I recently purchased a Capresso Infinity grinder for use with my Rancilio Silvia as well as for grinding brewed coffee. In general it seems to work well as an espresso grinder but is somewhat touchy to adjust due to the limited number of steps. The proper setting is usually between the extra fine 2 & 3 marks and the adjustment seems to stay put during the grind. I was in the mood to void the warranty on my grinder, so I made an adjustable stop to precisely locate the setting for the espresso grind. Now I can easily return to the espresso setting after grinding some beans for drip coffee. There is some backlash in the connection of the Infinity bean container to the burr adjustment ring, but I don't think this will be a factor because the stop is always approached in the same direction. I will update this thread with more info on the repeatability of the espresso setting as it becomes available.
Very nice idea on the clamping arrangement. I was just thinking to myself "how can I make it more stable?" I've just been holding my lid, as the setting does have a tendency to shift somewhat. I've also started to notice more burr "wobble" without the ball in place, but I've also noticed that like yours, mine is always in the same direction. (I've saved the ball and spring just in case).
This setup is more like a stop than a clamp - it prevents clockwise rotation past a certain precisely adjustable point. The parts were cut and filed out of scrap aluminum. The fixed part with the adjustment screw was attached with two screws threaded into the Infinity case (I have the metal case model). The tab on the bean hopper was also attached with screws after drilling holes in the hopper. It was a little difficult to fit and locate the parts because of the curved surfaces on the body and hopper.
Hmmmm...it almost seems like you could accomplish the same sort of thing using a light duty el-cheapo bar clamp and a little machining. Note that you can't use the more expensive ones because they tend to be made of hardened steel (which is just about impossible to machine).
First off, you'd need that's pretty small, obviously. Then you'd need to cut off the bar part of the clamp and cut or grind off enough of the remaining pieces of the cast iron "grip" part of the clamp to make it fit. Drill a couple of holes, and you're good to go. Again, you'd need one that's pretty smallish.
OTOH, if you're going to go through all that, you might as well just custom make the piece like you did. You probably don't even need to use aluminum, smallish scraps of hardwood would probably work just fine, but you'd need to glue in or otherwise embed some metal threads for the adjustment screw.
Great idea, and a very nice job. How is this working out? I just bought a Capresso and so far I think it works pretty good. And I haven't even made it stepless yet.
Great idea, and a very nice job. How is this working out? I just bought a Capresso and so far I think it works pretty good. And I haven't even made it stepless yet.
The stop works very well for setting the grinder to exactly the same setting, however I am having trouble getting repeatable shots from my Rancilio Silvia. I think the Infinity grinder is just not mechanically stable enough to produce consistent results. I tried removing the detent ball, which didn't seem to make much difference. I replaced the ball because the setting would change while grinding for drip coffee. For espresso I just hold the hopper against the stop while grinding. I also taped a small piece of plastic tubing to the hopper to eliminate the backlash in the adjustment (see photo).
I think part of the problem may have to do with chaff. I had very good results grinding for espresso with some Brazilian beans that had very little chaff. When I used the same setting with beans that had more chaff I ended up with terrible gusher shots. The Infinity does not break up the chaff into small bits but instead leaves huge flakes mixed in with ground coffee. I suspect that the large flakes of chaff are creating channels in the puck resulting in lousy shots. I would be interested if anyone thinks this is a valid theory.
At this point I am just about ready to spring for a more expensive grinder. I was thinking of the something with flat burrs like Compak K3 Touch that may chew up the chaff a little better.
The stop works very well for setting the grinder to exactly the same setting, however I am having trouble getting repeatable shots from my Rancilio Silvia. I think the Infinity grinder is just not mechanically stable enough to produce consistent results. I tried removing the detent ball, which didn't seem to make much difference. I replaced the ball because the setting would change while grinding for drip coffee. For espresso I just hold the hopper against the stop while grinding. I also taped a small piece of plastic tubing to the hopper to eliminate the backlash in the adjustment (see photo).
I think part of the problem may have to do with chaff. I had very good results grinding for espresso with some Brazilian beans that had very little chaff. When I used the same setting with beans that had more chaff I ended up with terrible gusher shots. The Infinity does not break up the chaff into small bits but instead leaves huge flakes mixed in with ground coffee. I suspect that the large flakes of chaff are creating channels in the puck resulting in lousy shots. I would be interested if anyone thinks this is a valid theory.
At this point I am just about ready to spring for a more expensive grinder. I was thinking of the something with flat burrs like Compak K3 Touch that may chew up the chaff a little better.
chaff has little to no effect on your shots from my experience. The thing is that you cannot expect every bean to perform equally on the same grind setting. In fact the very same bean will change how it performs at one grind setting as it ages over the course of a few days. Different beans can vary greatly in density, moisture etc... Each time you change beans you must dial in the new bean on your grinder to find the right setting for that bean. Another factor that could greatly affect this is if you were using some beans that were very fresh and you were dialed in for those but then you switched over to some beans that were not so fresh or vice versa.
Either way your espresso will most definitely benefit from a grinder upgrade. This is coming from a Long-time capresso owner. You are finding out first-hand what many have found out before you - the grinder is crucial and should not be skimped on. When you bought your $550 Silvia (or however much they cost these days) and your $100 Infinity you probably would have done yourself a favor to reverse the budget and instead buy a $550 Macap or a used Suprr Jolly and spent the remainder on a used Gaggia. That's how key the grinder is in the process.
Even if you are getting nice 25 to 30 second 1.5 to 2 oz shots with your Infinity you will still see a flavor benefit from a grinder upgrade. Also the burrs are made from fairly soft metal that wears quickly. Your shots will gradually decline in quality over a fairly short period of time.
Just my observations from geeking it up over the last 5 years or so. Best of luck in your quest for espresso bliss. :)
please excuse any errors here as I'm on my iPhone. brad
Even if you are getting nice 25 to 30 second 1.5 to 2 oz shots with your Infinity you will still see a flavor benefit from a grinder upgrade. Also the burrs are made from fairly soft metal that wears quickly. Your shots will gradually decline in quality over a fairly short period of time.
Just my observations from geeking it up over the last 5 years or so. Best of luck in your quest for espresso bliss. :). brad
I just replaced the Infinity with a Cunill Tranquilo and there is indeed a huge difference. Espresso from the same batch of beans is now not bitter and close in taste to that from my local Stumptown espresso vendor. Drip coffee ground with the Infinity always resulted in a pile of sludge in the bottom of the cup from fines that went through the filter. Drip from the Tranquilo has practically no residue and the cup tastes much less bitter. I am definitely now a convert to the "grinder first" philosophy.
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
![ethorson: ig1.jpg](javascript:ImagePopup("/images/43392/ig1.jpg", 800, 712, "ethorson: ig1.jpg");)
![ethorson: hopper mod.jpg](javascript:ImagePopup("/images/44175/hoppermod.jpg", 800, 643, "ethorson: hopper mod.jpg");)
= No New Posts since last visit 