Vietnamese Iced Coffee Recipe (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)

Prep the condensed milk: Spoon 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into the bottom of a cup or glass. You'll brew directly into this cup and stir together before pouring over ice.

Preheat the phin: Set the phin on top of your cup. Pour a small amount of hot water through it and let it drain - this warms the metal and pre-wets the filter, which improves extraction consistency.

Add coffee: Add 15–20g (about 2 tablespoons) of medium-fine ground coffee into the phin chamber. Level it gently. Do not pack tightly - the phin relies on gravity and needs the grounds loose enough for water to pass through slowly.

Set the press: Place the gravity press (the inner disk with holes) on top of the grounds. Press it down gently until it sits flat - light pressure only.

Bloom: Pour about 30ml of hot water (just off the boil) over the grounds. Let this sit for 30 seconds. The grounds will swell as they absorb water - this bloom releases trapped CO2 and sets up better extraction.

Fill: Pour the remaining hot water (about 100–120ml) into the phin chamber slowly, filling it to the top. Place the lid on top to retain heat.

Wait: The phin will drip slowly for 4 to 5 minutes. A proper drip rate is 1 to 2 drops per second - if it drips too fast, the grind is too coarse; if it stalls completely, it's too fine.

Assemble: Once brewing is complete, stir the hot coffee into the condensed milk in the cup until fully combined. Fill a tall glass with ice, then pour the coffee-condensed milk mixture over the ice. Stir and drink immediately.