Brewing method
Vietnamese phin
A phin is a small metal drip filter that sits on a glass and brews slow, strong coffee, often onto condensed milk.
- Dose About 20 g of coffee to 100 ml of water
- Grind Medium coarse
- Time 4 to 5 minutes
Written by the KAIVO team, Mumbai. Last updated 4 November 2026. Cite as: KAIVO, "Vietnamese phin", kaivo.in/pages/brew-vietnamese-phin
A phin is a small stainless steel filter with a perforated plate and a lid, placed on top of a glass. Ground coffee is put in the chamber, hot water is poured on top, and it drips through slowly for four to five minutes. The brew is thick and strong, and is usually dripped onto sweetened condensed milk and served hot or over ice.
Step by step
- 01
Put sweetened condensed milk in the glass.
- 02
Place the phin on the glass and add 20 g of coffee.
- 03
Add a little hot water, wait 30 seconds, and press the plate lightly.
- 04
Fill the phin with about 100 ml of hot water and cover.
- 05
Wait 4 to 5 minutes, stir and serve over ice or hot.
Taste: Strong, thick and sweet, with a deep chocolate and caramel taste.
A KAIVO blend for this
The Roar
The Roar is a dark roast rated 5 out of 5 on KAIVO's scale, with bitter chocolate and dark caramel notes.
Dark roast, tasting of bitter chocolate, dark caramel, oak.
See The RoarQuestions
Is a phin like a French press?
No. A phin is a slow drip filter. The water is not steeped and plunged.
Can I use a phin for black coffee?
Yes. Skip the condensed milk and drip into an empty cup.