- Jun 25, 2026
- 112
- 11
I can't drink most coffee that other people brew. Most of it harms my guts and there's a pretty good chance of it making me violently ill. What exactly is bothering me in other people's coffee, I'm not exactly sure. But strength of the brewing clearly matters, likely the acidity, and there may be other factors like molds or industrial contaminants with what's on offer.
I chased "low acid" coffee for about 6 months, on the theory that various acids were main drivers of my problems. Going "low acid" did help me. However it was difficult for me to source anything good locally, or when I was traveling.
I gave up on that, and started picking coffees based on declared flavor notes as a rough guide. For instance if it claimed citrusy flavors, I'd avoid it. I also recently made a rule that if the bag doesn't have a roasting date on it, I'm not buying it. I only buy things within about 2 weeks of being roasted. Since I started doing that, my problems have almost gone away. This makes me wonder if molded or oxidized coffee is somehow really my problem.
I could say more on the subject, but that will do for now. My point is, don't assume that "what everyone else is drinking" is good for you.
I almost forgot to talk about caffeine rather than just "health" lol. I meticulously control my brew strength in my own coffee. I don't need my doors getting blown off. There's not much point in saying "how many cups" I drink because you don't know how strong it is or how much caffeine it's got in it. I know I"m drinking things less potent than what they serve in a coffee house. It's a pity. I love coffee but can't really avail myself of the coffee house as a social institution.
I chased "low acid" coffee for about 6 months, on the theory that various acids were main drivers of my problems. Going "low acid" did help me. However it was difficult for me to source anything good locally, or when I was traveling.
I gave up on that, and started picking coffees based on declared flavor notes as a rough guide. For instance if it claimed citrusy flavors, I'd avoid it. I also recently made a rule that if the bag doesn't have a roasting date on it, I'm not buying it. I only buy things within about 2 weeks of being roasted. Since I started doing that, my problems have almost gone away. This makes me wonder if molded or oxidized coffee is somehow really my problem.
I could say more on the subject, but that will do for now. My point is, don't assume that "what everyone else is drinking" is good for you.
I almost forgot to talk about caffeine rather than just "health" lol. I meticulously control my brew strength in my own coffee. I don't need my doors getting blown off. There's not much point in saying "how many cups" I drink because you don't know how strong it is or how much caffeine it's got in it. I know I"m drinking things less potent than what they serve in a coffee house. It's a pity. I love coffee but can't really avail myself of the coffee house as a social institution.
