Capresso Infinity Review – Best Value Burr Grinder 2024?

I’ve been guilty from time to time for taking it easy on entry-level coffee gear. Gateway specialty coffee gear, if you will. That first affordably priced espresso machine, gooseneck kettle, or conical burr grinder that whets your appetite— really gets your specialty coffee motor running. 

Because anything that gets people into drinking amazing coffee— into experimenting with it, for me, can only be a good thing. 

That’s exactly what we have here with this grinder— the Capresso Infinity conical burr grinder. An affordable, entry-level, electric burr grinder that is a great stepping stone to bigger and better things (like even better grinders!).

Let’s get started with our Capresso Infinity review!

Capresso Infinity Grinder Review 2024

The Capresso Infinity is an electric burr grinder that has been around for quite a while now. It has stood the test of time— not for being the best machine on the market, but for offering decent value for its price point and unparalleled ease of use.

Deep at the heart of the Capresso Infinity grinder, you’ll find a set of conical steel burrs. These burrs spin at a low RPM— lower than most other models of grinders. Cutting the beans at lower speeds will decrease friction, which in turn will reduce the heat that builds up within the machine. This will lead to sweeter and more fragrant coffee. 

This particular Capresso model is capable of grinding up to 4 ounces of ground coffee at a time, using its 16 grind adjustment settings. The settings range from espresso fine up to almost French Press coarse (more on that in a moment). 

The Capresso is designed as an entry level machine for filter coffee brewing. And it is good for what it is, and for its price tag.

Now that’s just a pretty rough overview of the Capresso Infinity. 

Let’s jump right in and take a good look at the features of this grinder, its design, and how it stacks up as a lean, mean coffee grinding machine. We’ll check out what’s good about it and what’s not so good. We’ll also get an idea of who this grinder might be great for and who should avoid it. 

Build Quality & Design

Though the Capresso burr grinder is mostly made of plastic, it doesn’t feel low quality. 

That could be down to the fact that Capresso used a fairly heavy, ABS plastic for this particular grinder. It comes in two colorways— black and stainless steel. Do note that when I say stainless steel, that is what Capresso calls the silver colorway. It is not actually made of stainless steel, unfortunately.

Aesthetics

The Capresso Infinity is a nice looking grinder. As far as aesthetics go, this grinder might be compared to the Baratza Encore. It has a similarly shaped body, hopper, and grounds collection bin.

At just shy of 15 inches tall, the Capresso Infinity is compact and should tuck neatly under most kitchen cupboards. The hopper housed on the top of the grinder is clear plastic and fits 8.8 ounces of coffee beans. The grounds collection bin, also clear plastic, holds around 4 ounces of coffee grinds. 

Design

The grind can be adjusted by turning the hopper— turn one way for coarser, the other way for finer. 

This grind adjustment is super easy to use. Turning the hopper all the way, past the French press setting will eventually allow the removal of the hopper. This will give you access to the burrs so you can give the grinder a solid clean— inside and out.   

Rather than an on/off feature, the Capresso Infinity uses a timed grind that can be set from 5 to 60 seconds. As you see on the dial there, we have the numbers 1 through 10. The 1 mark on the dial will grind for around 5 seconds, while the number 10 equals about 60 seconds. I personally prefer a simple on/off switch or auto on-off feature, but that’s just my personal preference. 

Durability

Possibly the best part about this grinder is its high-quality burr set.

Most burr grinders in this price range use ceramic burrs. And while ceramic burrs can be extremely sharp and stay sharp for a long time, they are also vulnerable to cracking and chipping. 

It’s not that uncommon to find a tiny stone in a bag of coffee— and if that stone comes into contact with a ceramic burr… it’s goodbye burr-dy…(sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Stainless steel burrs are far more durable.

As I mentioned earlier, the Capresso Infinity is constructed almost entirely of plastic. Capresso’s particular plastic, ABS plastic, does seem to be fairly heavy weight and durable.

Because this isn’t a travel grinder, I wouldn’t be too concerned about the plastic housing of the grinder. If there was one part of this grinder that would cause concern durability wise, it would be the plastic knob on the dial. Though Capresso doesn’t offer replacement parts, something like a knob shouldn’t be too hard to find online.

If I was a betting man, I’d say that you’ll outgrow this grinder before this grinder stops working. The Capresso Infinity is a nice step up from either using pre ground coffee or blade grinders. But chances are, if you’re wanting to become a real coffee alchemist, you’ll probably want to upgrade from this grinder to something a little more versatile at some point.    

It’s also good to note that the Capresso Infinity comes with a 1-year warranty.

Ease Of Use

As the entry level grinder that it is, it would be hard for the Capresso burr grinder to be any easier to use. Changing the grind settings is as simple as turning the bean hopper. One way makes the grind size coarser, the other way makes it finer.

To grind your coffee, turn the dial on the face of the grinder. Grinding is done based on time. If you set the dial to, say, the number 2, the grinder will run for around 10 seconds. It might take a little trial and error to figure out exactly what number on the dial you should use for 20 grams of coffee.

