Today’s giveaway is sponsored by yours truly—just because I love you.
Coffee and I have a complicated relationship. I adore the aroma, flavor, and ritual, but coffee doesn’t always treat me kindly. Instead of a steady lift, it tends to give me jittery energy and heart palpitations, so I usually steer clear. Still, a few times each summer I surrender to the irresistible pull of Vietnamese iced coffee.
There’s nothing quite like it: the typical bitter, roasted, and chocolatey notes of coffee are sharpened by chilling and then softened into decadence by thick, sweetened condensed milk. Served over ice, it feels both indulgent and perfectly refreshing—no wonder it’s a staple across hot climates in Vietnam.
In my case, the drink cools me down and then sends me bouncing off the walls, but it’s worth the temporary hyperness. The best part is how easy it is to make at home. You don’t need expensive gadgets—just a simple metal filter called a phin, a mug or jar, decent coffee, hot water, sweetened condensed milk, and a tall glass packed with ice.
The phin is the key. You’ve probably seen it at Vietnamese cafés or while traveling in Southeast Asia. It’s inexpensive, reusable, and brilliant in its simplicity. It can produce anything from a robust cup to an almost ludicrously strong brew depending on how much coffee you use—my mom swears by hers for a morning jolt. I’ve included a video showing how effortlessly a phin works. I’ll also be giving away a few phins below—watch the video, then scroll for giveaway details.
Cook’s Notes
- This recipe is extremely simple. Your biggest choices are how strong you want the coffee and how sweet. Use espresso-fine grounds from a medium-to-dark roast. Put between 1 and 2 tablespoons of coffee in the phin: 1 tablespoon for a milder cup, 2 for a very strong brew. Remember that the ice will dilute it somewhat.
- Begin with roughly 1/4 inch (about a tablespoon) of sweetened condensed milk in the bottom of your serving mug or jar. You can add more later, but you can’t remove sweetness once it’s mixed in.
- The phin has four main parts—base, filter, gravity insert, and lid. Assemble in that order to avoid grounds in your cup.
- When you place the gravity insert over the grounds, press gently just once or twice. Don’t compact the grounds too tightly; the water needs space to drip through.
- Let the phin finish dripping before you remove it. Stir the brewed coffee with the sweetened condensed milk to combine. This also allows the coffee to cool slightly before meeting the ice.
- Fill the glass with ice to the brim. Seriously—pack it full. Vietnamese iced coffee should be cold and refreshing, not lukewarm.
How to Make Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk or more to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons espresso-ground, medium-to-dark roast coffee
- 8 ounces almost boiling water
- lots of ice
Instructions
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Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a heatproof mug or jar. Place the phin’s drip tray on the mug and position the phin over it. Add your desired amount of coffee grounds to the phin base and gently shake to level them. Place the gravity insert on top and press down gently just once or twice. Pour a couple of tablespoons of nearly boiling water over the grounds and wait 30 seconds, then fill the phin to the rim with water. Cover and let it drip until the flow stops. Remove the phin, stir the brewed coffee and condensed milk together, adjust sweetness if needed, then pour the mixture over a glass filled to the brim with ice. Stir and serve immediately.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and use #foodiewithfamily so I can see your photos!
Vietnamese Iced Coffee Phin Filter Giveaway
Because I love you—and because I’m excited about some big news coming in July—I’m giving away a phin to five readers. Winners must reside in the continental United States due to shipping limits; I apologize to international readers. To enter, follow the instructions in the giveaway entry form below.
Foodie with Family Phin Filter Giveaway
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