Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)

Method

1. 1Set up the phin. Rinse the phin filter with hot water first — this preheats the metal and helps the coffee bloom and drip more evenly. Spoon the ground coffee into the phin chamber. Tap it gently to level the grounds, then place the press plate on top. The press regulates the flow. If your phin has a gravity press, just rest it on the grounds; if it has a screw-down press, turn it until it touches the coffee and stop. Too tight slows the drip to a trickle; too loose makes it too fast.
2. 2Add the condensed milk. Spoon the sweetened condensed milk into a heat-proof glass or cup. The coffee will brew directly on top of it. This is the traditional order: milk first, coffee second. You can watch the layers in the glass while the coffee drips onto the condensed milk. How much condensed milk is personal — two tablespoons is a starting point; Vietnamese street coffee is often much sweeter.
3. 3Bloom and brew. Place the assembled phin on top of the glass with the condensed milk. Pour about 20 ml of the water (a generous tablespoon), just off the boil at 92–98°C, over the grounds and wait 30 seconds. This is the bloom: the coffee degasses and the grounds absorb the water, which improves extraction. Then pour the remaining 70 ml slowly, up to the rim of the chamber. Put the lid on. The coffee will begin to drip. A well-set phin drips at roughly one drop per second — the full brew takes 4 to 6 minutes. If it drips faster the press is too loose; slower, slightly too tight.
4. 4Stir and pour over ice. Once the dripping stops, lift the phin off the glass. Stir the coffee and condensed milk together vigorously until fully combined — the condensed milk is thick and settles at the bottom, so stir properly. Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the hot coffee mixture over the ice. It will cool immediately on contact. Stir once more.
5. 5Serve and drink immediately. Vietnamese iced coffee is meant to be drunk cold and without delay — the ice dilutes it slightly as it melts, which is part of the balance. If you want to try the hot version (cà phê sữa nóng), skip the ice and drink directly from the brew glass, or warm the whole glass briefly in a bowl of hot water before serving.