GAGGIUINO — OPEN-SOURCE ESPRESSO MACHINE BRAIN UPGRADE (2.6K STARS)
Turn a budget Gaggia Classic into a machine with pressure profiling, PID temperature control and a touchscreen showing live extraction graphs.
by Zer0-bit
HomeAutomation
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- a weekend-plus
- license
- CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE2,630 stars
●●●●○ · a weekend-plus · CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0 · 2,630 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
This is a serious electronics retrofit that turns a Gaggia Classic — a machine that normally just boils water and hopes — into something with the feature set of a two-thousand-dollar prosumer setup. You get real-time pressure profiling, PID temperature control to a tenth of a degree, and a touchscreen that shows you exactly what is happening during extraction. The documentation is genuinely good, the community is helpful, and the firmware keeps improving. The part you need to respect: this is a mains-powered appliance mod. You are opening a machine with 230V inside, adding a microcontroller, wiring in sensors, and flashing firmware that controls heating and pumping. The install guide walks you through it safely, but if you have never worked inside a mains appliance before, this is not the project to learn on. The single most common mistake is buying the wrong pressure transducer or STM32 board variant — the BOM is specific, and substitutions will cost you a weekend of troubleshooting. If you already own a Gaggia Classic and you care about espresso enough to read about bloom phases and flow rates, this mod is worth every hour. If you just want good coffee without thinking about it, buy a better machine.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —Complete firmware with web-based configurator and OTA updates.
- —Detailed install documentation at gaggiuino.github.io with step-by-step photos.
- —BOM provided with supplier links; PCB available as Gerbers or pre-made from community vendors.
- —Licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — non-commercial use only, no selling modded machines or kits without permission.
- —Active Discord community (1000+ members) and regular firmware releases.
- —No 3D printing required unless you want custom enclosures; the core mod uses off-the-shelf parts.
Can I build this?
This build involves mains voltage — for adults comfortable with electrical work only.
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterBluHub reads and burns Blu-ray/DVD/CD, adds USB-C, USB-A, SD/TF and 10 Gbps data — plug and play, grand-piano finish.
Videos
Community walkthrough video verified in payload
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the full install guide at gaggiuino.github.io before buying anything(The BOM is specific — buying the wrong transducer or STM32 variant will waste a weekend)
- 2.Join the Discord (link in repo README) and search for your Gaggia model(Different Gaggia Classic revisions need slightly different wiring; the community knows which)
- 3.Order the exact parts from the BOM — no substitutions on the pressure transducer or microcontroller(Pre-made PCBs available from community vendors if you do not want to order Gerbers yourself)
- 4.Flash the firmware to the STM32 board BEFORE installing it in the machine(Much easier to troubleshoot on the bench than inside the Gaggia)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying the wrong STM32 Blackpill board or pressure transducer variant — the BOM is specific and substitutions do not just work; check the Discord before ordering.
- Not reading the safety section of the install guide — this is a mains appliance and the boiler runs at 230V; if you have never opened one before, this is not the project to learn on.
- Skipping the bench test of the electronics before installing them — flashing firmware and checking sensor readings on the bench saves hours of troubleshooting inside the machine.
- Using hard water without descaling — the mod does not fix water chemistry, and scale will kill the machine faster than the upgrade will save it.
- Assuming the firmware will work perfectly on first boot — expect to spend time tuning PID values and pressure profiles for your specific beans and grinder; the defaults are a starting point.
- Not joining the Discord before starting — the community has already solved the mistake you are about to make, and the docs do not cover every Gaggia Classic revision.
Do I need to own a Gaggia Classic already, or will this work on other machines?
The project is designed for the Gaggia Classic and Gaggia Classic Pro. Other single-boiler machines have been modded by the community, but you are on your own for wiring diagrams and sensor placement — check the Discord first.
Can I buy a pre-made kit, or do I have to source every part myself?
No official kit exists because the licence is non-commercial. Some community members sell pre-flashed PCBs or part bundles, but you are buying from individuals, not a company — ask in the Discord.
How hard is the actual install if I have never soldered before?
If you have never soldered, learn on something that is not connected to mains power. This mod requires confident soldering, reading wiring diagrams, and working inside a live appliance — all three at once.
Will this void my warranty?
Yes, completely. You are opening the machine, cutting wires, and adding a microcontroller. If that matters to you, do not do this mod.
What is the single biggest upgrade this gives me?
Temperature stability. The stock Gaggia swings 10-15°C around the setpoint; the PID holds it to a tenth of a degree. Pressure profiling is the flashy feature, but consistent temperature is what you taste first.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
2,600+ stars, active Discord, and Lance Hedrick covered it — the community around this mod is real. If you have done it: what was the one thing the docs did not warn you about?
Zer0-bit
Zer0-bit started Gaggiuino to bring prosumer espresso features to a budget machine. The project has grown into a full open-source ecosystem with an active community, regular firmware releases, and detailed documentation maintained by contributors worldwide.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the repository has active releases (firmware updates every few weeks), the install documentation lives at gaggiuino.github.io (not in the README), and the Discord is where you find out which STM32 board revision actually works this month. The licence is non-commercial, so no selling modded machines or kits without talking to the project first. The single biggest mistake people make is not reading the safety section — this is mains voltage, and the guide is specific about what to disconnect before you touch anything. If you already own a Gaggia and you care enough about espresso to read this far, the mod is worth it. If you are buying a Gaggia just to mod it, check the used market first — you do not need a pristine one.