Capresso Infinity Burr Grinder: A Quiet Performer Worth Knowing About
The Capresso Infinity (model 560) is a conical burr grinder with 16 grind settings that retails for around $60 to $80. It has been on the market for over a decade and maintains a loyal following among home coffee brewers who appreciate two things: consistent medium-range grinds and remarkably quiet operation. While it doesn't grab headlines like flashier grinders from Baratza or Fellow, the Infinity quietly does its job well for a specific type of coffee drinker.
I used a Capresso Infinity as my daily grinder for about a year and a half before upgrading to a Baratza Virtuoso+. During that time, it made coffee for my drip machine every single morning. I grew to appreciate its strengths and learned where it falls short. Here's my full breakdown.
What Sets the Capresso Infinity Apart
The Noise Level
This is the Infinity's standout feature. Capresso uses a slow-speed motor and a gear reduction system that keeps the burrs turning at a low RPM. The result is a grinding sound that's closer to a gentle hum than the aggressive whir of most electric grinders.
I could grind coffee at 5:30 AM with my wife sleeping in the next room, and she never woke up. That's not something I could say about any other electric grinder I've owned. If noise matters in your household, the Capresso Infinity deserves serious consideration.
The slow speed also means less heat generation during grinding. Heat degrades coffee flavor compounds, so a cooler grind preserves more of the aromatics in your beans. In practice, the temperature difference is small for home-use quantities, but it's a valid engineering choice.
The Conical Steel Burrs
The Infinity uses commercial-grade conical steel burrs that Capresso claims will last for years under normal home use. Mine showed no signs of wear after 18 months of daily grinding. The burrs produce a consistent grind at medium settings, which is where most drip and pour-over brewers operate.
The burr quality is on par with what you'd find in the Baratza Encore, which costs about the same. Both grinders use similar conical burr geometry and produce comparable results in the medium grind range.
Grind Settings and Performance
The Infinity offers 16 grind settings divided into 4 ranges, each with 4 sub-settings:
- Extra Fine (settings 1-4): Intended for Turkish and espresso
- Fine (settings 5-8): For moka pot and AeroPress
- Regular (settings 9-12): For drip machines and flat-bottom pour-overs
- Coarse (settings 13-16): For French press and cold brew
Where It Excels
Settings 7 through 13 are the sweet spot. This covers everything from AeroPress at the fine end to Chemex at the coarse end, with standard drip in the middle. In this range, the Infinity produces uniform particles with minimal fines. My morning drip coffee was consistently good, and the grind looked even when I spread it on a white paper towel to check.
I also used setting 8 for my AeroPress and got clean, flavorful cups with proper extraction times. The Infinity handles this middle ground very well.
Where It Struggles
The extremes of the grind range expose the Infinity's limitations.
Espresso (settings 1-3): The Infinity cannot produce true espresso-quality grinds. It gets fine, but not fine enough, and the particle distribution at the finest settings is too wide. I tried pulling espresso with it and got fast, watery shots every time. If espresso is your goal, look at dedicated espresso grinders.
French press (settings 14-16): At the coarsest settings, the Infinity produces a mix of coarse chunks and medium-sized particles. French press grinds should be uniformly coarse, like rough sea salt. The Infinity gets close but includes enough medium and fine particles to create some sediment in your cup. Tolerable, but not ideal.
For a comparison of burr grinders that handle a wider range of grind sizes more effectively, check out our best burr coffee grinder roundup. Our best burr grinder list covers the top options across all price brackets.
Daily Use Experience
Loading and Grinding
The bean hopper holds about 8.8 ounces (250 grams), which is roughly a full bag of beans. A sliding shut-off mechanism lets you remove the hopper without beans spilling everywhere, which is handy when you want to switch between regular and decaf.
Grinding is time-based. You set the timer dial from 5 to 60 seconds, and the grinder runs for that duration, depositing grounds into a removable container below. The container holds enough for about 12 cups.
