The Berlin roastery 19grams is one of the pioneers of specialty coffee in Germany. Since 2002, when it was still operating under the name Tres Cabezas, it has been building direct relationships with farmers around the world and bringing the highest quality coffee to Europe.
9grams was founded in 2002 by Sascha Spittel and Robert Stock, two surfers who first discovered the world of specialty coffee while traveling in Costa Rica. At a time when no one in Germany was talking about high-quality coffee, they decided to bring the flavors and knowledge of Latin America home to Berlin. They opened their first café in the Friedrichshain district under the name Tres Cabezas (Three Heads), after the three friends who started the project. Paradoxically, in a country where an average of 160 liters of coffee per person is consumed annually—more than beer or water—coffee at that time was just a practical drink for workers, without emotion or experience. 19grams wanted to change this approach.
From the very beginning, 19grams' philosophy has been based on direct trade with farmers, transparency, and customer education. The founders not only buy coffee, but also regularly travel to farms, where long-term friendships and partnerships are formed. Some relationships have lasted for over 15 years, which not only ensures fair prices for growers, but also allows for the joint development of processing and quality. Their motto when roasting? Richness, purity, and sweetness. Each bean must meet these three parameters to make it into your cup. In 2018, the company underwent a rebranding—Tres Cabezas became 19grams, based on the amount of coffee (19 grams) the team used for a double espresso. Today, alongside founder Sascha Spittel, the roastery is run by head roaster Anthony Piper from Australia and Gerrit Peters, who joined the company in 2018 with a vision to make 19grams a globally recognized brand.
Today, 19grams has four cafés in Berlin and a modern roastery near Alexanderplatz, which also serves as a training center and event space. The roastery works with producers from all over the world – from Costa Rica to Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and China. The team participates in Cup of Excellence competitions and is always looking for new and exciting profiles. 19grams goes beyond the classic concept of specialty coffee—they want to make it accessible to everyone, whether through capsule coffee machines, drippers, or professional espresso machines. In addition to coffee, they also pay close attention to sustainability – for example, the Roast for the Roar project supports the protection of jaguars in the Costa Rican rainforest, where part of the proceeds from the sale of selected coffees goes.
Coffees from 19grams
Nectarine, blueberries, bergamot, honey
Shantawene Washed
19gramsAn Ethiopian classic with the purity of a mountain spring. Washed processing at an altitude of 2,100 meters brings elegance and delicacy.
Coffee from the Berlin roastery 19grams comes from the Bensa Gatta farm in the heart of the Ethiopian village of Shantawene, just 10 kilometers from the town of Daye. This family farm, owned by brothers Assefy and Muluggeta Dukamo Korma, lies in the middle of a natural forest with native trees, some of which are said to be over two hundred years old. The surrounding area, crisscrossed by rivers, has created extremely fertile volcanic soil, which gives the coffee its unmistakable purity. Shantawene is among the absolute best Ethiopian coffees. The lot scores 89 points in cupping and offers a profile that will delight your taste buds: you can taste sweet cola, juicy mango, and caramel fudge. Washed processing at the local washing station gives the beans the right purity and clarity, making this coffee a fantastic espresso and a great filter coffee. 19grams roasts it with respect for its origin – the Berlin roastery with a twenty-year tradition believes in direct trade and long-term relationships with farmers.
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Red currant, bergamot, apple
Shantawene Washed
19gramsAn Ethiopian classic from the mountain slopes of Bensa. Clean, fresh, and surprisingly complex.
When the Berlin roastery 19grams opened its first café in 2002 under the name Tres Cabezas, coffee like Shantawene was still science fiction in Germany. Today, it is one of their most popular single origins. This washed version from the village of Shantawene in the Sidama region represents Ethiopian coffee in its purest form—no wildness, just precisely washed flavors that bring out the best of what this terroir at over 2,000 meters above sea level has to offer. The coffee comes from Daye Bensa, a family business founded in 2006 by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo. Farm Gatta, where the coffee comes from, lies right in the heart of the village of Shantawene, surrounded by centuries-old trees and crisscrossed by streams flowing down from the mountains above the village of Keramo. The washed process takes place at the Gafisse station – thirty-six to seventy-two hours of fermentation, then another washing cycle in cold water and drying on African beds. The result? Belly, bergamot, blueberry. Clean, sparkling acidity and honey sweetness that rounds off the finish. Coffee that simply works – whether you put it in a V60, Chemex, or Aeropress.
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Blackcurrant, rosehip, honey
Figs, cocoa beans, blackberries
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