| | |  | italian food gifts for couples | Home » » Gaggia Color Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker Red | | | | | | | Description: | | This semi-automatic espresso machine is expertly designed to please both the budget and the taste buds for amateurs, aficionados, and everyone in between. The Gaggia Espresso Color is housed in bright red impact resistant ABS polycarbonate plastic, ready to make a statement no matter where it's located. Inside this housing is a stainless steel boiler as well as a pump that produces up to 15 bars of pressure for the perfect, crema-topped shot. The chrome-plated brass group head ensures temperature stability, and the portafilter includes filters for single shots, double shots, or pods. With the Pannarello frothing attachment, the Gaggia Espresso Color makes it easy to texture milk for a cappuccino or latte. A stainless steel passive cup warmer keeps demitasse cups warm for the next brew, and the included tamper and measuring spoon means that brewing is simple and straightforward. | | | Features: | |
• Gaggia Color Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker Red
• Red ABS plastic housing
• Chrome plated brass group head and filter holder
• 42 oz removable water reservoir
• Accessories Included: Coffee tamper, coffee measuring scoop
| | | Product Details: | | | Package Length:
| 18.6 inches | | Package Width:
| 12.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 12.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 12.7 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 5 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 5 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 Does not make coffeeMar 22, 2009
By Gerald Nicholls
"Objective coffee taster"
This snazzy-looking espresso machine had our hopes up. As coffee roasters and coffee students we liked previous reviewers who talked this machine up. The first brewing attempt produced a bland drink with no crema as promised by Whole Latte Love. I then spent an afternoon adjusting variables. Our coffee is one day after roasting with a fine grind by Rocky Rancilio which cost more than the Gaggia Color. Eventually I took the temperature of the water exiting the brew head. 160 Fahrenheit. Water this cool can't make coffee by any method. Long conversations with Whole latte Love had them admitting that we knew more about coffee than them. Promises of full refund did not pan out although we did force them into issuing a return shipping label.
We are amazed that a reputable company like Gaggia can desgn a technically deficient machine like this. We would not deal with Whole Latte Love again although they are not necessarily an intentionally bad organization.
10 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 Ugly Plastic Frustration Machine that Needs $300 GrinderApr 17, 2009
By C. Kelleher
"cmkelleher"
Gaggia has a reputation for building relatively solid though finicky espresso makers. This machine is one of the new generation of Gaggias, which evidently are attempting to retreat from the reputation of solidity. This machine - the Espresso - has three iterations: the Pure (the simple black plastic cheap one), the Color (one color, red, costs more than the Pure evidently because of the color), and the Dose (which can be calibrated to deliver a fixed amount of liquid per button press, which costs even more. The units all have the same mechanicals - stainless steel boiler, roughly 3.5 ounces in size, a brass coated brewing group, and (note well) a non-pressurized 58mm "commercial" portafilter.
Right out of the box, the Espresso feels cheap and flimsy. No metal in sight, and the machine (in my case the Dose) looks like a big ugly hunk of plastic. The steam control knob feels like a child's toy and is so poorly mounted on its stem that it feels like you could twist it off. The water reservoir is a skimpy 42 ounces, and the alleged warming plate is ugly white plastic and produces markedly little warmth. This by far is the ugliest appliance in my kitchen and is also among the most expensive. Most importantly, the machine weighs only 10 pounds, which makes tightening the portafilter a chore as you have to pin the machine down to keep it from tipping over or just being shoved around the counter.
The mechanicals inside appear to be solid, and the portafilter is sturdy and serviceable. The boiler appears willing enough, though it is really tiny, and the steaming wand is excellent. The dosing function on my Dose model appears mainly useless, as my brewing results worked better with manual operation, and this pointless features adds about $50 to the price of the base model. Eyeball your cup's fluid level and save $50. No three way valve, but the filter puck is reasonably dry and easily emptied.
