Drip of defeat

Well, this is irritating. My three-month-old espresso machine, which I finally learned to operate with reasonable competence, just started shooting water out of the base, which is not at all what I had in mind at all when I went downstairs for a break. Now the trashcan is filled with wet paper towels, and my heart is filled with aching, because I have to send the darn thing in for service. Back to the ol' Black and Decker.

A friend of mine bought a more expensive espresso machine, a Gaggia in fact, and it broke, too, though not before it finished out its warranty period. I'm beginning to wonder whether these machines aren't too temperamental for home use.