I’ve been really surprised (in a good way) at all the interest in the espresso machine project I posted a few months ago. It has made me think about where I want the project to go next, and what I most want to experiment with.
It’s probably obvious but the project machine as it stands is not my daily driver. I use a stock Gaggia Classic Pro and an older Gaggia grinder for my morning coffee, and I don’t plan on changing this anytime soon. I’ve been making espresso for a long time and consistency has always been my goal.
When friends ask me what machine I recommend I stay with what I know, the Gaggia Classic Pro, particularly the new Evo model that is just beginning to appear here in the States. And if I was going to recommend a platform for the Gaggiuino project (which my machine is based on) I’d suggest the same. Buy a new Gaggia Classic Evo Pro, or pick up a used older machine and use that as the base of the project just like they describe on the project page.
Of course, I didn’t follow that advice - I had an even older Espresso Gaggia from the 90s that I wanted to use as my donor machine, and the plastic body was pretty shot, so I made up a new machine using parts from the old one, and created a minimalist chassis using metric 2020 aluminum extrusion bars and other commodity hardware, which is described in my last post “Espresso and open source hardware?”
What could have gone better?
I’ve had time to use the machine for a while, and have some observations.
It needs a drip tray, and it could use a better water reservoir. The easiest short term solution for both would be to use parts from the old machine, but it turns out I made the chassis a little too narrow in order to accommodate the group head mounting bracket that I reused.
The donor machine does not have the modern three-way solenoid that newer machines have, and this means that the group head mount does not have fittings to allow one to be added. The Gaggiuino software works without the solenoid, but it would probably work better if I had a more stock configuration.
Since I built the machine, the Gaggiuino project has been upgraded to use a custom printed circuit board. This is a huge improvement and would eliminate about 80% of the wiring on the sides of the machine, and help eliminate shock hazards.
The display is too small. Although there are larger displays that use the same interface, it turns out that there are hardware limitations that interfere as discussed in Gaggiuino Builders Facebook group. Still, an upgrade from 2.2 inches to 2.8 inches is possible, and the project has a web interface on its roadmap.
The touch interface is located by the drip tray, and gets in the way. It looks cool, but would likely work better if moved up higher on the machine.
Where to go next?
I realized that much of the enjoyment I found in the project came from designing and building the hardware, and so I’ve decided to build a new machine from new parts - I already have:
a new circuit board, which needs new wiring harnesses. I had trouble getting a board from the official group, but found that the board offered by Robert Silvers at https://www.matter-replicator.com/product/gaggia-v3-pcb/ arrived quickly and appears to function well.
A new group head base which will accommodate a three-way solenoid
Parts for a wider chassis with a better drip tray and water reservoir
A 2.8 inch display is on its way from China, with the option to add a larger tablet when available. Other kit parts are also on their way.
While I’m at it I’m going to update to a new boiler. Unfortunately the new coated corrosion resistant boiler is not available as a part yet, so I had to order the traditional boiler. Still it is not very expensive, and can be replaced in the future if needed.
That’s about it so far. I’ll post more when I have the new chassis finished and start to install the new parts. I’m toying with the idea of making an under-cabinet version that hangs from my kitchen cabinets in order to free up counter space. What do you think?