The Versalab M3 - a re-introduction

Originally introduced to the world in 2005, the rather revolutionary Versalab M3 Grinder hasn't changed much in 11 years and so is rarely discussed anymore. In fact it is very likely that many members and readers here at Home-Barista don't even know the product exists! So we thought it a good idea to talk about it - re-introduce it - and even comment on some of the things people said about it online mostly a decade ago.

The grinder was designed to minimize mistreatment of the coffee beans and thereby make the essence of that particular coffee and roast be more evident. This can be easily understood by comparing the flavors of coffee ground with a cheap whirling blade versus a good burr grinder. What was needed was a machine that ground coffee in a gentle way, that didn't overheat it, nor clump it, and reduced the problems of grounds going stale and oily.

So clearly it needed a grinding chamber that did not retain grounds, simply dropped them into a portafilter. The grind path needed to be long, so that the grinding action could be gentle, not abrupt. The motor needed to be a distance away because it would heat things up. Then, if a hopper was to be used for ease of producing multiple cups, it couldn't sit on top of the grind chamber - as is traditional - because the beans in the hopper would be sitting on top of a pile of partially ground beans that are maintained in the burrs going rapidly stale. If you wonder about the getting stale quickly part, try smelling fresh grounds every 15 seconds or so, on a clean plate, over the first minute and a half. The wonderful volatile flavors disappear in a hurry.

We managed to accomplish the list of design requirements, and the M3 has been quite popular around the world. Both in coffee shops and serious home users.

When the grinder first appeared, the unusual appearance caused people to start to find fault with the concept. That the shaft driving the burrs was only supported at one end was among the first criticisms. It was imagined that there was only a single wobbly ball bearing trying to hang onto the shaft. In fact the extremely rigid shaft is pressed into a pair of pre-loaded ball bearings. There isn't the possibility of play as the bearings are under a great deal of force in the assembly. This is actually a rather normal engineering arrangement. And then one must conclude that the system is strong enough as there hasn't been a failure in all these years.

The drive belt. First people were concerned that it was dangerous because it didn't have a cover. Some people quite agonized over it. Nothing ever has happened. It originally did have trouble grinding light roasted beans but that was fixed with a small change to the motor pulley. Over the years we have considered changing the drive system but every time we look at it - and we have very seriously looked at it - we can't find a better way. Some have thought that toothed belts could be better, or maybe gears... all the alternatives have much greater potential penalties. And as long as the machine Is kept clean and the belt changed when it ages, it works!

Hi John, just wondering if you have any plans to modify or update the M3? Especially in light of the many new grinders hitting the market that are, like the M3, optimized for single dosing, result in low retention, and offer great grind quality. Your M3 started this trend and now many have followed.

Also, grinder alignment has become a hot topic of discussion recently. Some people have demonstrated that new levels of precision are possible regarding alignment, and that it has a noticeable effect on espresso quality and taste.

Cheers!

Canuck, I am sorry to have taken so long to reply. I think my email notification of replies to threads isn't functional, but I do remember reading your note and then all sorts of other stuff diverted me from responding.

We have some experiments that are ongoing on the one hand, but in many ways the present evolution of the M3 leaves little to improve upon at this point. We haven't read about any new grinder that really has all the same attributes as the M3, but perhaps we have overlooked something? Can you tell us where to look?

Regarding precision alignment we have, over the years, continued to make the M3 more precise and we feel this has gone rather well. We are focusing on burrs at the moment, as we think that is where the next level will come from.

What year was the VL updated to handle light roasts? As far as alignment I believe that is still a major concern leading many to worry if their new purchase will be well aligned from the start or if they will need to do it themselves upon arrival. Can you share any details about new or updated tolerances for this? Also any plans to allow customization in finishes?
Thanks,
Jeremy

Okay, first things first. It is late for me, so excuse me if I am not absolutely complete in my answers.

As regards alignment as a virtue. It is as loose an idea as when the major espresso machine makers brag about their temperature control. We have experiments with very fine temp control that no production machine can match - with the M3 Espresso Machine that showed off what real temperature control can do. We know about temperature. Also pressure control. We started that. So we say that no one knows what alignment is necessary and with which burrs!? We are within a few thousandths of an inch in all planes and burrs themselves are commercially not made to remotely those specifications.

Light roasts. Somewhere in the first year of production - so around ten years ago - we were alerted to the then new trend of brewing light roasts. We then changed the belt construction and added a knurl to the small pulley. We also asked - in the instructions also - to start the grinder before adding the beans. Since that time we have been unaware of a difficulty. The belt needs changing occasionally, since polyurethane ages.

One thing we are stuck with as a manufacturer, is that we do not know what goes on with our customers unless they tell us. As a very large number of loyal customers have stated over 11 years, we provide exceptional customer service - if we know that you have a problem.

Please note that this thread is in the Marketplace, which operates under slightly different rules than the other forums. This forum is a "commercial DMZ" where sponsors can post news about their offerings and interact with potential customers, unlike the open forums where the vendor participation rules apply. Although the Marketplace forum allows sponsors to post commercial offerings, it doesn't permit sponsors to post opinions, alternative product/service offerings, or critiques of their competitors.

Given that sponsors are limited in the nature of their response, I respectfully request that members refrain from bringing competitive' offerings into the discussion, since that would tempt the sponsor to respond directly in kind, which by this forum's rules, they are not permitted to do. Of course, members are welcome to discuss competitive offerings freely in the open forum where the usual "no commercial posts" rule for vendors/sponsors alike applies.

Please note that pursuant to the above explanation, I've removed an earlier post and edited John's response to it.