Capresso Infinity Plus Review: Best Burr Grinder for French Press

Chances are, if you’re in the market for a high-quality burr grinder, the Capresso Infinity Plus was already on your radar. Or maybe you’ve read through my burr coffee grinder guide and your interest is piqued enough to check out my dedicated Capresso Infinity Plus review.

Either way, I’ve got a lot to say about this nifty electric grinder, so let’s get this show on the road!

affordable and consistent

Capresso Infinity Plus

A real bargain

Very affordable

Commercial-grade stainless steel conical burrs

Easy to use

Ideal for French press

Rather loud

Not great for pour over

CHECK PRICE

Capresso Infinity Plus Review Overview

If you’re the kind of person who shies away from spending triple digits on a coffee grinder, the $99.00 price tag on the Capresso Infinity Plus should fit the bill. 

For those of you that follow my reviews for the best home espresso machines or drip coffee makers, the Capresso name might look unfamiliar. After all, I haven’t reviewed a lot of Capresso’s lineup. In fact, the Infinity Plus is the only Capresso grinder to make the cut for my top ten burr coffee grinders.

There’s nothing flashy or revolutionary about the Infinity Plus, but that simplicity is what I like. It all starts with the design. Sure, the Infinity Plus looks like a budget burr grinder. Still, it’s relatively compact and lightweight at 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms).

The bean hopper and grounds bin are both completely transparent. So, you don’t have to play any guessing games about when it’s time to refill the hopper.

As I said, simple and straightforward. If you’re in the market to spend big bucks on a flashy grinder with high-tech features, the Infinity Plus will probably disappoint. However, if you want a simple, affordable conical burr grinder that performs (and won’t break the bank), keep reading my Capresso Infinity Plus review.

Capresso Infinity Plus Features

Now that you’ve got a basic feel for what this grinder can (and can’t) offer, let’s continue this Capresso Infinity Plus review by discussing its features.

Design and Size

I’ve already said there’s nothing trendy about the Capresso Infinity Plus, and I stand by that. If aesthetics are your biggest priority, I’d opt for something like the . Now, that’s a grinder you can show off!

The Infinity Plus is no show pony, but I doubt it’ll look out of place in most kitchens. Plus, you can thank that black plastic ABS housing for keeping this grinder so lightweight. However, if you’d like a more durable option, you can always upgrade to the die-cast stainless steel version of the Infinity Plus.

Is it substantially more expensive? Yes, but at least you’ll have something a little weightier and substantial on your hands.

If stainless steel and black plastic don’t appeal to you, Capresso offers a white plastic Infinity Plus too.So, you’ve got every shade of monochrome to pick from here!

Bean Hopper

The 11 ounce (312 gram) clear plastic bean hopper on the Infinity Plus should be more than adequate for storing a bag of whole coffee beans.

Does that mean the Capresso hopper is where you should store coffee beans? Not unless stale is your favorite flavor. Unfortunately, most bean hoppers aren’t designed to preserve freshness beyond a day or two. So, all that extra space in the hopper isn’t doing you a lot of good.

Incidentally, if you’re looking for a way to keep things fresh, check out my coffee storage container guide for inspiration.

Stainless Steel Conical Burrs

The Capresso Infinity Plus grinder uses multiple gear motors and stainless steel conical burrs to whip your whole beans into fresh ground coffee. Rotating at 450 rpm, the Infinity Plus’ burrs won’t be winning races anytime soon.

Of course, a slower grinder doesn’t mean a bad grinder. In fact, lower speed can work to your advantage. There shouldn’t be as much coffee oil buildup on the burrs, since there’s less heat-generated friction to extract it.

I’ve said it before, but electric burr grinders tend to shine with either coarse or fine grind sizes. It’s rare to find a coffee grinder that can conquer both ends of the coffee grind size spectrum. The Infinity Plus is no exception. I’d expect this grinder to excel with French press or cold brew coffee – anything that requires a coarser grind.

So, if you prefer the finer grinds in life, I’d stick with a machine well-suited for espresso and pour over. Oh, and to answer the question that I’m sure some of you are asking right about now: the Baratza Sette 270 and the Breville Smart Grinder Pro are both capable of delivering consistently fine coffee grounds.

User Interface

Simplicity seems to be this grinder’s middle name, which is why I don’t think it’ll take you long to get the hang of its user interface.

Right off the bat, you’ll see that the Infinity Plus usesfour distinct grind categories: coarse, medium, fine and extra-fine. Between those four, you’ve also got four sub-settings. That leaves you with 16 total grind settings to play with.

Sixteen is far from the impressive list of micro-settings you’ll get with some electric grinders, but it’s nothing to scoff at either. It’s nice to have the option to experiment, but I suspect most people will find a couple of ideal grind settings and let the rest collect dust.

You can rotate the bean hopper to change the setting, which is fairly standard operation for many coffee grinders. Just make sure it’s the hopper you rotate – not the dial. While the numbers on the dial may look deceivingly like grind settings, they’re not. The dial functions as a timer, with each number representing a five-second increment.

Not to give you flashbacks to math class, but with 12 numbers, that means you can set the timer up to 60 seconds. Don’t worry – that’s about all the math I’ll be making you do in my Capresso Infinity Plus review.

While I can appreciate the functionality of the timer, its design doesn’t do this Capresso burr grinder any favors. I suspect a handful of home baristas might mistake it for a way to change the grind setting. Frankly, I wouldn’t blame them!

Grounds Container

I’ve covered the bean container already, but I don’t want to forget about the grounds container. Not that you could forget about it. It’s one of the easiest parts of this grinder to identify.

