Iced and sweet
Vietnamese iced coffee
Very strong, very sweet, dark and chocolatey, and it mellows as the ice melts.
- Coffee and condensed milk ≈ 85 ml
- About 85 ml plus ice
Strong coffee dripped slowly through a phin, a small metal filter that sits on the glass, onto sweetened condensed milk. You stir it and pour it over ice. It’s traditionally made with dark-roasted coffee, often robusta.
| Ratio | 1:5, coffee to water, plus condensed milk |
|---|---|
| Recipe | 20 g coffee + 100 g water + 30–40 g condensed milk |
| Milk | Sweetened condensed milk (about 15% of the drink) |
| Serve in | 250–300 ml glass with ice |
| Time | 4–5 min drip |
| How strong it tastes | High |
How to make it
- Put 2 tablespoons (30–40 g) of sweetened condensed milk in a glass.
- Add 20 g of medium-ground coffee to the phin, shake it level, and set the metal press on top.
- Pour about 20 g of water at 90 to 95 °C and let it soak for 30 seconds.
- Add about 80 g more water, put the lid on and let it drip for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir the coffee into the milk and pour over a glass of ice.
Tip: Dripping through in under 2 minutes? Grind finer or push the press down a little more firmly.
Common mistake: Too fine and the phin clogs up. If it’s taking much longer than 5 minutes, go coarser.
Variations
- Hot (cà phê sữa nóng): skip the ice
- Black (cà phê đen đá): no condensed milk
At a café
In Vietnam, ask for cà phê sữa đá; cà phê đen đá is the black iced version.
Vietnamese iced coffee vs. iced latte: An iced latte uses espresso and plain cold milk, so it’s milder and far less sweet. See the iced latte
You’ll need: Grinder (or pre-ground coffee), phin filter, kettle and scale.