Capresso Burr Grinder: To Infinity and…Coffee?

The entry-level electric coffee grinder market is fairly competitive, so it can be difficult to decide which machine is best for you. Here, we’ll be reviewing the Capresso Burr Grinder lineup, including the Infinity, Infinity Plus, and even the base-level Coffee Burr Grinder.

At A Glance: Our Top 3 Picks for Capresso Burr Grinder

 
So stay tuned to find out how we felt about these models. You’ll see who we think they’re best suited for plus some alternative options in case you want to continue your search. 

Capresso Overview

Capresso is a Swiss-based company that mainly makes mid to high-end espresso machines, grinders, coffeemakers, frothers, and water kettles. The name is a mix of “cappuccino” and “espresso,” and serves as the company’s inspiration as innovators. Furthermore, they were founded in 1994 and are owned by  Jura Inc, so they’re still relatively new to the coffee scene. Their products are aimed primarily at the American market.

Capresso Burr Grinder Lineup

Infinity Plus Conical Burr Grinder (575.05)

The Infinity Plus is the stepped up version of the older Infinity grinder. It has 16 settings, divided into 4 categories with 4 steps each: extra fine, fine, regular, and coarse. The extremes are advertised as being appropriate for Turkish to Percolator brewing. And the burrs are accurate within 1/250 of an inch (0.1mm). Also, the bean hopper can hold 11oz of unground beans and the grounds container can hold about 4 oz.

The settings are easy to understand and change, so you won’t have to worry about the confusion of continuous brewing or be overwhelmed by an exorbitant number of options. Additionally, this particular model as have-duty zinc die-cast housing, as opposed to the ABS housing of the other Plus models. 

Furthermore, all Infinity Plus models are equipped with a safety lock system to ensure your safety during and after use. There is an auto-off feature that engages when the bean container is not locked as well. 

Lastly, this machine is touted as the “lowest noise grinder on the market,” which it actually lives up to pretty well.

Again, you can get a discounted price for the ABS model (570.01). It has the same number of grind settings and other than the weight, dimensions, and housing, the models are essentially identical. 

Infinity Conical Burr Grinder (565.05)

For the most part, the Infinity 565.05 is nearly identical to the Infinity Plus 575.05. It has the same number of grind settings, low noise level, steel burrs, and have duty zinc die cast housing. 

The only really difference between the two models is the weight and capacity. The 565 is a pound lighter than the Plus versions (for both the stainless steel and plastic models). Additionally, it is about an inch shorter. 

With the smaller, lighter profile comes slighter less capacity in the bean hopper. While the plus can hold 11 ounces of whole beans, the non-plus models hold 8.8 ounces. However, they hold the same amount of ground coffee in the grounds container (4 ounces).

You can get the lighter, stainless finish or black 560.04 or 560.01 models for a little cheaper if you are willing to compromise on the build materials and noise level.

Coffee Burr Grinder (591.05)

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Lastly, we have the Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder. Unfortunately, with a big step down in price comes a pretty big step down in features and functionality. While the other Capresso grinders do have some safeguards against static, this one definitely does not. 

The overall look of the machine is a bit cheap and plastic, which is typical of this price point. It only has 9 grind settings to work with and the timer comes in the form of a little slider, which controibutes to the plastic-y toy look of it. Additionally, it’s significantly louder than the other machines. 

However, to this machine’s credit, the 1st, most fine setting is actually more consistent than the finest setting on the Infinity models. And it’s still appropriate to use for a pressurized portafilter. So if that’s all you need, then this machine could work for you.

Nonetheless, we wouldn’t recommend going for this machine. You can get a better quality and range of grinds with a manual grinder if money is your concern. Plus, you’ll expend just as much effort contending with the static on this machine as you would actually grinding with another tool. 

Capresso Blade Grinder?

Cool Grind Pro

Yes, Capresso, like most brands that want to offer a broader price range on grinders, does have a Blade Grinder. It’s called the Cool Grind Pro and is pretty standard as far as blade grinders go. 

