Adding This One Ingredient To Your Coffee Grounds Can Banish Acidity Without Affecting Flavor

A sip of smooth coffee is the perfect way to kickstart a busy morning. However, if your batch of java has an undercurrent of acidity, it can feel like a bad omen. One way to banish that bitterness without affecting the flavor of your coffee is to add an unusual ingredient: eggshells.

Coffee is naturally acidic, but some varieties can be particularly bitter and trigger a bout of heartburn depending on how they're roasted, prepared, and brewed. For instance, finer grinds that are brewed for a shorter period tend to be more acidic in flavor than coarser grinds steeped for longer. Eggshells mellow out the bitterness of coffee because they contain an alkaline ingredient called calcium carbonate that offsets its acidity. The upshot? You should stop throwing out your eggshells because you can grind them up and mix them into your coffee grounds to produce a beverage that's velvety and mellow. 

Simply add a spoonful of crushed eggshells into your French press (or the bit where the grounds go in your drip coffee machine) and make your coffee as normal. You can also add eggshells to stovetop or campfire coffee that's made in the great outdoors — as the water and coffee heat up, the shells will naturally sink to the bottom, making it easier to pour out a neater cup of Joe. One eggshell is enough to make four servings.

Now, you might be thinking, can you get sick from eating eggshells? Fortunately, not at all. Clean eggshells are harmless when ingested and are actually nutritious too because they're made of calcium carbonate (found in nails and hair) and minerals, like fluoride and magnesium, which are known to promote bone health. Just be sure to wash them first to remove any remnants of egg white on the inside or unwanted grime on the outside. If preferred, you could even try the Minnesota coffee tradition of putting an entire egg (shell and all!) into your coffee. The egg turns into a textured mass that rises to the top while it boils on the stove, which both clarifies the coffee and reduces its acidity.

Another secret ingredient that can make coffee less acidic is ghee. Stirring a spoonful of this clarified butter into your freshly-made beverage will neutralize some of its acidity and prevent heartburn. Known as bulletproof coffee, this beverage is also more filling than a plain serving of java and stabilizes feelings of hunger. While adding ghee or butter to your morning coffee definitely sounds more attractive and less time-consuming than washing and grinding up eggshells, bear in mind that it will increase the calorie content of your drink and affect its flavor and texture. It might be more convenient to prep your eggshells in big batches and setting them aside for later.