WEBER WORKSHOPS BIRD: What It's All About 

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Thanks you just saved me $350, I honestly think lots of these modern add a lot of complexity in both brewing and cleaning but without actually changing much on what can be achieved on both much cheaper more simple brewers. It’s living on the grass is always greener, the market has been overflowed with all sort of brewers many of them not really delivering something new. I already wasted enough on all these promises and always just resort back to the old ones like v60 and Aeropress, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it as the saying goes.

All this vacuum brew action makes me really want you to do a Hario Syphon video. I've never really seen it covered by the major coffee RU-vid channels but it would make for an interesting, dramatic video

I didn't expect them to flip the Bird right onto the market like this.

All I can say after watching the video is: Well, it is Weber and it is indeed Weber

Man... The B roll in this was next level! Thanks for the unbiased review as always!

Lance can you create a brewer that is a rubik's cube and somehow brews the coffee inside it as you get closer to solving it and releases it once you do?

I'm not a coffee person but I love watching coffee content. I love your sense od humour, when you sing, I love editing, I love music in these videos, I love these cinematic shots used in videos. Keep going, keep pushing, keep bending that topic with your knowledge. Love the channel, love ya!

Finally people are starting to use paper filters with french press. I always just use one of those 8-12 cup melitta flat bottom paper filters that you find at the grocery store. Makes a large amount of really great full body coffee consistently for cheap.

Super helpful video Lance, especially how much time you took to compare w other options.

I know there was a lot of feedback on the editing style last few videos, I personally wasn't a fan, but wasn't about to criticise free content. the editing & overall pace of this video is really enjoyable , for me at least. Thanks for all the information you put out.

Can't wait for the Aeropress video! It's turned into my daily brewer. Looking forward to seeing how I can make it better!

Such a cool design. I could definitely see myself picking one up just for the process involved. I've used a lot of the other machines you compared the bird with, but none seem nearly as fun. Great video!

Great vid! I was just wondering how many different types of brewers were out there. Also playing with the idea of inventing something new. Going to pick up a Wacaco Pipamoka - first glimpse of it. Looks great for travel. Much appreciated.

Always Always a good watch thank you and that Fancy French Press ??? wellllll what will they think of next

love the music. production on your videos has gotten so good

Thank you for making this video. I was not on board before, and I'm still not, but this helped me understand it a little better. It's still just immersion with agitation, put through a paper filter. That said, it's a beautiful piece that looks fun to use. And just a side note on putting french press through a V60 - it drains much faster if you stir all the contents together in the french press, then immediately pour all the contents into the V60. This allows the larger particles to form some sort of filter bed, which prevents some of the clogging. It's what I like to do with cold brew too.

I enjoy my Espro French Press. Micro filter with no paper waste. Easy and quick brewing.

Great review. I may have to pick one up it looks very fun to use.

Thanks for your video Lance. I’ve actually been using the Pipamoka for several years now, and really love using it. You can also buy a special lid for it that makes it leak proof. Kinda nice to easily brew right into my cup and throw it in my bag in the morning.

Wow what a summary! You went above and beyond in your testing! Probably sold a lot of French presses too from people deciding to give that another look

Can't wait for the AeroPress video! 🤩

awesome video shots, editing and the content too.. holy smokes great vid

It's a french lift 😂

Great video Lance ❤

Nice video Lance! A few months ago, like you, I tried sandwiching a Pulsar filter under the mesh filter in my French Press. I put a little hole in the middle for the plunger shaft so I could actually “install” it in the filter sandwich. It made a decent cup and definitely aided in cleanliness, I just don’t know if it was worth the extra effort and cleanup. The Bird definitely seems like a nice piece of gear, and there is no denying Weber build quality, it just seems like all these new brewers aren’t drastically better enough to make them worth investing in. I’ve been fortunate enough to try some of the newer brewers to the market, but I keep finding myself coming back to a V60 style or Orea/ flat bottom brewer, or Pulsar if I want an immersion brew. As usual it’s always nice to hear your perspective on the leading edge coffee stuff!!

i LOVE the Pipamoka. Your assessment was spot on and once you get used to it, it brews the most consistently sweet and delicious coffee. I have about 30-40 brewers and if you forced me to pick one, I’m probably picking up the pipamoka. Great video!!!

PLEASSSSEEE do a video on siphon brewer! I've had some of my sweetest and best cups out of it!

