Blew a gasket on my espresso machine right before guests showed up

Last Sunday I had 4 friends coming over for brunch and my trusty old Gaggia started hissing and spewing steam from the grouphead about 20 minutes before they arrived. Turns out the boiler gasket had finally given out after 3 years of daily use. I panicked for a second, then ran to the kitchen, grabbed a French press I hadn't touched in months, and made everyone pour overs instead. Has anyone else had a machine fail at the worst possible time and had to MacGyver a backup plan?

2 comments

2 Comments

brooke_jones15d ago

Right when the doorbell rang too, classic timing! My old machine once decided to quit mid-pull right when my coffee snob brother was visiting to see my setup. Had to serve him instant like the heathen I'd become that morning.

ward.anna15d ago

Oh come on, instant coffee isn't that bad really...