How To Brew Vietnamese Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa / Cà Phê Sữa Đá)
Vietnamese coffee (cà phê sữa)
Weekend mornings, I would watch my parents brew a cup and it was always so satisfying seeing the first drop fall onto the condensed milk. As it slowly drips through the phin, or Vietnamese coffee filter, more and more excitement would build up. Even just writing about it, I can almost smell it as if I were brewing a cup at this very moment. Vietnamese coffee is truly something to remember. It’s a slow drip coffee over sweetened condensed milk, and can be enjoyed hot or over ice (cà phê sữa đá). It’s jammed packed full of caffeine, but is balanced with the addition of condensed milk.
Making Vietnamese Coffee
Here’s our way of making Vietnamese coffee/cà phê sữa:
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of Vietnamese coffee grounds (we love using our Vietnamese Espresso Blend)
2-3 tablespoons condensed milk (our preferred brand of condensed milk)
1.5 cups of water
Equipment:
Cup
Tablespoon
Can opener
Phin (Vietnamese coffee filter)
Kettle
Steps:
Step 1: Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil (or 212 degrees Fahrenheit).
Step 2: Put 3 tbsp of coarse ground coffee into the phin.
Step 3: Gently shake phin to remove small grinds, then place tamper overtop & gently push down to level coffee.
Step 4: Put 2-3 tbsp of condensed milk into cup.
Step 5: Place prepared phin over cup
Step 6: Splash 1 tbsp of boiling hot water (just enough to cover the tamper) & allow grinds to bloom for 30 seconds. Gently push down the tamper as it rises.
Step 7: Pour hot water to the rim of the phin & allow the water to drip through).
Step 8: Once water has fully dripped through, pour hot water 2 more times (for a total of 3 cycles).
Step 9: Gently push down the tamper throughout the process to ensure even coffee extraction. The process will take 4.5 to 5 minutes to fully brew.
Step 10: Stir and drink hot, or serve over ice.
It seems simple, but does take practice and patience to make cà phê sữa to your liking. When anyone asks me the best way to brew Vietnamese coffee, I always say “go by the color,” because to this day, I make my (personal favorite) version of cà phê sữa by looking at the color, and I’ll be able to tell if I need to add more condensed milk or more coffee. That’s the beauty of coffee - there’s no right or wrong way to make it. As long as you have the foundation, you can adjust it to your liking.