It has stainless steel grinding blades and a 3.5 ounce grounds capacity. It’s pulse operated and has a clear see-through safety lid so you can monitor your grind as you go. Capresso is a little more upfront about the limitations of this blade grinder than other brands are about theirs. 

They recommend pulsing in 2-3 second intervals and going for a total of 8-10 seconds for a coarse grind and 10-15 seconds for a medium grind. However, they do state that you shouldn’t use this machine for finer grinds as it cannot achieve the same uniformity as a burr grinder. 

Blade vs Burr

The Cool Grind Pro is the perfect example of why we recommend avoiding blade grinders. It’s about the same price as a good manual grinder, so it’s surprisingly cheap for an electric grinder. But with that price point comes some serious compromises on quality. 

Blade grinders function much like blenders or helicopter blades, they might be great for smoothies or flying, but they are hot garbage when it comes to grinding coffee. The blades haphazardly slice up your beans, and where consistency is key (which is everywhere in coffee brewing) this method falls short…by a long shot. 

Also, while the pricing puts these machines in entry-level ranges, the method of grinding is actually rather difficult. You have to use a pulse function to gradually grind your beans until you visually identify them as the correct grind size. This can be extremely difficult for a beginner and even a relatively experienced barista due to inconsistency issues. 

However, the Cool Grind Pro is also advertised as being viable for herb and spice processing, so perhaps it could have more success there where the exact size and consistency of the grind is less important. 

Common Features

Warranty

All of these Capresso grinders some with a 1-year limited warranty. This covers any issues you might experience with defective materials or workmanship. However, it does not cover damage caused by the user through accident, abuse, negligence, misuse, or improper maintenance.

Low-Noise

Some of the models listed above are advertised as being the “lowest noise grinder on the market.” Nonetheless, even the ones that do not receive this label are marked as “extremely low” or “best in class” noise. Which is true as far as electric grinders are concerned. 

However, if you live in a house of light sleepers and they are situated close to the kitchen, you may still have an issue with noise, as you would with any other electric grinder–just not as much. If noise is a serious issue for your household, we recommend going with a manual grinder, as these will be the quietest option. 

Pulse Grinding

Pulse grinding allows you to achieve grind levels between or beyond the preset ones. All of the models except the 591.05 have this feature. However, it’s not all that convenient or practical to use. So if you want more grind options, it would be better to look into other machines rather than trying to pulse to perfection with these.

Steel Burrs

Both the Infinity and Infinity Plus models have commercial grade conical steel burr grinders. This is pretty good, though they will wear down over time and need to be replaced, unlike ceramic ones. However, the steel means they are more durable overall, so there’s less chance of them getting broken or chipped. 

Miscellaneous

Lastly, Capresso’s grinders all have separate on and off switches as well as an adjustable timer. The later allows you to control the volume of the coffee being ground. The former is simply for convenience. 

Capresso Infinity Grinders Review

Grind Consistency

For the Infinity and Infinity Plus models, the grind consistency hits about the same mark as other entry level machines. At the coarser end, it isn’t great. And because this machine doesn’t have a ton of settings the coarse grinds that are consistent might not work super well for a French press. 

On the other side of things, the finest end is decently consistent, though not perfect. However, it isn’t quite fine enough for an espresso machine without a pressurize portafilter. Meaning there’s no way you are going to get to the advertised Turkish grind setting with this machine. 

However, the middle range can pull off grinding for a drip brewer or pour over, rather well. So if those are your go-to’s, you’ll have no issue with the grind consistency on this machine. 

Ease-of-Use

The ease-of-use for the Capresso grinders is a mixed bag. They’re incredibly easy to figure out, even for an absolute beginner. With the 16, clearly labeled grinding steps, it’s pretty easy to deduce which one to choose. Starting and stopping is a also a breeze.

However, the timer numbers are completely arbitrary– they don’t refer to size, weight, or time. So it takes a bit of guesswork to puzzle that out. Also, cleaning could be easier. Due to the plastic components, there’s a good bit of static to contend with when cleaning, so you’ll need a good brush to get all the bits out. And the brush the machine comes with really doesn’t cut it. 

