Overheated my espresso machine at 5am and had to pull shots with a french press

I was in my kitchen in Portland before work trying to crank out a double shot, but forgot to check the water reservoir and burned out the pump. Has anyone else wrecked their routine by forgetting a basic step like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_bailey1mo ago

I get what you're saying about being half asleep, but honestly I think the whole 'my brain skipped a step' excuse gets thrown around too much. If you're running equipment that costs hundreds of dollars and can burn out a pump, you should have a checklist taped to your machine. I've been running the same Gaggia for 12 years and never once forgot to fill the tank because I made it a rule to always check it twice before turning anything on. It's not about your brain skipping, it's about you letting yourself be sloppy at 5am instead of slowing down for ten seconds.

jessicaw111mo ago

oh man, i totally get that. i've done something similar where i forgot to actually fill the tank before turning it on and just sat there watching the pressure gauge do nothing for a solid minute before it clicked. it's like your brain just skips that step when you're half asleep.

jade2711mo ago

Haha yeah it's like your brain just SKIPS a whole step. I've done that with the pressure gauge thing too, just staring at it like an idiot. Such a simple mistake but so easy to make when you're running on autopilot.