True statement, Chris. It’s like if I buy a bottle of Pepsi for two dollars, and it goes flat. Did I spend two dollars on the liquid, and therefore should feel compelled to drink it? Or did I spend two dollars on the less tangible enjoyment I derive from drinking it when it is bubbly and good, and therefore should dump it out? I tend to think the latter, and so making sure that I get what I pay for (the enjoyment of the consumable in its intended state), paying a bit more probably makes sense.

The coffee machine passed the cat test this morning, by the way. Iris was sitting right beside it when I brewed a cup, and all she did was sniff at the machine- the noises it made didn’t startle her or cause her to run away.