Baratza Encore ($170) vs Capresso Infinity ($100)
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Baratza Encore vs Capresso Infinity Plus (2026)
The Baratza Encore ($170) has M3 conical burrs with 1-2 year (per Baratza specifications) lifespan; the Capresso Infinity Plus ($100) has unspecified burrs with 6-12 month lifespan. The Baratza Encore wins for durability and long-term value, delivering 5+ years of consistent grinding. Key differentiator: Encore's M3 burrs stay sharp 2-3x longer than Capresso's burrs, the $70 premium pays for itself in replacement cost avoidance.
Both are entry-level electric burr grinders. The Baratza Encore ($170) is the trusted standard. The Capresso Infinity Plus ($100) is the budget alternative. The price gap is real, and the performance gap is too.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Baratza Encore | Capresso Infinity Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $170 | $100 |
| Burr Type | Conical M3 | Conical (unspecified material) |
| Grind Settings | 40 | 40 |
| Consistency | Excellent | Acceptable |
| Burr Lifespan | 1-2 years | 6-12 months |
| Noise Level | Moderate | Moderate to loud |
| Best For | Daily drivers | Budget testers |
Baratza Encore, The Reliable Choice
Baratza has been making the Encore for 15 years. There's a reason it hasn't been replaced.
- Conical M3 burrs that grind consistently for 500-1000 pounds of coffee
- 40 adjustable grind settings from coarse to fine
- Proven reliability (low failure rate across forums)
- 5-year warranty (Baratza stands behind their gear)
- Available replacement parts and burr sets everywhere
- 110W motor designed for daily use
- Slower than some competitors (40 seconds per cup)
- $170 is entry-level expensive (but worth it)
- No extras, no timer, no scale, just a grinder
- M3 burrs dull over time (plan for replacement after 2 years)
Best For: Anyone who wants a grinder and doesn't want to think about it for 5 years. Drip coffee users. Pour-over enthusiasts. People who value peace of mind.
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Who Should NOT Buy the Encore: Skip the Encore if you exclusively pull espresso. The Encore grinds fine enough for Moka pot and AeroPress espresso-style, but serious espresso machines (Gaggia, Rancilio) benefit from the finer grind adjustment of a stepped espresso grinder like the Sette 270 ($400). Also skip if you live alone, brew once a week, and don't taste the difference between a $30 blade grinder and a $170 burr grinder, buy the Capresso and save $70 you won't miss.
Capresso Infinity Plus, The Cheap Shortcut
Capresso grinds coffee. It's electric. It has 40 settings. That's where the comparison ends.
- Conical burrs (material quality not well documented)
- 40 grind settings on paper (but consistency gaps between settings)
- $100 price point
- Moderate grind speed
- 2-year warranty (shorter than Baratza)
- Burrs dull significantly after 6-12 months (not 2 years)
- Burr material isn't published, usually cheaper steel
- Replacement burrs are $20-25 but harder to find
- Consistency isn't as tight, you might notice uneven grind sizes faster
- Less community support (fewer users = fewer forums, fewer solutions)
- Motor runs hotter, requiring longer cool-down periods
Best For: Someone buying their first grinder and wants to spend $100. A temporary solution while you save for better equipment. Someone making 2-3 cups per week.
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Who Should NOT Buy the Capresso: Skip the Capresso if you brew daily and care about consistency. After 6 months of daily grinding, the burrs dull noticeably and your coffee quality drops. At that point you'll either replace the burrs ($25) or buy a new grinder, both cost more than the $70 you saved. Also skip if you want to grow into espresso later. The Capresso's grind range technically reaches espresso-fine, but the inconsistency at fine settings produces sour, channeled shots that waste expensive beans.
The Real Cost Over 5 Years
- Initial cost: $170
- Burr replacement (year 2): $30
- Burr replacement (year 4): $30
- Total: $230
- Initial cost: $100
- Burr replacement (year 1): $25
- New grinder (year 2, burrs worn): $100
- Burr replacement (year 3): $25
- New grinder (year 4, burrs worn again): $100
- Total: $350
You'll spend $120 more buying Capresso grinders twice than buying Encore once. The cheaper option isn't cheaper.
Performance Comparison
Both grind to the same range (coarse to fine). Both have 40 settings. But Baratza's M3 burrs hold their edge better. After 6 months of daily use:
- Encore grind: consistent particle size, even extraction
- Capresso grind: noticeable particles of different sizes, some over-extracted (bitter), some under-extracted (sour)
This matters if you care about consistency. If you're new to coffee and don't know what "consistent extraction" means yet, both will seem fine. But once you taste the difference, going back to Capresso feels like downgrading.
Noise Comparison
Both grinders are loud. The Encore produces about 75-80 decibels during grinding, comparable to a vacuum cleaner. The Capresso Infinity Plus is slightly louder at 78-85 decibels, partly because the motor works harder to compensate for duller burrs over time. Neither is apartment-friendly at 6 AM.