This is very cool and we all know the people who really enjoy French press will buy it. The functionality and engineering will help sell it to the coffee brewer collector as I don’t remember there being anything as fancy for a French press option. Kudos to Weber this brewer is neat and I wouldn’t mind asking for one for Christmas from my Wife.

Yesss! Thanks for doing this!

Thank you for the excellent review as always. Part of the fun of coffee as hobby is the experience and it looks like this brewer deliver on that front. :)

your videos are my bedtime stories… not only as i watch them naughtily before sleeping, but also all while dreaming of a far away land where i get to try all of these wonderful looking (tasting) things :) … thank you and good night!

Looks like a really nice brewer to have the most control over adigitation. Thought i was paying to much for SWORKS but i do like it ( you can press aeropress paper onto it for fun). Theres just something nice about being able to put some pressure,, so for now aeropress favorite still ( cant wait for glass version). Someone soon will combine all these features into one brewer?

Thanks for the video, Lance! Was waiting to see your take on this Brewer. I got intrigued by your French press technique. Made me super curious to try it at home. Which filter paper did you use?

Cool reverse French press. Nothing beats the simplicity of the French press, no filter needed and all it needs is a good rinse.

I use a french press and it works fine, but the thing I really enjoy about brewing is the process. The process with the Bird looks so satisfying, thats the real reason I want one!

Tremendously helpful as always Lance, thank you! I'm not offended by the price insofar as it's a beautiful design, and, like all things Weber, beautifully machined. It's ok to own a few things that are more expensive than the task they perform because you enjoy the way they look and feel in your home. I imagine I'll stick with my Pulsar, but I certainly understand the appeal.

A decent middle-ground is the Espro P-series: fine mesh filters (plural), with the option of paper filters as well.

Cool video, I'm kind of curious how this compares to a siphon. That was the first thing I thought of when I saw it.

What kind of filters do you use for your french press recipe? Appreciate all the work that goes into your videos by the way man, this one was especially great :)

I am enjoying this shorter format, a little treat. Thanks

Good of you to show us your bird

Could you pour the water first when grinding fine, to get more agitation? Similar to a Clever brew, when sometimes you fill with water and then add the grounds last.

would love to see your opinion on Varia Pro Brewer/Press the press/vacuum mechanism looks very similar and they have different filter disks that can be swapped, assuming for slightly different extraction

I have it and it’s simply brilliant! For those who appreciate engineering, design, and well made objects, it’s absolutely worth it.

I had a friend recently ask me for my thoughts on the pipamoka, and I had never even heard of the brewer. Kind of nice knowing lance has also never heard of it haha

Thanks for this video! Price aside, the aesthetics, design, and workflow are what draw me to this. It also seems relatively simple to brew and like it could be a good travel brewer to bring to a hotel/Airbnb. Lance, I'm wondering - how easy would this be to use for a more novice coffee drinker? My wife appreciates a good cup of coffee but doesnt have the patience/desire to do a pour over. She usually goes for french press for simplicity so im curious if this might be a good option for someone like her (not that a beginner would spend the money on this, just theoretically). Put another way, where does this brewer fall on a chart of effort in to quality coffee out Would also like to see a deeper dive video from you that talks more about different recipes for this brewer and how changing variables impacts the brews.

Hey Lance! Great video! Do you think it is possible to tweak the pipamoka workflow to “replicate” more of the process observed on the BIRD? For an example, can you start with the pod open in the bottom, then add the coffee and then add the water? Or is the lid of the pod mandatory?

Excited for this!

Mainly an espresso drinker but maybe I could finish a bag with this every once and a while. It seems like a fun way to make good coffee with a different brewer.

Noice! While i know i couldnt afford it from first seeing it, i still was stoked to see your take on it.

Lots of people thank you for your honesty in reviews and that’s true for sure but I think it’s also important to realize your awareness when it comes to reviewing things. You’re always putting things in context. No, of course this isn’t going to revolutionize your cup in a way that makes the coffee worth this price alone, but you still put it up against some other immersion methods to let us know how it stacks up and where it shines. And you remind us that this is a luxury product with heirloom production quality and a lot of R&D to back it up. It’s hard for us watching from home to understand how something like this feels to use, and that’s really a key aspect of this. Honestly if I had the cash I would love to own one just to be able to have that tactile experience.