Overall though, those issues aren’t that major. You won’t have to deal with it spewing grounds on your counter if you press the wrong thing, and you won’t have to waste a ton of beans trying to figure out which grind size to use. 

Build Quality

While we generally prefer stainless steel, the plastic models in this line are still pretty durable. The die cast housing on the more expensive models is also great on that front. Overall, you can count on these machines lasting you a good few years without needing to replace any parts. And, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to use the warranty. 

Noise Level

These grinders are pretty quiet for electric grinder. The Infinity models easily beat out the very popular Baratza Encore as far as noise is concerned. However, even the quietest model will still be about the same volume as a typical conversation. (But, to be fair, that’s about as quiet as you are going to get with a electric grinder.)

So if you’d be worried about having a phone call in your kitchen while your housemates are sleeping, running these grinders isn’t going to be much better. However, if the bedrooms are across the house, and a regular conversation wouldn’t wake anyone, then these will do just fine. If you really need something that’s almost silent, go for a manual grinder.

Alternatives

Comparable Options

Baratza Encore

The Baratza Encore is usually the go-to machine you’ll find for a beginner’s entry-level electric burr grinder. It’s in the same price range as the Capresso Infinity models and offers similar functionality. 

It has more grid options (40 to be exact) though, like the Capresso machines, the extreme end of the coarseness settings gets pretty inconsistent. However, we think this one gives a better grind if you’re working with a French press. It’s about the same for espresso brewing–passable but not recommended. And its completely non viable for Turkish coffee. 

Additionally, this machine is a bit louder than the stainless steel Capresso models. Lastly, there is less room in the bean hopper (8 oz) but more in the grounds bin (5 oz). 

Bodum Bistro

The Bodum Bistro Premium Burr grinder is actually pretty similar to the Capresso line-up. It beats out most of them in price, but it does have less grinding options (12 instead of 16). However, the Bistro can still run the gambit from pressurized portafilter espresso to French press. 

It holds slightly less in the bean hopper (7.75 ounces). Nonetheless, the Bistro actually has an interesting non-static feature and nice, rubber seals at the edges so you won’t have to worry about it getting messy. 

Something Different

For Experts: Breville Smart Grinder Pro

Now, if you are looking for something that isn’t so similar, we do still have some other recommendations for you to try out. If you’re on the market for a professional level machine that can grind for your high-quality espresso machine, then you should check out the Breville Smart Grinder Pro. 

It can definitely handle espresso and even Turkish coffee. Plus, it has a plethora of other really handy features that are easy to access. It has 60 preset grind settings which are sufficient for most users as well as 10 settings you can manually adjust on the burrs themselves (totally about 600 total settings for the truly nitpick experimenters out there).  

For Manual Grinding: JavaPresse Conical Burr Grinder

On the other hand, if you are still concerned about noise, aren’t super into electric grinders as a whole, or are on a really tight budget, give the JavaPresse Conical Burr grinder a shot. 

This grinder is affordable, durable, portable, quiet and versatile. It has more settings than the Infinity or Bistro models with 18 steps. Also, the burrs are ceramic, so they won’t wear down as easily over time. And for the housemates that really need their beauty sleep, the JavePresse is about 90% quieter than most electric grinders. 

The Verdict

The variation between the Infinity and Infinity Plus models comes down to about $10 and a slightly larger bean hopper, which seems almost unnecessary to us. You can also skip both the Coffee Burr Grinder and Cool Grinder Pro in your search for the perfect grinder. So where does that leave us? 

Is it the most impressive entry-level grinder we’ve seen? No. Will it get the job done? Yeah. The Infinity and Infinity Plus are both competitive models for the entry level coffee grinder market and are about on par with the Bodum Bistro Pro.

While we’d still probably opt for the Baratza Encore, the decreased noise level is likely a consideration that could make these machines better for your household. 

Happy Caffeinating.