I found that 15 seconds on setting 10 produced the right amount for my 6-cup drip machine. It took a few days of experimentation to find my sweet spot, but once dialed in, I just set it and pressed the button each morning.
Static Issues
The Infinity has a static problem. Ground coffee clings to the inside of the ground container and the chute between the burrs and the container. After grinding, I'd tap the container a few times to dislodge stuck grounds and use a small brush to clear the chute.
This is a common complaint in reviews, and it's my biggest gripe with the machine. The Ross Droplet Technique (adding a tiny drop of water to beans before grinding) helps but doesn't eliminate the issue entirely. In dry winter months, the static was noticeably worse.
Bean Hopper Retention
If you use the Infinity as a "dose on demand" grinder (grinding only what you need each time rather than emptying the hopper), be aware that the chute retains about 1 to 2 grams of grounds between sessions. For casual drip brewing, this doesn't matter much. For anyone trying to be precise with dosing, it's worth accounting for.
Build Quality and Longevity
The Infinity's housing is a combination of plastic and die-cast zinc. It feels more solid than all-plastic grinders but lighter than full-metal ones. The control knobs have a decent feel, and the lid latches securely.
Capresso offers a limited 1-year warranty. Some reviewers have reported motor failures after 2 to 3 years of daily use, though mine was going strong when I sold it at the 18-month mark. The burrs are not user-replaceable without significant disassembly, which is a disadvantage compared to the Baratza Encore where you can swap burrs in 2 minutes.
The power cord is short (about 24 inches), so you may need the machine near an outlet or use an extension cord. A minor annoyance that comes up more often than you'd expect.
Capresso Infinity vs. Baratza Encore
These two grinders compete directly at the $60 to $80 price point, and the comparison comes up constantly in coffee forums.
Capresso Infinity wins on: - Noise level (significantly quieter) - Hopper capacity (8.8 oz vs. 8 oz) - Price (often $10 to $20 cheaper)
Baratza Encore wins on: - Grind consistency at extremes (coarse and fine) - Repairability (user-serviceable with available parts) - Customer support (Baratza's support is legendary) - Burr replacement ease
If you primarily brew drip coffee and noise matters, the Infinity is the better pick. If you brew multiple methods and want a grinder you can maintain for years, the Encore edges ahead. Both are solid entry-level burr grinders.
FAQ
Can I use the Capresso Infinity for espresso?
I wouldn't recommend it. The finest settings don't produce a consistent enough grind for proper espresso extraction. You'll get shots that run too fast and taste thin. The Infinity is designed for drip, pour-over, and French press. For espresso, you need a grinder with finer adjustment resolution and tighter particle distribution.
How do I reduce static in the Capresso Infinity?
Try the Ross Droplet Technique: spray a tiny mist of water on your beans before grinding, or dip a spoon in water and stir the beans so each one has a light film of moisture. This dissipates the static charge. Also, make sure the ground container is clean and dry. Residual moisture can make static worse, not better.
How often should I clean the Capresso Infinity?
Brush out the chute and burr chamber weekly if you use it daily. Monthly, remove the upper burr (consult the manual for instructions) and do a thorough brushing. Every 3 to 6 months, run grinder cleaning tablets through the machine. I cleaned mine every Sunday morning as part of my coffee prep routine, and it stayed in good shape.
Is the Capresso Infinity good enough for specialty coffee?
For drip and pour-over brewing with medium-roasted specialty beans, yes. You'll taste the character of good beans through the Infinity. For light-roasted specialty coffee where clarity and nuance matter, you'll eventually want a grinder with tighter particle distribution, something in the $150+ range. The Infinity is a solid starting point, but it has a ceiling.
Bottom Line
The Capresso Infinity is the right grinder for someone who brews drip or pour-over coffee, values quiet operation, and wants to spend under $80. It won't win competitions for grind consistency, and it's not an espresso grinder. But for its price and its intended use case, it does the job reliably morning after morning. If the noise of grinding coffee has been keeping you from switching to whole beans, the Infinity solves that problem.