Cuptimo shines at lower ratios and then diluting the cup afterwards to achieve a desired tds. I’d strongly suggest brewing at around 1:13.5-1:14. You might be incredibly surprised by how amazing those cups can be. I’ve been loving it 😍

I love the clever because I can just throw the filter in my bin and it is ready to brew again. That cleaning part of coffeemaking should be part of the review

I'm going to make a prediction before I watch the video that this thing makes pretty good coffee, possibly even very good coffee, but definitely not miles ahead of anything else.

Is that a flat max in the background!? Is there a review coming soon perhaps 🤞

I'm really glad I got the Harrio V60 switch!

How do you think this would compare in cup and cleanup to a Siphon style brewer? That's another "experience forward" style of brewing that makes a pretty tasty cup.

When they make the larger version are they going to call it Big Bird 🐦?

Looks like something i could spend ages playing with going up and down and have a great time without using it as a brewer. Looks so satisfying.

The Bird seems like a manual version of a Clover Brewer, but available for purchase, and $10k less expensive. Build quality looks to be excellent.

re clever; I've been using your recipe from the switch or something from a few years back; grounds in wdt 50% of water through gabi b (or anything that can sort of drip water like espresso basket) after water is in - use wdt needles to poke grounds from all of the sides which will result in coffee grounds surfacing (wdt the surface a bit to make it nice) wait 4 minutes (sometimes i forget and it goes to 10-15 lol) drain I don't touch bed in this stage as it pretty firmly set - option a : remove clever from the cup and add remaining 50% through gabi, wait 4 minutes and drain - immersion - option b: keep clever on the cup add remaining 50% through gabi - percolation high ey, every, single, time with that said I'll get this weber thing for guest entertaining

The paper filter French press was my answer to you Patreon Q!

Looks so tedious to clean. Forget the price tag, if it were the same price as something like the Hario Switch I'd still choose the Switch.

Lance, would you consider the Bird a good daily driver? Is it cumbersome or pretty straightforward? I’m really wanting to stop using plastics so the fact this is mainly glass and metal has me intrigued as my only method for coffee making aside from espresso. Edit: I gotta add that I also purchased the Pulsar dripper. I… hate it. Lol! It’s unpredictable. Sometimes it will work perfectly and make a great cup of coffee. Most other times though it would stall. HORRIFICALLY. I’ve played with grind and it’s still often hit and miss. I had to stop using it for my sanity’s sake.

I would be curious of how the "Big Boy" from Orea with the flat filters stands up to the "Next level" or the "Bird". It seems pretty close to be a no bypass brewer, granted it is sometimes a bit inconvenient to fit these flats filters correctly without doing some origami shenanigans. Plus you get a bit more versatility and choice of filters, as long as they are large enough so you never get locked into using a specific brand.

I own a Timemore French Press which has a nice black casing and is good for travelling. Cost £20 and really can’t argue with it I would recommend it to anyone! Although I wouldn’t pay £300 for this Weber can fully appreciate their quality, tolerances and innovation for making high end coffee equipment. This is beautiful.

Wow, I thought I was the only one who used the paper condom for the French press! I never bothered pressing it though, just wetted it and then poured. Very cool video btw, had no idea all these other vacuum gadgets existed.

I trained a lot with the clever and switch for compulsory, it rarely ever made cups I would have chosen over a V60 or Aeropress. So don't worry, it wasn't your fault that the extractions didn't measure up 😅

Lance, I’ve never clicked quicker on one of your videos as I’m curious about the BIRD. However, I was hoping you might speak to the difference between the dynamics of pulling the coffee through the bed vs pushing it through. You did make reference to there being a difference, but didn’t talk about what makes it different. Maybe it’s all still speculation! Anyways thanks for the video!

Thank you Lance.

I really enjoy the clever recipe from Pocket Coffee Science. Great all round cup, body is great for 1:18 ratio.

Thumbs up because I love you, Lance, but I struggled all the way through trying to work out the problem the Weber designers were trying to solve... If the best thing going for this new product is that it's a joy to use, then I would ask why are people not finding enough joy in any of the other brewers? Do people really need to pay that much for joy? I guess they must... Look at how much rich people are spending on all their status-clutching things... When I brew coffee, I savour each sensorial moment from the opening of the bean container to the grinding right through to the final pour - whichever method I'm using, including espresso... and that's all before the drinking! Even if I need to be quick, I enjoy the process and try not to be rushed. I get the idea of Weber Bird joy, but there is so much joy to be had in any process that works well enough to solve the problem before us - in this case, how to extract a flavoursome and satisfying liquid from the roasted seed of the coffee fruit. This design concept is bordering on the ironic... It won't be long before someone makes a spoof of overengineering the simplicity of coffee extraction, if they haven't already. I'll stick with the wise maxim of 'beans before machines'... 🙏

it is a work of art and looks premium but i'm okay with my Aeropress + Flow Control Filter Cap + combination of one stainlesss steel filter and one paper filter.

