The process by which coffee cherries are turned into coffee also affects the sourness of coffee. There are two main methods of preliminary processing: dry and water preliminarily.
The characteristic of wet pre-processing is that it will give a more sour taste to coffee than dry pre-processing. This fermentation is like winemaking, and depending on the ferment time, the acidity of the coffee will vary.
What Does Acid Do To You?
Using acidic drinks could have adverse implications for some people. Caffeine consumption can worsen illnesses such as indigestion or gastric ulcers. While acidity in coffee is fine for many people, it might exacerbate many health problems in others.
Coffee has not been proven to be the cause of the above conditions. Yet, if you are diagnosed with one or some of these conditions, we highly recommend lowering your coffee intake or avoid consuming it altogether.
What Are The Benefits Of Dark Roasted Coffee?
Does dark roast coffee have less acid? Yes, it does.
The harms of acidity in coffee can hurt the digestive system. Besides the great effects that coffee itself can bring on, dark roasted coffee beans can create cups of coffee that have a lower acidity level.
The beneficial impact of dark roast coffee on the digestive system is that it can reduce acid consumption and help prevent stomach diseases.
In addition, there are many other great benefits that dark roast coffee can bring. Dark roast coffee can reduce acid, help with weight loss, restore vitamin E in blood cells and lower the risk of cancer.
How To Lessen The Acidity In Coffee?
Here are some ways to help you brew a low-acid, stomach-friendly cup of coffee.
Use Dark Roast Coffee
The above sections have proved that darker roast has lower acidity and is better for digestion. The longer the roasting time, the higher is the possibility of losing coffee acids. For that reason, a dark roast will be the easiest way to lessen the acidity without giving up using coffee.
By choosing for yourself a cup of coffee made from dark roasted coffee, you can reduce the amount of acid consumed that is harmful to health.
Soak In Water For 24 Hours
The acidity of the coffee will decrease because the acid will saturate the water. Soaking coffee in water for 24 hours can reduce acidity but makes the coffee lose its original flavor.
Discard The Ground
Residual soil in the coffee will hinder the reduction of acidity during brewing. So, make sure you filter out the excess soil residue in the coffee before grinding and brewing it. This way seems to be simple, but the result can surprise you.
Drink Cold Brew
Ice in coffee will help balance out the acid content and reduce its effects in your cup of coffee. Also, when drinking cold, coffee will bring a completely different feeling. You should at least try it once.
Egg’ Shells
The eggshell contains calcium, capable of neutralizing acid in coffee. The simple way that you can do it is to use roasted clean eggshells with roasted coffee beans or ground coffee. This method retains the flavor of your coffee.
Read more: Why do you put eggshells in coffee
Reheat & Enjoy
Have you ever tried reheating coffee before serving? If not, then I recommend you give it a try. Use the cold brew method to counteract the acid content in your coffee and warm it up before drinking.
Some Other Tips
Some beans have less amount of acid than others. Then by carefully choosing and treating them, you can make a cup of coffee with less acidity.
Several coffee shops provide lower acid alternatives. It is fantastic news for coffee fans. So try taking a look around, and you’re able to find out what works for you.
What Are The Benefits Of Drinking Coffee?
In addition to helping you stay awake, coffee also has many other significant effects, including:
- Increase mental focus, improve mood effectively
- Fights against certain cancers
- Consuming black coffee has the effect of burning calories, promoting weight loss
- Coffee boosts metabolism in the body.
- Coffee helps you reduce muscle pain when exercising
- Black coffee helps prevent diseases
- Reduce the risk of stroke
What Are The Other Adverse Effects Of Coffee?
Coffee is safe for most adults, but it contains caffeine, which can lead to coffee addiction. Accompanying addiction is undesirable manifestations such as anxiety or irritability. And in particular, coffee addicts can become dependent on coffee.
Besides, the caffeine in coffee can also cause insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, digestion problems, increased heart and breathing rate, and other negative impacts. Moreover, coffee can increase blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of a heart attack.
Solution
Despite the adverse effects mentioned above, coffee is still a beverage that people cannot easily give up. Rest assured that there is a solution to every problem, and so is coffee.
The undesirable effects mentioned above all revolve around the issue of acidity in coffee. We will suggest some ways to reduce those unwanted side effects.
Coffee with milk
To minimize the coffee’s density, enjoy it with a bit of milk. This way can help balance the ingredients as well as create a fresh and equally delicious taste.
Using a coffee filter
It can help reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed into the cup of coffee, and hence, our body.
Fulfill your stomach first
Eating something first or enjoying coffee for breakfast can also help. Feeding your stomach helps reduce the effects of the acid in your coffee and can help you feel better overall. Never let go on an empty stomach and drink coffee if you don’t want to face digestive problems.
Read more: Can coffee upset your stomach
Conclusion
Is dark roast coffee less acidic? The answer is yes. Those concerned about the acidity in coffee often hesitate to use this classic drink and forgo many proven health benefits of coffee. Fortunately, we always have a solution to every problem. If you are not highly susceptible to acid reflux, dark roast coffee is the answer.
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