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Is Coffee Acidic? A Guide to Coffee Acidity

MIU DM Team
Two hands holding a white cup of coffee against a black background. The surface of the coffee is light brown with a white latte art pattern on it in the shape of leaves.

Is coffee acidic or alkaline? Coffee is slightly acidic with an average pH of 5 on the pH scale (the neutral pH is 7).

However, the pH level of coffee is slightly different from its acidity. A coffee’s pH level measures the acid level or how acidic it is. Most coffees don’t deviate too much from the average pH level range. On the other hand, coffee acidity is a term used to describe one aspect of the coffee’s taste. It’s defined as the sharp, pleasant flavour in every sip, which differs among coffee types.

Coffee acidity is essential to the coffee-drinking experience. It adds character and flavour to the drink, without which your coffee would taste flat and dull. 

Your average packet of instant coffee from the supermarket may taste good enough, but it’s not the best way to experience acidity. Specialty coffees provide the best flavour experience, as the beans are washed during processing, which brings out acidity during brewing.

Let’s discover how acidity enhances your favourite morning brew.

Coffee Acidity Taste

A cup of coffee with some coffee beans scattered around it. Beside the cup are some fruits - two green limes, two small red strawberries, a green apple, an orange, and a peach.

Coffee acidity is often compared to the taste of fruits like apples, berries, and citrus fruits. 

Acidity tends to be sweet, refreshing, or slightly sharp. Coffee lovers describe it as the taste of berries, citrus fruits, or dry wine. The reason for all these different flavour descriptions lies in the type of coffee acidity.

1. Malic Acidity

Many green apples are laid out to fill the entire image. One of the apples is sliced into half and in the centre of the image.

Malic acid makes the coffee taste like green apples or any type of green fruit, such as kiwis, limes, and green grapes. That’s because malic acidity is often associated with the tart, crisp flavour of unripe fruits, which are green in colour.

2. Citric Acidity

Various citrus fruits are laid out to fill the entire image. Some of them are oranges, green lines, and dark orange grapefruits. Some of the fruits are sliced in half.

Citric acid, as the name suggests, adds the flavour of citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges. Arabica coffee beans grown at high elevations tend to have more citric acid than robusta beans. It adds a burst of bright energy to your cup.

3. Tartaric Acidity

A glass of dark purple wine, half-filled. Beside the glass on the right is a glass carafe, which is also half-filled with the same wine. There is a bunch of dark purple grapes beside the wine glass on the left side

Tartaric acid is associated with grapes and can also add a characteristic wine-like flavour to the coffee. It’s a less common acidity type.

4. Acetic Acidity

Two glass bottles of vinegar. One glass bottle is round and wide, with clear vinegar. The second glass bottle is narrow, with yellow vinegar

Acetic acidity has a vinegary taste and smell, like fermentation. When paired with sugar, it may create a wine or champagne-like flavour in the coffee.

5. Chlorogenic Acidity

Chlorogenic acids influence the coffee taste during brewing. Chlorogenic acidity is also believed to be responsible for the unpleasant bitter taste in coffee after it’s been brewed for too long.

What Affects Acidity?

Many factors affect the coffee acidity level, including location, coffee bean variety, soil quality, and the roasting and brewing process.

1. Location

A view of the Ethiopian highlands. There are hilly mountains covered with green and brown vegetation, with patches of open field nestled within. The sky in the distance is dark blue with clouds.

Where coffee beans are grown affects the coffee acidity due to a confluence of factors like climate, soil quality, and growing methods, which vary by culture and region.

2. Coffee Bean Variety

A branch with green leaves and clusters of red or light orange and green coffee cherries in various states of ripening

Arabica coffee beans tend to be more acidic than Robusta. Robusta beans don’t have citric and phosphoric acid.

One reason for the differences in acidity between coffee varieties is the elevation. 

Arabica beans are grown at higher altitudes. Coffee plants grow slowly at higher elevations due to the lower temperatures, which gives them more time to absorb nutrients. The coffee cherries become more acidic and develop a more complex flavour as more nutrients are absorbed.

Robusta beans contain more chlorogenic acids than Arabica beans, which makes them more bitter. 

While this tends to be true for most coffees, it’s not always the case. Genetics can also affect the acidity of coffee beans.

3. Soil Quality

Flat brown soil.

Mineral-rich soil, like those in volcanic regions, tends to grow coffee beans with a bright and fruity acidity. Soil that’s high in metals like copper and iron results in coffee beans that taste more chocolatey, like cocoa.

Other elements of soil quality, like porosity and drainage, can also affect the coffee bean acidity.

4. Roasting Process

A large round silver barrel with a piece of white machinery inside. The barrel is filled with coffee beans being roasted.


In general, darker roasts have a bitter taste (lower acidity), and lighter roasts have a sharper and fruitier taste (more acidity).

5. Brewing Process

A glass jar of coffee with a handle. A filter is on top of the glass jar with filter paper inside. A silver pot is pouring water into the filter to brew the coffee.

You might think that coffee acidity can’t be changed at the last stage – brewing your coffee. It’s true to some extent. You can’t drastically change the flavour profile – a fruity coffee will taste like fruit no matter how you brew it. However, brewing methods can change the flavour intensity.

Brewing pressure and temperature affect how much acid you extract from the coffee bean, which impacts the taste. For instance, with a shorter brew time, you might get a light fruity flavour compared to a more intense taste that comes with higher temperatures and longer brewing times.

You can quickly customise this with an espresso machine. Adjust the settings to customise the ground coffee level, water temperature, and brew time. Not satisfied? Try brewing coffee again with different settings.

If you prefer the manual process of pouring and brewing coffee with a filter, adjust the grind size for coffee grounds, water temperature, and filtering time to change the acidity. Manual grinding and brewing give you more flexibility and precise control over the final flavour compared to using an espresso machine.

Which Coffee Has The Best Acidity?

What counts as the ‘best’ acidity is subjective, but Arabica beans are the most popular type of specialty coffee bean. Their sweet and fruity flavours have a pleasant aroma, which appeals to many people. 

If you’re just getting into specialty coffee, Arabica beans are the place to start. Even if you’re a seasoned coffee brewing expert who’s found their coffee niche and favourite flavour profile, Arabica beans are a classic that rewards you with a superior drinking experience.

Kofrika’s Guji Shaakkisoo and Yirgacheffe Chelbesa beans have a light roast level and an aroma of tropical fruits and flowers. The acidity is soft and pleasant.

Conclusion

Coffee acidity creates an experience that’s affected by many factors, from the time a coffee plant is grown to when you finally brew it at home. Try different types of specialty coffee beans, or experiment with different brewing methods to find a flavour profile that you like.