It costs as much as a basic espresso machine and twice as much as a flair lever action machine. There are so many better ways to enjoy making coffee.

Hi Lance, May I know what modification did you do on the Acaia for it to be silver? Or is that a special edition? 🤔

It's the coolest brewer I've ever seen. I'm getting one and hope to be an early adopter. Looks like a riot. I wish they would make a big one!

Can you please share the brand of disc filters used with the French press? I think that I need 4-5" to test but all the filters that I see are too small or have a hole in the middle.

At that price, I would likely prefer to devote the money to an Unimatic Percolator. I know it's a totally different process, but I just mean in terms of spending a lot on something that is not either an espresso machine or a grinder. Plus, the Unimatic has vintage history, looks good, and is great at filling the room with that coffee aroma.

Is there more of a chance of spinny arm things in the bird breaking the glass? Not so much when you agitate the coffee but prepping, cleaning ... Etc. Great review.

I'm going to buy all of these, just to sell them at a profit. I'm going to flip so many birds.

How many Liters are the maximum of this bird and what Grind Size do you use? 1100-1600 between?

As an old geezer I worked with years ago said about any over complicated version of a simple process "A lot of fucking about for fuck all" Flex product for showoffs which will sit on the shelf for people to see but will never get used.

The brewing process looks like it would give similar tactile satisfaction to dunking a bag of tea in your mug while it brews. I can see how it would be enjoyable to use, and it is beautiful.

Is that Acaia Pearl scale in a limited color? Where did you purchase that metallic color?

What's going inside when stirring could be done by brewing already brewed coffee. This way it should be visible what's going on with the coffee while stirring. Nice video btw. The Bird itself seems a little bit too fiddly for me, but it's definitely gorgeously manufactured.

In terms of taste, where does it slot in with your favorite brewers regardless of brew mechanics, like the good old v60?

Thanks for the video, was looking forward to this. Posting for some engagement, otherwise I think a french press for $20 and the rest $340 on good coffee is money more wisely spend.

Based on my experience with the aeropress it seems like the stirring action of the three metal arms would be WAY too much agitation. do you just grind way coarser with the bird?

A Carpenter would charge thousands for an exquisite dining table when you can get a table for a couple of hundred at a box store. I'm glad there is a space for low-volume, high craft items in the coffee space. Even if it's not for me, it's fantastic for the guys(and gals) at Weber and good for them!

Crazy that a V60 is so hard to beat when it comes to taste. Even though it has some "flaws" in it's design like bypass and uneven extraction.

Hey Lance, what was the size of filter you used for the pipamoka? Was curious as the aeropress filters seem a tad too big, and your filters look like they fit perfectly over the pipamoka, and I can't seem to find any other data on filters that fit over it. Thanks so much!

The way you used the french press for this seems very similar to the way coffee chronicler has been promoting recently but it could be cool to do an extra vid on your experience with that.

I am going to order two of these.

May I ask, what diameter size paper filter was used with the French press?

One question: when you compared the Bird to the to the Pulsar, did you brew with percolation or full-immersion in the Pulsar? Immersion being similar to the Bird would make sense to me, Percolation being similar would be a surprise to me.

Thanks for the nice video! What was your grind size for this? You said in your unfiltered channel 5-5.5(zp6) or 13(ek43) for 1-2-1, cupping 10(ek43) and super coarse 6.5(zp6) for recent aeropress recipe. I wonder how you apply your strategy - go coarser more aggitation - for BIRD! And I want your opinion about the number of aggitation and steep time because you can do crazy aggitation, very long steep time in BIRD. Would it result in a better cup?

What kind of filters are those that you used for the French press?

Thank you Lance for confirming this is pretty much a gimmick for the price, sure it may be built very well but probably won't beat an aeropress for the price and the results, I'm specifically comparing to the aeropress because of the different brews you can get from it.

I consider a cup of coffee to be 250g, so maxing out at 400 is a weird size. It's more than a single serve brewer, but not quite even a small batch brewer.