Best Vietnamese coffee: so easy to make and enjoy at home
Iced milk coffee (cà phê sữa đá), Vietnams favorite coffee is so easy to make at home
Equipment
- 1 Phin coffee maker or espresso machine or coffee maker
- 1 kettle
- 1 food thermometer (optional)
- 1 measuring spoon or kitchen scales
- 1 glass or mug
- 1 spoon
Ingredients
- 18 grams ground coffee Robusta coffee beans or a blend of robusta and arabica beans freshly ground.
- 1.5 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1-2 tsp sugar (optional)
- ½ cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Brewing a cup of Iced milk coffee (cà phê sữa đá) with a Vietnamese Phin coffee is surprisingly easy. To make this slow-drip, tasty coffee all you need is a Phin filter coffee maker, some freshly ground coffee, a can of sweetened condensed milk and 5-6 minutes of your time
- Put 1-2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into a glass. Then place the phin filter base plate and brew chamber on top of the glass
- Spoon freshly ground coffee into the filter and give the filter a gentle shake. This ensures the grounds are evenly distributed. Then place the weighted (or screw-down) pressure plate into the filter
- Pour a little water into the brew chamber – just enough to cover the pressure plate. Leave to stand for 30-40 seconds. This enables the coffee to bloom
- Top up the brew chamber to the top with more hot water and put the lid onto the filter
- Once brewing is complete take the Phin coffee maker off the glass and set aside (the lid makes a handy coaster)
- Spoon ice cubes into the glass to fill it and stir the mlik and coffee together
- Finally, find somewhere to relax and enjoy your coffee!
Notes
Top tips for making Iced milk coffee (cà phê sữa đá) at home
- This is a recipe for the most popular Vietnamese coffee – iced coffee with condensed milk. Yes, it sounds awful. But, just try it for yourself., because, somehow everything works perfectly. Especially on a hot day.
- Although the authentic experience uses a Phin filter and Vietnamese coffee beans, there is no need to go to this expense. You can brew a strong coffee using any dark roast, or espresso coffee. And you can use any coffee maker you have available. you’ll get almost the complete experience as long as you make a strong coffee with condensed milk.
- Use freshly roasted and finely ground good-quality coffee beans.
- Heat about 6oz of water in your kettle. Aim for a temperature of about 195°F to 205°F (about 90°C to 96°C). But if it boils, just remove from the heat and stand for a minute or two.
- Make sure you bloom the coffee. Releasing the carbon dioxide allows a more controlled and even brew. It also releases more flavor and aromas.
- The brewing process takes about 5 minutes if you have ground the coffee to a perfect size
- If brewing takes much less time then next time grind the coffee to a finer powder.
- Or, if it takes much longer than 5 minutes to brew, next time try a coarser grind size.
- In Vietnam, as well as sweetened condensed milk, most people add a spoon (or three!) of sugar. Even if you have a sweet tooth, I recommend tasting the finished coffee before adding any extra sugar or other sweeteners. It’s better to add more than to be stuck with something too sweet to drink.
- There is no need to stir the coffee while it is brewing. The pressure plate will exert enough pressure to keep the water and coffee grounds in contact.
- For a stronger flavor, you can increase the amount of coffee grounds.
- The pressure plate (or screw-down plate) ensures the coffee grounds stay in contact with the water and generally propels them towards the filter mesh.
Nutrition
Calories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 45mgPotassium: 113mgSugar: 21gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 0.1mg
Nutritional Disclaimer
All nutritional information is an estimate only, based on third-party calculations derived from an online nutritional calculator, Spoonacular API. The data provided is a courtesy and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients and brands you use, your measuring methods and portion sizes. For accurate results, we recommend that you calculate the nutritional information yourself, using a preferred nutritional calculator or advice from a nutritionist, based on your ingredients and individual processes.
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