Cleaning the Infinity is quick and easy, too. The coffee bean hopper can be removed by unscrewing it all the way past the French press setting. From there you can remove the inner burr and give everything a clean with the included brush. Though the brush that comes included is incredibly tiny, so it’s probably best to invest in your own.

If you’re coming from using a blade grinder, you shouldn’t have too much trouble figuring out the Infinity electric burr grinder. One thing is for sure, dialing in your coffee will certainly be easier!

Grind Range & Rating

The Capresso Infinity burr grinder features 16 grind adjustment settings, covering the spectrum of fine, regular, and coarse grind sizes. This particular conical burr grinder is designed to be used as a filter coffee grinder. It is not made for pulling real shots of espresso.

While you can probably make an espresso shot using a pressurized portafilter, brewing real espresso with this grinder won’t really be a thing. It’s not that the Infinity isn’t capable of grinding extra-fine— it is. It’s that the steps between each grind setting are too big. 

For example, if you have a shot of espresso that is almost tasting great— it just needs to run for a few seconds longer. Using the Infinity, you probably won’t be able to fine-tune that shot to the point where the espresso tastes bangin’. We need smaller adjustment settings and more of them, for that.

Using its 38mm conical steel burrs, the Capresso Infinity produces a fairly consistent grind at a fine to medium setting. At a setting that I would use for cupping, which is a tad coarser than my current V60 recipe, the grind consistency is relatively good. There are a few inconsistencies, and it’s not perfect. But overall not bad for a grinder of this price.

Grind consistency for AeroPress size grinds is also pretty good. Again, it’s not the leader of the pack by any means. But to get you started experimenting with different manual brew methods and making a tasty cup of coffee, the Infinity is solid.  

The Infinity excels at finer grind settings. But when it comes to coarser grind settings— what could be called a traditional French press setting, things do begin to fall apart. Too many boulders and fines. At these coarse settings, consistent grind goes out the window.

To be totally fair: a) the same thing happens with most electric burr grinder models in this price range, and b) it certainly does a whole lot better than a blade grinder.

Pricing

The Capresso Infinity conical burr grinder is basically as cheap as you’re going to get for a coffee grinder with a steel burr set. While it might not be the best coffee grinder around, I would say this grinder is good value for money, so long as you know what to expect.

If you already have a hand grinder like the Lido 3 and are looking at the Infinity as an electric option for those sleepy days, you will be disappointed. Burr grinders like the Lido 3, or the Baratza Encore, perform far better than the Capresso Infinity. This is true in terms of build quality, consistency, and how versatile the grinders are.

If, however, you are used to using blade grinders, the Infinity is a massive jump in quality and is absolutely fantastic value for money. You will get a capable grinder that can help you explore the flavors of your coffee far deeper than you might with preground coffee.

Related read: Budget friendly grinders

Don’t Buy the Capresso Infinity If…

You are looking for a dedicated espresso grinder

If brewing espresso coffee is your jam or want it to be your daily driver in the near future, the Capresso Infinity isn’t the grinder for you. 

While it can achieve a grind size that is fine enough for espresso, it doesn’t have the number of settings needed to fine tune the grind. Better go for one of the other more espresso focused models of coffee grinders. Either the Baratza Virtuoso or the Breville Smart Grinder Pro might be more for you. Check them both out in our 2024 grinder showdown!

If you’re wanting to get into brewing using the AeroPress, V60, or a French press, this grinder might be a good choice. Far better than that dusty old blade grinder!

Low grinds retention is important to you

Grinds retention is what we call it when a grinder holds onto some of our coffee grinds. Usually, this coffee is retained within the teeth of the burrs or in the chute. 

Some models retain more coffee than others. Some coffee grinders, in fact, boast about ‘zero grinds retention’, and use it as a selling point for the grinder. That is actually the one (and only!) good thing about a blade grinder— they don’t retain any coffee grinds.

The Capresso Infinity, on the other hand, retains a lot of ground coffee. Like, a lot. We’re talking up to a few grams. Whether or not this is acceptable will depend on a few things.

If you change your grind size often or enjoy different coffees every day, this retention amount is almost certainly an issue. If you are using the same coffee every day to make a big carafe of batch brew, some retention is probably not such a problem.

If low retention is on your checklist, look at other grinders’ models that offer a low retention design. The Baraza Encore is an excellent option for that given its price point.

You are already interested in specialty coffee

The Capresso Infinity is an excellent entry level grinder, especially when you consider the price. It makes a great first burr grinder and is a big step up from a blade grinder.  

But if you already have experience with other models of burr grinders, and have been brewing high quality coffee for a while, you’ll probably be happier with something like the Baratza Virtuoso.

The Final Verdict

If you are looking for a grinder to get you started on your specialty coffee journey, take a look at the Capresso Infinity conical burr grinder. 

It would be difficult to find another machine with such ease of use, build quality, and consistency at its price point. 

Though it’s certainly not perfect, it is a good starting point and a solid way of getting into the delicious world of specialty coffee, for a low price.