The BIRD is an alternative coffee brewer from Weber Workshop. BIRD stands for "Brew In Reverse Direction". In short, the BIRD is a French press with clever coffee separation technology. In the case of the BIRD, the plunger is not pressed down to end the brewing process, but instead twisted upward. This creates a vacuum in the lower part of the pot, which pulls the brewing water through the coffee and paper filter. That much for the introduction. But let's take a closer look at the Weber BIRD in the video.
High quality in terms of materials and price
Weber Workshops manufactures high-quality grinders and brewing tools for coffee preparation. The BIRD also fits into the range of extremely high-quality tools from Weber. And it comes with a price tag! On Weber's website, the brewer costs 320 CHF and with shipping costs we're looking at CHF 360 francs. A Swiss retailer offers the BIRD for 399 CHF.
That's quite steep for "a French press". That's how Swiss filter expert David Wistorf sums it up. Yes, Weber has presented a new idea here that has been filed for patent. But that's a lot of money, even though the materials used—borosilicate glass, the stainless steel handle, the stainless steel plunger, and the brass wing for twisting the plunger up—are flawless.
Despite and because of all these materials, the BIRD is still not perfect. It's probably thanks to the brass twist mechanism and the brass point on the handle that the BIRD cannot go in the dishwasher.
This detail is a hint at what the BIRD wants to be. After all, a good knife or a high-quality cast iron pan don't go in the dishwasher either.
By the way: if you like to work with paper filters, which we would recommend quality-wise, you can invest further. The filter from Acaba for the Bird costs 4.6 cents. Sibarist also has a filter for the BIRD ready. Cost: around 10 cents per filter.
The brewing mechanism
The plunger of the BIRD is also the separating filter medium. You can either insert a paper filter or just use the fine metal mesh for separation. With the threaded rotating rod, the plunger can be pressed down. Then come the coffee and brewing water.
- We use 17 grams of rather coarsely ground coffee, 250 milliliters of water and 92-degree hot water and choose a relatively quick brewing method. The ability to brew quickly is one of the BIRD's strengths.
- After the brewing water is added, we evenly spin the propeller on the threaded rod until the 40-second mark, not too quickly.
- Then we wait until 1:30 minutes have passed. David Wistorf prefers not to put the lid on. However, if you want to retain more heat in the BIRD, you can close it.
- At 1:30 minutes, we let the propeller on the threaded rod slide all the way down and then turn it clockwise.
- The propeller hooks into the plunger and begins to pull it upward. Below the plunger gliding airtight along the glass wall, a vacuum is created that pulls the fully brewed coffee through the paper filter and metal mesh downward.
- This way the coffee is completely separated from all coffee particles. We twist the plunger upward in about 15 seconds, giving us a total brewing time of just 1:45 minutes.
How does the coffee taste with the BIRD?
The Bird is a very honest brewer. It has the potential to show coffee exactly as it is. Taste-wise, many of our brews remind us of a cupping tasting, with the paper filters bringing even more clarity and transparency to the brews.
In our case, we brewed a Geisha from Colombia that was sent exclusively with the filter coffee subscription . Delicious...
Conclusion and classification
The BIRD is a versatile brewer. The propeller allows targeted swirling, which accelerates or enhances coffee extraction. Vacuum brewing in combination with filter paper makes it possible for us to separate the coffee powder completely and have hardly any suspended particles in the coffee. This is classically a weakness of the French press, which is why it often tastes somewhat dusty and less clear.
The materials are very high quality and the workmanship is excellent. Unfortunately, the BIRD cannot go in the dishwasher and should be washed carefully by hand, which generally works fine.
The maximum brewing volume of 350 milliliters also doesn't make the BIRD the perfect tool for brewing larger amounts of coffee, for which the classic French press from Bodum, for example* is often used.
Who is the BIRD the right brewer for? For you, if it's worth it to you. It's certainly an excellent way to make good coffee. And it's also an eye-catcher in your coffee corner. Whether this price is worth it to you is something only you can answer at the end.
Do you have experience with the BIRD?
Write to us in the comments. If you want to learn more about filter coffee, also check out this comprehensive filter coffee preparation article .
- Our article on preparation with the French press.
- Good coffee on the go: our outdoor coffee guide
- Origami Dripper recipe article
- To the article: How much coffee powder per cup?
* This is a commission link. If you order something through this link, it won't cost you any more. However, we receive a small commission that we reinvest in test materials.
