The "upside down, to drain the water" trick worked for me as well! I tried it a couple times, just letting the initial trickle drain, not realizing there was a decent amount of water still inside the machine. I heard/felt water inside when shaking it, and just held it upside down for a moment. Lo and behold, water started to work its way through the machine. I'd tip it to the side slightly, to allow the draining water to fall into the sink, rather than pooling in the K-cup area. After a while, the Elite was finally empty. I plugged it in, powered her up, and then replaced the reservoir. The machine immediately started refilling its internal tank, just as it does during your first use. I ran three 8oz Hot Water cycles, to make sure all is in order, and she's back up and running!