Now the real problem - if you plan to use your own beans for this, you need a $300 grinder from Gaggia. That's it, end of story. My $90 Capresso Infinity after much experimentation with tamping and grind proved incapable of making anything other than sludge due to the non-pressurized portafilter. I called the vendor up and their service staff informed me (in a sympathetic and polite manner) that the Infinity simply couldn't produce a consistent fine grind. Even the popular Baratzas (in the $100-$200 range) can't produce a "Gaggia grind" without being disassembled and modified by the user. (This is true - check the Baratza website FAQs). Upshot: nothing less than a $300 grinder can produce home ground coffee for this machine.
The vendor told me to try pre-ground espresso, and sure enough the commercially ground coffee I tried was much much better, but this means dealing with a short lifespan and keeping the coffee in an airtight container in the freezer. Even after trying that, I found that the pre-ground produced nice crema only when very fresh, like 1-2 days, and generally not after it came out of the freezer. If you don't mind running off to a local store for a small dose of commercially ground coffee every day, this is your machine. Or you can buy a grinder that costs as much or more than your Gaggia machine does.
Anyway, the disappointment for me here was not necessarily that the machine has such extensive "special needs". If it was elegant and solidly made, I would still give it a pass, though maybe not for me personally as buying $600 worth of home espresso equipment is beyond my budget. However, even if we factor out the demanding grind requirement, the flimsiness of this machine and its ugly plastic frame simply is unacceptable at the $250-$300 price point. A Saeco Aroma in the same price range is made of metal, has a bigger steel boiler, weighs 30% more, and uses a pressurized portafilter that works nicely with less finely ground coffee.
The Gaggia has a better reputation for durability, but the new Gaggia Espressos look like they are made on the same assembly lines as Saeco's (the companies are commonly held) with the main difference being the portafilters, so I have little reason to assume that this cheap plastic eyesore will prove any more durable than a comparable Saeco. The Aroma is much easier to use, does not need a grinder that costs as much as it does, IMO is more attractive, and is at the same price point. I don't know why anyone would buy one of these Gaggias. Maybe if you have an expensive grinder, and your old espresso machine died, and you need a cheap replacement? Whatever. I am underwhelmed.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Don't buy Unless you want to be ripped offMar 02, 2011
By venusrising
[...]
In December 2010, I heated up my "Gaggia Espresso Color" machine, to make myself a fine Illy and what I nearly got instead was a burn. Boiling hot water was pouring from the espresso maker, so it was hard to see exactly where the problem was stemming from. It was less than a year old when the machine failed. The Gaggia "Color" model is identical to the exact build of the "Gaggia Espresso Pure" model except that it is red instead of grey.
I immediately tried to contact Gaggia Italy directly by phone and email, after being unable to reach anyone at Importika, which is the only U.S. importer and responsible for any repairs that fall under warranty parts and labor. Gaggia never got back to me in any form, not even by email. I have literally never heard from the maker. Importika finally called back after five to six weeks, leaving the most general return message of "hi, call us back." After much trial and error in trying to reach customer support, I learned the only one way to get a live person on the phone at Importika 888-389-4123 is to choose the option for "Super Automatic Machines," or high-end espresso machines (option 2).
The lack of return communication from Gaggia and Importika gave me time to pore through every piece of warranty and related paperwork, hoping to find some clue that could lead me to someone, anyone. That's when I discovered the "Parts Guru" company name on a diagram. I was able to diagnose the problem with my Gaggia espresso maker myself, through using a parts blow-up diagram that was included with the machine's original warranty information. The base of the blow-up diagram document listed a company called "Parts Guru" - an excellent company for anyone stuck with a non-functioning Gaggia machine.
Timing was fortunate: an exact model of the "Gaggia Espresso Color" machine was being ditched by a customer (gee, wonder why) as a trade-in to Parts Guru. The traded-in espresso machine was literally on the bench while I was on the phone with "Parts Guru" support; the probability is that those Gaggia parts would've been snapped up by another unfortunate customer.
Removing the top of my "Gaggia Espresso Color" (which, by the way, is also supposed to serve as a warmer/warming tray - ironic, considering the following), I immediately found a tube that was no longer connected to anything. The source of the problem became clear: the top of the tube, which was no longer attached due to a broken part, is located near the very top interior of the machine. Gaggia made a very bad design decision, not to mention cheap. Heat (powered by steam) rises - a fact which Gaggia is obviously well aware of, since the exterior top of the espresso maker is designed to be used as the cup warming tray.
