Recipe for Authentic Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Phin-Style) with an AeroPress

Vietnamese iced coffee— nâu đá or cà phê sữa đá—is not just a drink. It’s cultural and sensory experience: bold, bitter, sweet, thick, and satisfying. Traditionally brewed with a Phin filter, to me it’s slow, meditative, and deeply nostalgic. Let me show you how to replicate this with your AeroPress.

You may find this recipe interesting if:

• You don’t have a Phin (yet).
• You want to make 2 cups.
• You want to push the limits of what your Aeropress. can do.

With a few tweaks, your Aeropress can absolutely replicate that syrupy-sweet, slow-drip, robusta-heavy Vietnamese classic with zero compromises.

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 What You’ll Need

• 40g dark roast Vietnamese robusta coffee. (fine grind size, close to moka pot)
• 160g hot water (90–92°C)
• AeroPress (standard position)
• Metal filter (paper is ok, but it will lack depth and body)
• 35–40g sweetened condensed milk
• a glass or a server (min. 300ml)
• Ice

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The Brew

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1. Setup

• In your serving glass, add 35–40g condensed milk.
• Set the Aeropress in standard position on top of the glass.
• Add 40g of coffee to the chamber. It’s ok if some grounds fall through the filter.

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2. Bloom (1 Minute)

• Add 60g of water.
• Stir thoroughly and let it steep for 1 minute.

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3. The Slow Drip

• After the 1-minute bloom, pour another 100g into the chamber to reach 160g total.
• Let it drip naturally — slowly, like a traditional phin: aim for ~1 drop per second.
• Total brew time should take about 12–15 minutes. Yes, it’s long (pun-intended) 

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4. Final Press

Once the drip stops:

• Insert the plunger and press all the way to get everything out.

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5. Mix & Ice

• Stir the brewed coffee and condensed milk until fully blended.
• Share the brew into 2 glasses.
• Add ice to your liking. Try with both cubes or crushed: Cube = slower dilution, crushed ice = more texture since you can chew on the pieces.
• Stir again and sip slowly.

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 Why This Works

• The long bloom opens up the coffee, enhancing richness and extraction.
• Fine grind + metal filter = heavy mouthfeel, retained oils, more body.
• Slow drip rate replicates the meditative, syrupy nature of  the phin.
• Post-drip plunge to get all the good stuff. Make use of the Aeropress.

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Notes

• Too fast? Grind finer.
• Too slow? Coarsen slightly or stir the chamber lightly.
• This brew is meant to hit hard — bitter, sweet, thick. That’s the point.
• If you are brave enough, drink it black with ice cubes. That's how the Vietnamese uncles drink coffee.

Extra: to make 1 portion only, use the same 1:1:4 milk:coffee:water ratio, play with the dose (I use 20-25g coffee). As long as you get that 1 drop per second, you're set.

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 Final Thoughts

This isn’t a "coffee hack”. It’s a gritty, honest homage to Vietnamese phin coffee, scaled up with the AeroPress for those who want more without losing the essence or experiment a new style of coffee before buying new equipment.

Grab the beans HERE. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

- Long Nguyen -