Within the lines, the unknown unwinds.
Our Story
In the scientific context, a "lab" is a space for precision—where calculations are exact, experiments are rigorously validated, and variables are controlled to ensure measurable outcomes. However, to confine Lab 19 within this definition seems to miss something essential.
Lab 19 was born on a small balcony on the 19th floor, the initial roasting spot of our founder, Erik. Here, amidst the interplay of heat and time, coffee beans tumbled, their aromas shifting in unpredictable ways, marking the beginning of an exploration into flavor. Over the past decade, we have honed our craft—organizing variables through technical expertise and deepening our understanding of coffee through both theory and experience. We have always understood that this is merely a way of conversing with the world, not a definitive conclusion. There remains a lingering essence, always beyond the known.
These immeasurable elements are not disruptions to order; they are part of it. The known and the unknown coexist, interwoven like a river that never follows the same path twice. At Lab 19, our approach transcends mere technical precision and replication; it allows us to embrace the uncertainties that persist even after patterns have been established.
Whether you are just beginning your journey with coffee or have long been immersed in its depths, we believe that every brew is a new conversation, every sip a fresh discovery.
This boundless experiment continues—seeking new possibilities and uncovering flavors yet to be discovered. We look forward to exploring these possibilities with you, side by side.
Philosophy
Lab 19 does not rush to offer answers — for certain experiences only come into being when personally encountered. Flavor is never a one-way narrative. It is not a prescribed language, but an open dialogue — a convergence of temperature and time, a silent understanding between the brewer and the drinker, a reflection of origin intertwined with present sensation. It is not still, but hidden in the folds of change, flowing through perception, quietly picked up by each individual in their own way.
Years of accumulated protocols, standards, data, curves, and theories have become part of our lifeblood. Lab 19 understands that technique is not the destination, but a way of understanding the world. Even when all data and theories are brought to precision, we continue to leave space for the fluidity between the known and the unknown — a space where freedom moves, and an ongoing exploration unfolds, never truly reaching an end.
Lab 19 is not only a practitioner of craft, but a curator of flavor. We do not seek to define perfection, but to open up a wider field — one that invites each brewer and drinker to move at their own rhythm, and to experience the uniqueness of every encounter.
