Rancilio MD50, ancient Waring mill, and another Infinity
Bottom Line:
Stupdendously good for this price point, though has issues with espresso without modification. Well-suited to small-batch grinding without being a cleaning nightmare.
Positive Product Points
This is a superb machine where it really matters: motor, gear reduction, and burrs. The grind is quite consistent.
Negative Product Points
This is a somewhat cheaply-made machine where it doesn't matter. The plastic bits (bean hopper and, for the plastic version, the outer case) feel chintzy, and the grind-select mechanism doesn't have enough adjustability for good espresso without mods; the stops are too far apart. The plastic version at least is lightweight and rattly.
Detailed Commentary
After much angst, I bought one of these to replace a Rancilio MD50 which, while it does a fantastic job grinding, takes up as much room as the average table saw. The Infinity was the only compact machine I found with burrs that looked like they were serious about grinding coffee.
Initially I was really, really happy with what it did. I especially like the removable hopper for small-scale brewing (without having an intermediate doser or whatever to get stuffed up with stale coffee), and breaking it down entirely for cleaning is quite literally five seconds at most.
Not too much longer later I was less happy, since I realized that I didn't have enough adjustability to really dial it in for a good espresso grind. I tried keeping it between stops, but it would fall into one or the other before long. I tried modifiying it for stepless grinding, but it still drifted.
In the end, I was really happy again, after I drilled more holes in the adjusting collar so that it can be solidly adjusted in half-stops.
I still have my Infinity, and after four years of daily use it's holding up very well. (I liked it enough that I've got two!)
Capresso spare parts are also pleasingly cheap even when ordered direct. At the time I write this, $5 for a replacement bean hopper, $1.50 for the upper burr seal, $2.50 for the grinds hopper, and $14.00 for a whole new upper burr assembly. (The lower, however, is not available.)
Buying Experience
Excellent initial purchase experience from WLL, though when I had a followup question they said "we don't provide support, go ask Capresso". (They lost a potential sale of a much more expensive grinder from that, but I've learned to love the Infinity so it's all good.)
