Lau Lu-Zhong
Founder, BeanBudget
Coffee enthusiast in Malaysia. Built BeanBudget after wasting too many beans re-dialing bags he'd already figured out once. Writes about espresso logging, dialing in, and the home-barista habit. Full story →
Posts
Espresso shot log: what to track and what to skip
Record the few fields that make the next espresso decision easier: coffee, grinder, dose, yield, time, taste, date, and one next change.
How espresso grind settings can change as beans age
Watch flow and taste as an open bag changes, hold dose and yield steady, and adjust in small steps instead of following a calendar formula.
How to remember grinder settings for different coffee beans
Keep a per-bean espresso recipe that includes grinder, dose, yield, time, taste, and date so switching coffees does not erase useful context.
Sour vs bitter espresso: how to tell and what to change
Separate sharp sourness, harsh bitterness, and drying astringency, then make a cautious extraction change without treating shot time as a guarantee.
How to dial in espresso beans without wasting coffee
A measured new-bag workflow: start from a sensible recipe, correct gross flow with grind, refine by taste, and stop when the cup suits you.
Why home baristas forget good shots — and how to remember them
A grind number alone cannot recreate an espresso. Learn the small per-bean record that preserves a good recipe, its taste, and the next adjustment.