Vietnamese iced coffee for one glass: 25 g of medium fine coffee and 200 g of hot water (1:8). Bloom with 50 g of water for 30 seconds, add the remaining 150 g, and let it drip 4 to 6 minutes onto 20 g of condensed milk (about 1 tablespoon). Stir, then pour over 100 g of ice.
What you need
This makes one glass. The calculator above scales it for more glasses and lets you set the strength and sweetness.
- 25 g medium fine ground coffee, about 3 heaped tablespoons. A dark, bold roast works best.
- 200 g hot water, just off the boil.
- 20 g sweetened condensed milk, about 1 tablespoon.
- 100 g ice, a generous handful.
Equipment: a phin filter, a heatproof glass for brewing, a second glass of ice to serve in, a kettle, and a spoon. A scale makes it repeatable, but you can get close with spoons.
Medium fine means a little coarser than espresso and a little finer than drip coffee, like fine sand. A phin has no paper filter, so a grind that is too fine slips through the holes or clogs the plate.
If you are new to the drink itself, our guide to what Vietnamese coffee is covers the phin, robusta, and why condensed milk is the classic pairing.
How to make it, step by step
- Add the condensed milk. Spoon 20 g of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of a heatproof glass.
- Load the phin. Put 25 g of medium fine coffee into the phin, shake it level, and set the press gently on top.
- Bloom. Set the phin on the glass and pour in 50 g of water just off the boil. Wait 30 seconds while the coffee swells.
- Add the rest of the water. Pour in the remaining 150 g, cover with the lid, and let it drip for 4 to 6 minutes.
- Stir. Lift off the phin, rest it on the upturned lid, and stir until the coffee and milk are one even color.
- Pour over ice. Pour the sweet coffee over 100 g of ice in a second glass, stir once more, and drink it cold.
Why brew hot and then ice it? Hot water pulls out the full, heavy flavor that makes this drink. The 1:8 ratio is strong on purpose, so the coffee still tastes like coffee once the condensed milk and melting ice have softened it.
If it drips too fast or too slow
The drip time is the best way to judge a phin brew. Aim for 4 to 6 minutes for the main pour.
| What happens | What it tastes like | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Done in under 3 minutes | Thin, sour, watery | Grind finer, or press the insert down a little more firmly |
| 4 to 6 minutes | Strong, rich, smooth with the milk | Nothing. Keep this grind |
| Over 8 minutes, or it stops | Harsh, bitter, dry | Grind coarser, loosen the press, and tap the side of the phin to restart a stall |
Change one thing at a time. If you have a screw down press, a quarter turn makes a real difference. If your press just rests on the grounds, the grind does most of the work, so adjust that first.
Grounds in the glass usually mean the grind is too fine, or the coffee was not level and some slipped around the edge of the press.
No phin? Try these
A phin is the traditional tool and costs very little, but you can make a good version with what you already own. The goal is the same in each case: a short, strong coffee to pour over condensed milk and ice.
- French press: use the same 25 g of coffee and 200 g of hot water, ground coarse instead of medium fine. Steep 4 minutes, press, and pour it over the condensed milk. The texture is a little silkier than a phin, the strength is close.
- Moka pot: brew a small pot of dark roast and use about 60 to 90 g of the coffee per glass. It is strong and concentrated, much like phin coffee, and it is our favorite stand in.
- Espresso machine: pull a double shot, or two, over the condensed milk. The flavor is cleaner and brighter than the original, but it works well over ice.
- Pour over or drip machine: double the coffee you normally use, so it lands closer to 1:8 than your usual ratio. Regular strength coffee turns weak and milky once the ice melts.
Variations to try
- Sweeter or less sweet: condensed milk is the dial. Start at 20 g, then go as low as 10 g or as high as 30 g. The calculator slider covers that range.
- Hot, cà phê sữa nóng: skip the ice and drink it straight from the brewing glass. Set the glass in a bowl of hot water to keep it warm, the way many Vietnamese cafés serve it.
- Black over ice, cà phê đen đá: leave out the condensed milk. Add a little sugar to the hot coffee before it goes over ice, if you like.
- Milkier, in the style of bạc xỉu: use less coffee and more milk. Try half the coffee with 20 g of condensed milk plus a splash of fresh milk.
- Coconut: blend 30 g of coconut cream, 20 g of condensed milk and a handful of ice into a slush, then pour the brewed coffee over it.
- For a crowd: set the calculator to the number of glasses and brew in batches, or make a moka pot of coffee and share it out.
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