Do you have a stomach that is sensitive to coffee’s acidity but you don’t want to give up your morning cup?
The acidity in coffee can cause trouble for people prone to acid reflux, heartburn or interstitial cystitis. These conditions can be aggravated by coffee consumption and cause unwanted stomach problems.
Luckily, there have been coffee aficionados who’ve tackled this problem already and found a solution. A coffee tamer.
An innovator Ismail Macit Gurol created a method for reducing coffee’s acidity and established a coffee taming trademark in 2006.
And it works. The coffee tamer’s solution is based on natural ingredients that don’t affect the taste of your beloved beverage.
How does it work? What’s the truth behind coffee’s acidity? And are there other ways to neutralize it?
We’ll answer all of these and more questions around the acid-taming problem.
What Is Coffee Tamer?
Coffee tamer is a special chemical solution that neutralizes acid in coffee or other foods and beverages. Unlike antacids, the tamer neutralizes the acid in the product before it comes in contact with your stomach. The chemicals in the coffee tamer combine with the ones found in coffee and neutralize its acidity without changing the flavor.
The solution contains calcium, potassium, and magnesium. And it doesn’t contain aluminum, cholesterol, sugar or any calories. The tamer is natural, flavorless and composed of FDA recognized GRAS (generally recognized as safe) ingredients. So it’s all-natural and considered safe to use.
The tamer can be acid-reducing in other food and beverages too. These include tea, tomato-rich sauces, other caffeinated drinks, and even wine.
The coffee tamer comes in a form of single-serving packets of granules or in a shaker bottle. It is portable and promises to reduce the acid in coffee without changing the taste. As little as 1/4 of a teaspoon per cup of coffee of these acid-reducing granules should be enough to do the job. When using it, it is recommended to stir it with your beverage for 30 seconds for the solution to work.
Calciblend is one of the most popular coffee taming products. It comes in handy packets which makes it very easy to use when you’re out and about. It is available on its official website as well as on Amazon, together with other coffee tamer products such as Heartburn-Help.
Acid In Coffee As a Tameable Beast?
The acidity in various foods and drinks is categorized by a number on a pH scale. Water, which is neutral, has a pH of 7. Anything that is lower than 7 is considered acidic and foods that are above 7 are categorized as alkaline. At the end of the spectrum is sodium, with pH 14.
Coffee usually has a pH of 4.85-5.10 so it can be classified as acidic. Therefore, it can irritate gastrointestinal issues for some people.
There are 9 major acids released during the coffee’s roasting process. Not all of them are bad, though. The higher acidity in coffee has been associated with higher levels of antioxidants.
But it can cause trouble for those who experience gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Choosing low acid coffee or using coffee tamer packets are great options for those with similar conditions. However, other people can also benefit from the use of coffee tamer by lowering the coffee’s impact on the stomach.
In fact, quite a few people suffer from an acidic unbalanced pH in their bodies. This may force the body to take calcium from vital organs and bones to neutralize the acid. This condition can cause many serious medical problems such as cardiovascular damage, diabetes or immune deficiency as well as low energy and chronic fatigue.
How Else To Neutralize Coffee’s Acidity?
Not every cup of coffee has the same levels of acidity and it is possible to influence them.
If this is your concern, these are some of the ways in which you can neutralize coffee’s acidity.
Decaf Coffee
All coffee causes the stomach to produce acid. However, it is true that decaffeinated coffee has lower acidity. This is because over-caffeination is a big player in the acid reflux and the caffeinated coffee can cause the stomach to produce more acid than its decaffeinated counterpart. That’s why choosing decaf coffee may have a good impact.
Cold-brew
Unlike iced coffee, cold brew doesn’t come in contact with hot water. It is prepared with room temperature water and very long steeping time, which causes it to be around 67% less acidic.
Darker Roast
Choosing a darker roast lowers the acidity of your coffee while the medium roast is often used to bring it out. This is also what makes the coffee to be described as “bright” and makes medium roasts popular with pour-over brewing methods.
Low-acid Coffee Beans
As the demand for low-acid coffees grows, the market is expanding too. Some of these coffee beans are produced naturally in methods that reduce the acidity, others have acid-reducing components added to them.
Arabica
Arabica coffee beans are less acidic than the Robusta beans and could be a good thing to consider when trying to aim for lower acidity.
Add Milk Or Cream
Adding milk or cream contributes to neutralizing the coffee’s acidity and makes the coffee smoother. It is also the reason why milk tends to work better with darker roasts while medium roasts are recommended when drinking the coffee black.
The Coffee Region
High altitude and volcanic soils often contribute to the higher levels of acidity in a given coffee region. At the same time, different regions are known for different levels of acidity as well as the flavor profile. For example, Kenyan coffee is known to be very acidic and fruity, in contrast to coffee from Brazil or Sumatra which are pretty much the opposite.
Think About Extraction
Under-extracting your coffee, by using a shorter brewing time or a grind that is too coarse, makes coffee more acidic too. Not to mention it makes it taste disappointing and flat.
Add Salt
You’ve probably heard this trick but that’s because it works. Adding a pinch of salt to your grounds before brewing, using any method, can help to neutralize the pH as well as bring out the coffee’s sweetness.
To Tame or Not to Tame?
Coffee tamer is a formula of acid-reducing granules that are successful in balancing coffee’s pH levels without changing the taste. And unlike antacids, it changes these levels even before your body has to deal with them.
If you have a condition that causes acid reflux, heartburn or interstitial cystitis which can be provoked by coffee’s consumption, using the coffee tamer packets can be a great option to make your coffee or tea easier on your stomach.
While you can’t avoid acid altogether when drinking coffee, you can opt for the versions that will have lower levels. This could mean going for cold brew, decaf coffee or a darker roast.
Most of the reviews for the coffee tamers rave about them and claim that they don’t affect the taste while they can enjoy the benefits of lower acidity. Some coffee enthusiasts, however, say that the coffee tamer slightly affects the aftertaste of your cup.
Ready to find out for yourself?
Whatever your acidity preference,
Stay caffeinated!
