vietnameseiced.coffee

Gear

Everything you need for Vietnamese coffee at home

Four things, and you very likely already own one of them. Total cost for a complete setup is around $30–40 — considerably less than most coffee hobbies, which is part of the appeal.

  1. 1

    A phin

    Stainless, 120 ml, screw-down press. About $12.

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  2. 2

    Coffee

    Dark-roast Vietnamese robusta with one ingredient on the label.

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  3. 3

    Condensed milk

    Any brand. Vietnamese ones are thicker and sweeter.

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  4. 4

    A heatproof glass

    Something the phin sits on without wobbling. You probably own one.

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Buying guides

A plain unbranded kraft-paper coffee bag standing upright with a small pile of dark roasted beans in front of it.

Gear

How to Choose Vietnamese Coffee Beans

What to look for on a bag of Vietnamese coffee, which type suits which drink, and the additives worth avoiding. Criteria first, then recommendations.

The four parts of a stainless steel Vietnamese phin laid out in a row: base plate, chamber, press insert and lid.

Gear

How to Choose a Phin Filter

Stainless vs aluminium, gravity insert vs screw-down press, and which of the three sizes you actually want. Phins are cheap — the differences still matter.

A hand-cranked burr coffee grinder with a stainless body and folding handle, with whole coffee beans scattered beside it.

Gear

Grinders for Vietnamese Coffee

A hand burr grinder is the single biggest upgrade to a phin brew. What grind a phin needs, why blade grinders struggle, and when pre-ground is fine.

A thick white ribbon of sweetened condensed milk pouring from an opened tin into a small glass.

Gear

Condensed Milk for Vietnamese Coffee

Why sweetened condensed milk and not fresh, what makes Vietnamese brands different, how much to use, and what works if you avoid dairy.

How we recommend things

We have not laboratory-tested these products, and we say so on every page that recommends one. Our recommendations are based on published specifications, on how a product is constructed, and on what Vietnamese coffee brewing actually requires — and each recommendation states what it rests on.

We do not source, import or sell coffee, and we have no relationships with Vietnamese producers. Anything we cannot verify, we do not claim.

Every page here would still be useful with the commercial links removed. That is the test we apply before publishing one.

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Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships never determine our editorial conclusions.