Country

Language
Account

Cart

Your cart is empty

Continue shopping
Vietnamesisk kaffe: guide til metoden, smagen og din første kop
Written by Jonas Munch Schmidt-AndersenUpdated / Brewing methods / 5 minutes

Vietnamese coffee: a guide to the method, taste, and your first cup

Vietnamese coffee is known for being dark, concentrated, and sweet, often served with condensed milk and ice cubes. Below, you'll find the short version, the correct method, and our take on how to get the best out of it at home.

In short, Vietnamese coffee is typically brewed in a small metal filter called a phin, where hot water slowly drips through coarsely ground, dark-roasted coffee. The result is a thick, intense cup, which is classically mixed with sweetened condensed milk to make cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee) or cà phê sữa nóng (hot).

What is Vietnamese coffee?

Vietnamese coffee is both a bean type and a brewing method. Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer, and the tradition is primarily based on robusta beans, which yield a strong, chocolatey, slightly bitter cup with significantly more caffeine than arabica.

The method: phin brewing, is as defining as the bean. The small metal filter is placed directly on top of the cup, and the coffee drips through at its own pace. It's low-tech, inexpensive, and surprisingly precise once you get the hang of it.

Is Vietnamese coffee stronger than regular coffee? Yes, usually. The combination of robusta and a high coffee-to-water ratio makes the cup more concentrated than typical filter coffee, but smaller in volume than a large mug of drip coffee.

How to brew Vietnamese coffee with a phin filter

What you'll need

  • A phin (metal filter with screw press or gravity insert)
  • 15–20 g of coffee, medium-coarse ground (slightly coarser than espresso, finer than French press)
  • 90–100 ml of water at approx. 92–96 °C
  • Optionally, 15–25 ml of sweetened condensed milk and ice cubes

If you use a specialty bean from our assortment instead of a classic dark roasted robusta, you can safely increase the amount and use pre-ground coffee adapted for filter, more on that below.

Step-by-step

1. Rinse the phin with hot water and place it on the cup.
2. Add 15–20 g of ground coffee and shake gently to level.
3. Place the press filter on top, without screwing too tightly.
4. Pour about 30 ml of water to bloomthe coffee.
5. Fill with the rest of the water and put on the lid.
6. Let the coffee drip through. 3-5 min.
7. Optionally, stir in condensed milk and pour over ice.

Is the coffee dripping too fast? Screw the press filter a little tighter, or grind the coffee finer. Too slow or not at all? Loosen the press filter, or grind a notch coarser.

Cà phê sữa đá, the recipe for iced coffee with condensed milk

The most popular serving method. Here's our simple version:

  1. Add 15–25 ml of sweetened condensed milk to the bottom of a glass.
  2. Brew the phin coffee directly into the glass on top of the milk.
  3. Stir thoroughly until the milk is dissolved.
  4. Fill with ice cubes and stir again.

Want it less sweet? Reduce the milk and let the bean's own sweetness from caramel and chocolate notes come through, this works especially well with a lighter roast.

Robusta, arabica, or a blend? Our perspective

Classic Vietnamese coffee uses robusta, often roasted very dark and sometimes butter-roasted. This gives it the iconic bitter, nutty profile that pairs well with the sweet milk.

At our company, we primarily work with specialty arabica, where we roast lighter to bring out the bean's natural sweetness and complexity. You can read more about how we work on the page about our roastery. This means that a phin brewing with our beans tastes different from the classic street version: less bitter, more fruit and caramel, but still full-bodied due to the concentrated method.

Our recommendation, if you want to try both ways:

  • Classic style: choose a dark roasted bean with chocolate and nut notes.
  • Specialty style: choose a medium to dark roasted filter coffeeand let the condensed milk be optional.

Vietnamese Coffee vs. Espresso and Filter Coffee

Vietnamese (Phin)
Brewing time: 3-5 min
Grind size: Medium-coarse
Volume per cup: 60-100 ml
Character: Thick, sweet, and strong
Equipment needs: Low

Espresso
Brewing time: 25-30 sec.
Grind size: Very fine
Volume per cup: 25-35 ml
Character: Intense, short
Equipment needs: High

Filter Coffee
Brewing time: 3-4 min.
Grind size: Medium
Volume per cup: 200-300 ml
Character: Clean and nuanced
Equipment needs: Low-medium

Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

  • Too fine a grind: the coffee stands still in the phin. Go one notch coarser.
  • Too much pressure on the filter: same result. Tighten only lightly.
  • Water that is too cold: results in a flat, sour cup. Aim for 92–96 °C.
  • Too little bloom: always pour a small amount of water first and wait 30 seconds.
  • Old coffee: the phin method is honest and reveals it quickly. Use freshly roasted coffee.

Copenhagen Coffee Lab explains: The Phin filter is one of the most forgiving brewing methods, once you find the balance between grind size and pressure. It rewards patience and punishes too much haste.

Conclusion, our perspective

Vietnamese coffee is a reminder that good coffee doesn't require expensive equipment. A phin, fresh beans, and a little patience are enough. We love the honesty of the method and that it works just as well with a dark roasted classic as with a lighter specialty bean from our own roastery. Try both ways and find your own version of the perfect cup.

FAQ

How much caffeine is in Vietnamese coffee?

A typical phin cup contains significantly more caffeine than an equivalent amount of filter coffee, because robusta beans have approximately twice as much caffeine as arabica, and the brewing is concentrated. If you use arabica, the content is closer to a strong espresso.
Can I brew Vietnamese coffee without a phin filter?

Yes. A moka pot or AeroPress comes closest to the character. Avoid French press; the grind size does not match the style.
Should the coffee be dark roasted?

Traditionally yes, but it is not a requirement. A medium roast specialty bean works well if you want more fruitiness and less bitterness to come through.
Can I make Vietnamese coffee with plant-based milk?

Yes. Condensed oat milk is the closest alternative to sweetened condensed cow's milk and works particularly well for iced coffee.

Read more

Hvad er excelsa? Kaffens oversete fjerde art
Aug 6, 2026
What is excelsa? The overlooked fourth coffee species

Most people know arabica and robusta. Some have heard of liberica. But excelsa is the species almost no one talks about, and that's a shame, because it's one of the most characterful beans you can ...

Hvad er en ristretto?
Aug 6, 2026
What is a ristretto?

A ristretto is a shorter, more concentrated version of an espresso. You brew it with the same amount of coffee, but with less water, and the result is a small, intense cup with more sweetness and l...

Follow us on Instagram

Sign up for our newsletter

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy.