Almost 3 months ago I wrote a review on the Voltaire Smart Grinder, a project that I backed in the Kickstarter stage well over two years ago.
To recap I was less than impressed with the finished product when it finally shipped 28 months late, it consistently failed to grind my beans, and was far far away from being consistent with the grind size.
I was talking to the support team at Get It Right, hoping they can get it right.
After much time and effort on everybody’s part, I produced videos of the operation of the Voltaire. The support team reviewed all the footage and decided to send me a replacement unit with an adjusted microswitch. I was provided with a video of the said unit in action and that “it passed with flying colours”. Notably the video showed the operation of the Voltaire from the coarsest setting to almost the finest, with a rather short time spend at the latter where the test beans ran out.
With a commercial grade espresso machine, I needed the Voltaire to operate consistently at the finest setting. I cannot afford to have every grind session start at the coarsest setting and work it down to the finest. This is absolutely wasteful and will guarantee an awful coffee.
When the replacement unit arrived I had pretty high expectations for it. I had beans sitting there waiting to go, hell I had plenty of beans ready to go … and it went nowhere. The replacement unit was no better, it choked on the fine setting. It briefly worked, enough for 2 cups of coffee but the grind was too coarse and I might as well have drunk hot water with milk for all the good it was.
Back to support I went, and I was requested to clear the hopper and reset it back to the coarsest setting and try again. I dutifully followed the request, with the Voltaire choking when I got to the finer settings until it just stopped working altogether. More disturbingly, my coffee grinder transformed into a tunnel boring machine, with the assembly cracking through the plastic at the top of the unit. In fact all the joints of the unit is now no longer flush. At this point I felt I have expended enough time and effort into trying to get the Voltaire to work. I felt that I have given enough opportunities but the product is just not up to scratch in so many way.
My original conclusion stands, the Voltaire Smart Grinder is not recommended. I have requested and been granted a refund.
