Immersion
Vietnamese Phin
A little metal drip filter that makes a strong, rich, slow-dripped coffee — classically served over sweetened condensed milk and ice.
At a glance
What you’ll need
A phin filter, a burr grinder, a kettle, and — traditionally — sweetened condensed milk and ice.
The recipe
How to brew
The phin is a small metal drip filter that sits right on top of your cup or glass. Coffee goes in the chamber, a gravity insert rests on top, and hot water slowly drips through — giving a strong, rich, concentrated coffee. It's the heart of Vietnamese coffee culture, most famously as cà phê sữa đá: dripped over sweetened condensed milk and poured over ice.
Step by step
- Add about 22g of medium-coarse coffee to the phin chamber and shake it level. Rest the gravity insert gently on top.
- Set the phin on your cup or glass. For cà phê sữa đá, add 2–3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to the glass first.
- Pour a small amount of hot water (about 30g) to bloom the grounds and let it soak for 30 seconds.
- Top up to about 120g, put the lid on, and let it drip slowly for 4–5 minutes.
- Stir the coffee and condensed milk together, then pour over a glass of ice — or enjoy it hot.
A dark, chocolatey coffee stands up best to the sweetness and ice. If it drips too fast, press the insert down a little more firmly; too slow, loosen it.
Troubleshooting
- Dripping too fast (weak)? Press the gravity insert down more firmly, or grind a little finer.
- Dripping too slowly (or stalled)? Loosen the insert slightly, or grind a little coarser.
- Sour or thin? Use more coffee or hotter water.
- Bitter? Grind coarser and don't tamp the bed — rest the insert gently.