Anyway, the grounds container holds around 4 ounces (114 grams). My only complaint about the grounds bin is that it’s also made of plastic. So, you may have problems with static cling.

This is a problem with most grounds containers anyway, but plastic certainly doesn’t help. To this day, I think solving static cling in coffee grinders remains one of the biggest challenges we face as a species. Okay, just kidding, but it is annoying!

Warranty

Since this is an entry level coffee grinder, the one year limited warranty doesn’t surprise me. Capresso also specifies that the warranty only applies to household use. In other words, I don’t think you’ll be getting your money back if you try to operate this grinder in the middle of the ocean!

How to Use the Capresso Infinity Plus

As I mentioned earlier in my Capresso Infinity Plus review, this coffee grinder is all about simplicity. I wouldn’t be surprised if the user manual never makes it out of the box. All things considered, operating the Capresso Infinity Plus shouldn’t be rocket science.

As you’d expect, step one is adding beans to the hopper. Since the hopper isn’t the ideal place to store your beans forever, I’d stick to adding enough for the amount of coffee you need that day.

With your beans in the hopper, adjust the grind size as needed. If you’re making French press, coarse should be the only word in your vocabulary. Or at least, the only setting you’re using on this grinder. Then, set the timer and wait for the magic to happen!

Once the control wheel winds down to zero, the grinder will stop automatically. Now, you should have fresh ground coffee waiting in the grounds container.

And that’s it! You should have a relatively seamless experience from start to finish. Let’s just say I’ve dealt with hand grinders that are more difficult to operate. Plus, features like an auto shut off and safety lock certainly help keep things running smoothly.

How Loud Is the Capresso Infinity Plus?

I’m not sure “electric burr grinder” and “quiet” belong in the same sentence. Unfortunately, the conical steel burrs on the Capresso Infinity Plus aren’t an exception here. I wouldn’t worry about waking the neighbors, but you should expect a little bit of noise from this grinder.

Essentially, if you’re worried about waking the baby in the morning, I’d recommend going with a hand grinder instead. The Porlex Mini springs to mind as being an affordable and effective option.

How To Clean the Capresso Infinity Plus

Cleaning your coffee grinder may not make the list of your favorite activities, but at least it’s less intensive than coffee maker cleaning and descaling. Not to mention, you don’t have to deal with maintenance indicators lighting up every couple of months.

Still, that doesn’t mean you should forgo looking after your grinder. If it wasn’t important I wouldn’t have added this section to my Capresso Infinity Plus review! Anyway, if you want to ensure your grinder survives that one year warranty, you’ll have to keep up with regular maintenance.

The good news is that the grinder comes apart easier than a stack of legos. You should have no trouble reaching those steel burrs or getting your hands dirty with the hopper.

Once you remove the hopper, you should be able to access both the outer burr and the inner burr. You shouldn’t need to clean the burrs after every use, but I’d recommend wiping them off weekly.A dry cloth should get the job done.

Of course, you can always trade that cloth for the included cleaning brush that comes in the box. Either method will work, although I’ve got my money on the cloth picking up more of the coffee residue.

While you’re at it, wipe out the inside of the bean hopper. That’ll take care of any coffee oils that may be hanging out in there.

Really, there’s only one golden rule when it comes to cleaning this grinder: don’t let it touch the dishwasher. Those stainless steel burrs are delicate, and they require a delicate touch.

Capresso Infinity Plus Specifications

Capresso Infinity Plus vs Others

My Capresso Infinity Plus review isn’t over until I’ve showcased the grinder’s competition. Let’s get into it!

Capresso Infinity Plus vs Baratza Encore

For $118.95, the is not much of a price jump. Still, the biggest difference between these two has to be the number of grind settings. The Encore’s 40 adjustment settings look especially impressive when you compare them to the Capresso’s 16.

Don’t get me wrong – the Encore is still an entry-level burr grinder. Beyond wanting to experiment with grind levels, I’d really only consider upgrading to the Encore if a drip coffee maker is your favorite accessory. The Encore will handle drip coffee with a finessethat the Capresso can’t. That said, I wouldn’t trust it to grind coarse enough for French press.

See Also: Baratza Encore Review 2024

Capresso Infinity Plus vs OXO Coffee Grinder

Alright, I think we can all agree the comes out on top in terms of style. It’s hard to beat sleek stainless steel housing, especially when it comes with a price tag of $99.95.

As much as I like the aesthetic of the OXO coffee grinder – especially when it’s next to the OXO 8 cup coffee maker  – I’m not sure it’s an upgrade. In my experience, the OXO struggles with a consistent grind size. This is especially true when it comes to extremes, like Turkish coffee or French press.

Ultimately, I’d say you’re better off sticking with the Capresso or finding another alternative.

See Also: OXO Coffee Grinder 2024

Capresso Infinity Plus vs Others Comparison Chart

Verdict: Capresso Infinity Plus

affordable and consistent

Capresso Infinity Plus

A real bargain

Very affordable

Commercial-grade stainless steel conical burrs

Easy to use

Ideal for French press

Rather loud

Not great for pour over

CHECK PRICE

When it comes to shopping for budget and entry-level burr grinders, it’s rare to come across a jack of all trades. Most of the time, you’ll run into grinders that are suited for one end of the spectrum or the other.

If my Capresso Infinity Plus review has taught us anything, it’s that this burr grinder shines at churning out consistent coarse grinds for French press. Plus, it’ll do a solid job of grinding for drip coffee makers. However, I’d sooner admit the sky is green than make it my dedicated espresso grinder.

With all that said, you just can’t complain about the Capresso’s price tag. This simple burr grinder represents excellent value for money, and I recommend it highly.

Capresso Infinity Plus Review FAQ