With regard to "damage". About the only couple of detrimental things you can do are to: a) run the water reservoir dry, thereby also running the vibrating solenoid pump dry. This can damage or destroy the pump but it doesn't do anything spectacular when it fails...it just quietly stops functioning, and b) in the case of a domestic *boiler* (rather than ^thermoblock^) machine, run it very low on water and burn out the element...again, nothing spectacular happens, there is simply a quiet failure to heat... So. I would be a little careful, and I would seek out some proper information on the use of the model you have purchased. A simple "barista" course geared to home machine ownership is a good way to go because you are being *shown* rather than just reading something that you dont quite understand yet but then again, if you buy from a coffee machine trader rather than a department store you will probably get this kind of service before you even leave the store with your new machine under your arm (we do this). A further note on doing a course, is that you might find it interesting and a great way to spend an evening or two, or a Sat afternoon...so it may well increase your level of satisfaction / experience from having purchased the machine & going into home espresso brewing. And dont forget that any questions that you could ask in overseas based coffee websites...you can ask here...spend a little time going back through the topics in each section of this site and you will find more than enough info to get you on your way.... Good luck with it, FC.
