Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)
Drink15 min1 servingsEasyAbout this recipe
Rich, bold Vietnamese drip coffee slowly brewed through a traditional phin filter, sweetened with luscious sweetened condensed milk, and poured over a tall glass of ice. This iconic café drink is deeply satisfying — intensely strong yet creamy, with a slightly sweet, almost chocolatey depth. Once you nail the technique, you'll never go back to instant iced coffee again.
Instructions
- 1
Spoon 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of a tall glass (Large). Set aside.
- 2
Heat water to just off the boil (around ![200°F]). Avoid using boiling water directly — it can over-extract and turn the vietnamese ground coffee harsh.
- 3
Set your Vietnamese phin filter on top of the glass (Large) (over the sweetened condensed milk). Remove the inner press plate and add 3 tablespoons of vietnamese ground coffee to the filter chamber. Shake gently to level the grounds, then place the press plate on top and press down lightly — just until you feel slight resistance. Do not pack tightly.
- 4
Pour about 1 tablespoon of hot water over the grounds to 'bloom' them. Wait 20–30 seconds — you'll see the grounds puff up slightly and absorb the water. This releases CO₂ and primes the vietnamese ground coffee for even extraction.
- 5
Slowly pour the remaining hot water into the phin filter until it reaches just below the rim. Place the outer lid on top to retain heat. Let the vietnamese ground coffee drip through at its own pace — this should take 4 to 6 minutes. If it drips faster than 3 minutes, press the plate slightly firmer next time. If it takes longer than 8 minutes, press lighter.
- 6
Once all the vietnamese ground coffee has dripped through, remove the phin filter and set it aside. You should have about ¼ to ⅓ cup of intensely dark, concentrated vietnamese ground coffee sitting on top of the sweetened condensed milk.
- 7
Stir the vietnamese ground coffee and sweetened condensed milk together vigorously until fully combined and the sweetened condensed milk has dissolved completely into the vietnamese ground coffee.
- 8
Fill a separate large glass (Large) with ice. Pour the vietnamese ground coffee mixture over the ice, stir once more, and serve immediately. Taste and add more sweetened condensed milk if you prefer it sweeter.
