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Vietnam

Phin — the Vietnamese drip filter

A small metal cup with holes in the bottom and a press: the coffee drips straight into your glass. Slow, strong, no electricity — this is how Vietnam makes coffee at home and on the street.

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Phins
1
strongermilder
  • 17 gcoffee
  • 100 mlwater
  • 1:6ratio
  • 94–96 °Cwater
  • mediumgrind
  • 5:15time
  1. BloomPour 25 ml of hot water, just enough to wet the coffee
  2. Let it swellThe coffee releases gas and rises — about 30 seconds
  3. Top upTo 100 ml, almost to the rim, and put the lid on
  4. DrippingSteady drips for 4–5 minutes; the first around minute two. Too fast — grind finer, too slow — coarser
  5. DoneLift off the phin and stir. For cà phê sữa đá, pour over ice

A recipe is a starting point: you tune the taste with the grind and the ratio. Coffee for this method — on request

How it works

A phin is a small aluminium or steel cup with a perforated bottom, an inner press and a lid. It sits on a glass: you add coffee, press it down and pour in hot water, which passes through the coffee slowly, drop by drop, for 4–5 minutes.

You get a concentrate: about 1 part coffee to 6 parts water — stronger than filter, softer than espresso. Trung Nguyên’s instructions for its coffee go stronger still: about 20 g to 65 ml. The phin usually takes a dark roast, robusta or a blend with arabica; condensed milk balances robusta’s bitterness and body.

You tune the drip speed with the grind and the press: the first drop falls at about the second minute, the last around the fifth. If it drains faster, grind finer or press firmer; if it won’t drip, grind coarser or press lighter.

Sources (4)

What you need

  • A phin for 1 glass
  • 16–17 g of medium-ground coffee (dark roast)
  • 100 ml of hot water, 94–96 °C
  • A glass; about 30 ml of condensed milk and ice, to taste

Tips

  • Warm the phin and the glass with boiling water, and the drips run more evenly.
  • Shake the phin before pressing: the coffee settles evenly, and the water finds no “channel”.
  • Don’t push the press down with all your strength: you can block the flow.
  • For cà phê sữa đá, stir the coffee into the condensed milk first, then pour it over ice.

Taste not right? Try the compass

More methods

Moka pot

A moka pot on the stove: steam pushes water through the coffee, and the brew comes out strong and thick.

7:511:9 Brew

Cezve

The finest-ground coffee in cold water over low heat — with foam.

2:401:11 Brew

Cold brew

A 12–18 hour cold steep: a smooth, sweet concentrate for ice.

12 h1:8 Brew

Beans for your method

Vietnamese coffee ground for the phin, cezve, pour-over or espresso — for home, café or office. One request, one answer.

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