Actually, cleaning the filter baskets may have worked this time. I did as the instructions told me to do, but I went a step further. I sprinkled half a teaspoon of powder in the filter basket, placed it in the handle and then in the machine. After that, I pumped a little water into the filter basket and let it soak for quarter of an hour. Then I ran loads of water through it. I did this a couple of times, until the flow seemed consistent and there was no evidence of spitting or spluttering. Once I did this, I made a cup of coffee and it was perfect - just as good as the day I bought the machine. It's early days yet, but I reckon this may have been the problem all along. It fits with how Crashman described the problem in the first place. As the filter becomes more and more blocked up, the machine finds it harder to force water through the little holes - and it spits back.
