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The coffee I've been making at french press home feels to acidic and upsets my stomach. However when I go drink cafe coffee, even if its stronger it feels less acidic.

What could I be doing wrong?

tryst with freedom
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  • It's hard to say what you're doing wrong without a detailed description of your process. However is the cafe coffee in question French press-brewed? Seems like an apples to oranges comparison as cafe coffee is usually either espresso, drip, or pour-over. – R Mac Jun 14 '23 at 01:42

2 Answers2

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In a broad sense, the roast of the coffee has a significant impact on the acidity of the coffee. Check the type of coffee beans you're using. Are they "dark roast", or "medium roast" or "light roast".

Dark roast has the least acidic nature, in contrast to light roast.

Apart from this, size of coffee beans after grinding. If the size is coarse, acidity increases.

There are other multiple factors, but these are the most common ones. Also, assuming by "cafe coffee" you mean non-specialty coffee, the lack of acidity is due to the instant nature of it, that uses dark roast, and extreme fine grains to reduce acidity.

Obviously, the environment where the coffee beans are from also affect the acidity.

AjayAg
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  • Here is an article that mentions caffeine as a significant component that drives coffee's acidity: https://www.livestrong.com/article/511107-how-to-neutralize-the-acid-in-coffee . That was news to me... but it fits with the acid scale @AjayAg provides of light-medium-dark roasts being higher to lower acidity, respectively. Article suggests balancing the pH by sprinkling baking soda in the coffee, or using a basic-pH creamer like almond milk. Besides the bean/roast/method being potentially different at home vs cafe, you should also consider the pH of the water used to brew in either place. – Greg Jul 12 '23 at 18:10
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You can start with something simple - just drink a glass of water after coffee. You can add salt to your coffee, or reduce the roast level. I would advise you to try all the options and determine which one is best for you.

Софія Биковська
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