Vietnamese iced coffee recipe with a phin filter
Jack Donnell
At a glance
Make Vietnamese iced coffee with a phin filter, coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and ice. Includes measured quantities, bloom steps, and flow adjustments.
Vietnamese iced coffee, often called ca phe sua da, combines strongly brewed coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and ice. This starting recipe uses a small phin filter to brew the coffee directly over the condensed milk. Milk is not added separately in this version.
A phin brews by gravity, and the grind, coffee dose, and filter design affect the flow. Use the quantities as a starting point and follow the instructions for your particular phin if its capacity differs.
Vietnamese iced coffee recipe with a phin filter
Yield: 1 drink · Prep: about 2 minutes · Cook/brew: about 6 minutes · Total: about 8 minutes
Use these quantities as home starting points and adjust to taste. Times are estimates; allow extra time for an espresso machine to warm up. US volume measures are approximate metric conversions.
Equipment
Small 4 fl oz phin filter, kettle, scale, heat-resistant brewing cup, spoon, and a 12 fl oz serving glass.
Ingredients
- 14 g medium-fine ground coffee, suitable for your phin
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (95 ml) hot water, divided
- 1 cup ice cubes (about 140 g)
Instructions
- Prepare the phin. Put condensed milk in the heat-resistant cup. Set the phin on top, add the coffee, level it gently, and place its filter insert according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Bloom the grounds. Pour about 20 ml of the measured hot water over the grounds. Wait about 30 seconds so the coffee becomes evenly wet.
- Finish the brew. Add the remaining 75 ml water and cover the phin. Let it drip through, generally about 4–6 minutes; flow varies with the coffee and filter.
- Mix and ice. Remove the phin carefully. Stir the hot coffee and condensed milk until evenly combined, then pour into a serving glass filled with ice.
Tips and adjustments
Drips too quickly?
Try a slightly finer grind next time, keeping the dose and water constant. Follow the filter instructions rather than pressing the insert down harder indiscriminately.
Barely drips?
A very fine grind can slow the filter excessively. Compare a slightly coarser setting and check that the holes are clear.
Want less sweetness?
Reduce condensed milk by 1 teaspoon in the next serving. It provides both sweetness and texture, so the change affects more than sugar alone.
Common questions
Do I have to use robusta?
Vietnamese coffees often include robusta, but the recipe can be made with the coffee you have. Bean choice changes the flavor; it does not change the phin’s basic brewing method.
Can espresso replace the phin?
A small espresso-and-condensed-milk version is possible, but it uses a different extraction method. Our iced Spanish latte gives a separate espresso-based drink with additional milk.
More coffee recipes
Browse all coffee recipes or return to our recipe collection.
Further reading: Phin brewing reference. The measured preparation above is a Chroma home starting version.
Illustrative stock photo: Pexels, used under the Pexels license.