The small plastic piece, which inserts into the tube is nipple-shaped. The remainder of the small nipple piece attaches (with a washer) to the steam wand by way of an o-ring and coupling. When there is a problem occurring (i.e., high heat which eventually or quickly weakens a small piece of plastic), the nipple-shaped piece basically snaps off, leaving half of the piece (the nipple-shaped side) stuck in the tube/hose - and the tube/hose, where boiling water normally pumps through, unattached.
Obviously Gaggia knows that high heat and moisture are pumping through the top, since the placement directly above serves as a warming tray, yet the company uses a small plastic part that is exposed to constant extreme heat temperatures - to eventually weaken the plastic piece to the point of breaking. This particular espresso machine was less than one year old, properly taken care of, used on a twice per month basis. While this model isn't in the company's most expensive line, it's not exactly cheap either, at a few hundred dollars a pop.
If you're receiving a large amount of boiling water pouring out of your Color or Pure model, check the clear tube that ends about an inch or two down from the top. If that tube isn't connected to anything, the part needed is the "Union Spherical Grivory," Gaggia Part Number of 433204900 for ordering. The "Union Spherical Grivory" piece is best described as a nipple-shaped part, smaller than a penny, plastic. On the (attached) "Parts Guru" blow-up diagram, "Union Spherical Grivory" (Gaggia Part # 433204900) is labeled as piece #41 for reference. Basically, water is sent from the espresso machine's boiler, to travel through the tube, connecting to a plastic nipple piece, where the nipple piece attaches to the backside of the machine's steam wand. Because of location, the piece is under high heat and pressure whenever the machine is in use.
Prior to the piece breaking, I also had a problem with the top of the espresso machine (cup warmer on top) lifting. I continually tried to press the lifted ("chrome") part down but the problems would continue to occur. Gaggia had struck again, with bad design, using two-sided tape, to seal down the piece. It's unclear why the company would possibly use tape in an area that constantly receives heat.
When I finally reached Importika, the company told me to call them back in one month, near when they were supposed to be receiving the part in stock. The company doesn't keep parts in stock, and doesn't put a customer's name on a call-back list for any needed parts - but instead makes the customer call back to check with them. In about six weeks' time, I was required to send no less than 14 emails in order to be able to obtain the part, simply so that I could fix the espresso maker myself.
Don't count on Importika rewarding customer patience with courtesy. For the tiniest, single plastic piece needed in this repair (Part # 433204900), the part cost was $6.50, but the shipping cost was absolutely outrageous at $10 for an item that weighs the smallest fraction of an ounce. Don't expect any courtesy of "Priority Mail" or expedited shipping services. It seems I squeaked by with an absolute bargain in comparison to reports from Gaggia customers who say they spent nearly a hundred bucks in getting the parts they required. All said and done, after hours of wasted time in customer emails, phone calls and frustration, Importika got over sixteen out of me for the one tiny plastic part that I myself am repairing.
After repeating and confirming credit card information twice, I also received an email 4-5 days later (not even a phone call, despite the fact that Importika confirmed my phone number when I called to straighten out the issue), that my credit card had been "declined." Knowing a "declined" card was impossible, I had to call the company again and asked whether the part was still available. The rep said "we have lots of those on order" so apparently the exact part is a frequent problem.
I've spoken to Greg, Mike and two separate female customer service or technical support representatives at Importika, and communicated in no less than fourteen emails (including tracy@importika.com and sales@ importika.com) between December 2010 and February 2011.
 Can't beat it for the price....May 17, 2011
By Hapkido Man
Works best with pods as grinds create a gigantic mess with such a small machine.
I have two of these (the red is very striking) and the newer of the 2 came with a small plastic part that sits between the portafilter and the handle called : "Crema Perfetta".. with this device, the crema is vastly improved. Without, I give this 3 stars.
1 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Best Value!Jan 19, 2009
By J. Caldwell
I love my new espresso maker, very easy to use! Once you get the hang of it you'll never need to hit the cafe again! Pays for itself after two months by my calculations.
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