Weber Workshops Moonraker – spirographic WDT tool for 58 mm portafilters
Buy the Weber Workshops Moonraker in Switzerland: a mechanical WDT tool with a patented gear drive for 58 mm baskets, as Standard or Ultra. Showrooms in Bern and Zurich.
The Moonraker sits on the portafilter and is turned by hand. A gear train guides 10 needles through the ground coffee on spirographic, non-repeating paths. The housing is made of machined, anodized aluminium and polished stainless steel, topped with chemically hardened, back-printed glass through which you can see the gears. Coffee Coaching Club is the official Swiss importer of Weber Workshops.
Bundle discount
Automatically cheaper from 2 items – no code needed
| Quantity (any combination) |
Discount |
| from 2 items |
10% |
| from 3 items |
15% |
| from 4 items |
20% |
Applies to Moonraker, Unibasket, Blind Shaker (with and without magnet) and Really Nice Tamper – freely combinable with each other. The discount is deducted automatically in the cart. Details on our discounts page.
What makes the Moonraker
WDT stands for Weiss Distribution Technique: needles loosen the ground coffee in the basket and break up clumps before tamping. According to Weber Workshops, the method has been documented on the home-barista.com forum since 2006. The Moonraker mechanizes it.
Spirographic motion
With conventional WDT tools, the needles run on a circular path. More turns only cut the same grooves deeper. With the Moonraker, the ground coffee is mixed more thoroughly with every additional turn. According to Weber Workshops, two or more turns are enough for an evenly prepared coffee bed. The graphic shows the paths after 1 to 10 turns, a conventional tool at the top, the Moonraker at the bottom.
Needles swapped in seconds
The Moonraker works with stainless steel needles in two thicknesses, 300 and 200 microns. Neodymium magnets hold them in the holder. A needle can be pulled out and replaced in a few seconds.
Needles at two heights
The needles sit at two heights. The long ones break up clumps deep in the bed, the short ones work the surface so it is flat and ready for tamping. Weber Workshops calculated, simulated and tested the combination of needle lengths.
Standard and Ultra
The two variants differ only in the material of the gear train. On the Standard, the gears are injection-moulded from a food-safe, self-lubricating, antistatic polymer, reinforced with glass fibre. The Ultra has gears made of solid brass with resin-filled markings and lapped surfaces. Needles, housing and motion are identical. The Ultra weighs around 100 g more.
At a glance
| Function | WDT tool with patented gear drive, spirographic needle paths |
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| Variants | Standard (polymer gear train), Ultra (brass gear train) |
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| Needles | 10 pieces, 316 stainless steel (medical grade) with copper alloy springs, 300 and 200 microns, two heights |
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| Needle holder | Neodymium magnets |
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| Housing | 304 stainless steel, anodized aluminium, chemically hardened glass |
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| Stand | Anodized aluminium with microfibre base |
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| Size | 75 mm diameter × 65 mm height |
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| Weight | 300 g (Standard), 405 g (Ultra) |
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| Compatibility | 58 mm baskets with rounded or rolled rim, optimized for 18–22 g and for Weber Unifilter and Unibasket; not for baskets with a flat 90-degree rim |
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| Included | Moonraker with 10 pre-installed needles, stand made of machined, anodized aluminium, 20 spare needles (long and short mixed), coffee brush |
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The details in everyday use
Other basket sizes
The Moonraker is designed for baskets of 18 to 22 g. For larger or smaller baskets, the included spare needles can be shortened, according to Weber Workshops.
Care
The Moonraker should turn with one finger. If it runs stiffly, Weber Workshops describes taking it apart with three strong magnets, cleaning it with cotton swabs and a little mineral oil (baby oil is the same thing) and a clean paper towel. You remove coffee residue with the included brush.
Spare needles
20 spare needles are included. As an alternative to the original needles, we carry the MoonSpring Alloy Needles by Weber Workshops in our WDT tools collection.
Who the Moonraker is made for
For everyone who wants to prepare their coffee bed evenly before tamping and likes the process to be mechanically repeatable. A simple needle tool serves the same purpose. For everyone who wants WDT affordable and precise: the Normcore WDT Tool from the Normcore collection. If you want the gear train behind glass: the Moonraker. You want it or you don't. Our opinion is one of many.
After WDT comes the tamper: affordable and precise from Normcore, or, if you want more, from Weber Workshops, both in our tamper collection. For dosing beforehand: compact scales from the Normcore collection, with app and flow-rate display from Acaia. For grinders: the Varia VS3 from Varia or a hand grinder from Comandante; if you want more, the Varia VS6, the EG-1 from Weber Workshops or a Lagom from Option-O.
Our advice tool helps with choosing a machine and grinder. Delivery throughout Switzerland and to Liechtenstein in 2 to 4 business days, Click & Collect in Bern, Gerberngasse 44 and Zurich, Hagenholzstrasse 50b. Questions via [email protected] or by phone during business hours, more on coffeecoachingclub.ch.
Frequently asked questions
Standard or Ultra – which Moonraker variant should I choose?
Both work the same way. The difference is the gear train: polymer on the Standard (300 g), solid brass on the Ultra (405 g).
Does the Weber Moonraker fit my portafilter?
It fits most 58 mm baskets with a rounded or rolled rim and is optimized for baskets of 18 to 22 g as well as for the Weber Unifilter and Unibasket. It is not suitable for baskets with a flat 90-degree rim.
How many turns does the Moonraker need?
According to Weber Workshops, two or more turns are enough for an evenly prepared coffee bed.
How do I care for the Moonraker?
It should turn with one finger. If it runs stiffly, take the gear train apart and clean it with cotton swabs and a little mineral oil. Remove coffee residue with the included brush.
Can I see the Moonraker before buying?
In our showrooms in Bern (Gerberngasse 44) and Zurich (Hagenholzstrasse 50b) we show a selection. Not every product is on display at all times, so write to us beforehand at [email protected].
How quickly is the Moonraker delivered in Switzerland?
In 2 to 4 business days throughout Switzerland and to Liechtenstein. Click & Collect in Bern and Zurich is possible.
Tip from the roastery: At fine espresso grind settings, freshly roasted coffee forms clumps depending on the grinder. For the full-bodied beans most of us drink, Cozy Chocolate and Nutty Delight are our main recommendation; maximum body without acidity comes with Very Nutty. If you want to discover something fruity, you will find it in Wild Peach. Other beans work just as well. That's our recommendation, one of many.