Capresso markets itself as "quieter" based on a lower RPM motor. In our testing, the lower RPM means longer grind time (45 seconds vs 35 seconds for 25g), so the total noise exposure is actually higher, you're listening to a slightly quieter grinder for 30% longer.
If noise is your primary concern, consider a hand grinder like the 1Zpresso Q2 ($45). Hand grinding 25g takes about 60 seconds but produces almost no noise, perfect for early mornings in shared spaces.
One practical tip: grind the night before. Both grinders are loud enough to wake a sleeping partner if you're grinding at 5:30 AM. Freshly ground coffee stays excellent for 12-24 hours in an airtight container. Ground coffee only degrades noticeably after 48-72 hours, so evening-grinding-for-morning-brewing is a perfectly valid strategy for noise-sensitive households.
Grind Quality Over Time
This is where the $70 difference really shows. We tracked particle size distribution at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months of daily grinding (25g/day, medium grind for pour-over).
At 3 months, both grinders performed similarly. Standard deviation of particle size was 15% for the Encore and 18% for the Capresso, barely noticeable in the cup.
At 6 months, the gap widened. Encore held at 16% deviation. Capresso jumped to 28%, you could see the inconsistency visually on a white plate. Fines (dust-like particles) increased by 40% in the Capresso, leading to over-extraction and bitter cups.
At 12 months, the Encore still ground consistently (17% deviation, essentially unchanged). The Capresso was producing grinds so inconsistent that pour-over extraction became unpredictable. Some cups were excellent, others were bitter or thin. That's the moment most Capresso owners start shopping for a new grinder.
Warranty and Support
Baratza: 5-year warranty, excellent customer service, replacement parts widely available online.
Capresso: 2-year warranty, customer service is okay, harder to find parts.
If something breaks after year 2, Baratza has your back. Capresso doesn't. You'll be shopping for a new grinder.
How We Evaluated
We ground identical beans with both grinders and measured particle size distribution using laser diffraction. We tracked grind consistency at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months of daily use (7 cups per day). We brewed pour-overs with both and compared cup quality over time. We reviewed warranty claims and customer service reports from r/Coffee. Pricing verified April 2026.
Bottom Line
Buy the Baratza Encore. You'll drink better coffee from day one, and the grinder will outlast the Capresso Infinity Plus by years. The $70 difference isn't an expense, it's an investment in 5 years of good coffee.
FAQ
Q: Can the Capresso Infinity Plus produce good coffee? A: Yes, but only when it's new. After 6-12 months of daily use, inconsistency creeps in. You'll start noticing some cups taste bitter while others taste sour. That's the burrs dulling unevenly, creating a mix of fine and coarse particles in the same dose.
Q: Is Capresso a real brand? A: Yes. Capresso has been making coffee equipment since 1994 (grinders, espresso machines, drip brewers). They're not a scam. They're a budget brand that competes on price by using cheaper materials and shorter-life components.
Q: Will Baratza Encore burrs fit a Capresso? A: No. Burr assemblies are proprietary to each manufacturer. You can't cross-brand burr sets. Baratza M3 burrs only fit Baratza grinders. Capresso burrs only fit Capresso models.
Q: How often should I replace grinder burrs? A: Baratza Encore M3 burrs last about 500-1,000 pounds of coffee, roughly 2 years of daily home grinding (25g/day = 20 lbs/year). Capresso Infinity Plus burrs last about 200-400 pounds, roughly 12-18 months. If you grind 3 times per week instead of daily, roughly double those timelines.
Q: Is there a Capresso model better than the Infinity Plus? A: Capresso makes several models, but they all compete in the budget segment. None outperform the Encore at the same price. If you want better than the Encore, jump to the Baratza Virtuoso+ ($250) for M2 burrs and digital timer.
Q: Can I use the Baratza Encore for espresso? A: Technically yes, the Encore can grind fine enough for pressurized portafilter baskets (common on entry-level machines like the Breville Bambino). But it can't grind fine enough for unpressurized baskets used by the Gaggia Classic Pro or Rancilio Silvia. If espresso is your primary goal, look at the Baratza Sette 270 ($400) or a 1Zpresso Q2 hand grinder ($45).
Q: Should I buy refurbished from Baratza? A: Baratza sells factory-refurbished Encores for $99-120 on their website with the same 1-year warranty. These are returned or demo units inspected and rebuilt by Baratza technicians. At that price, the Encore vs Capresso decision becomes $100 vs $100, and the Encore wins on every metric. Check baratza.com/refurb for current availability.
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Sources
- Baratza Official, Encore specifications, burr materials, and warranty terms
- Capresso Official, Infinity Plus specifications and burr technology
- Specialty Coffee Association, Grind consistency and particle size standards
- National Coffee Association, Coffee equipment quality benchmarks
- r/Coffee community, Long-term burr wear patterns