Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)
Strong, dark-roast coffee dripped slowly through a little metal filter straight onto sweetened condensed milk, then stirred and poured over plenty of ice. Bold, sweet and silky all at once.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Spoon in the milk
Divide the sweetened condensed milk between two heatproof glasses, about 3 tablespoons in each. This sits at the bottom and sweetens the coffee as it drips down, so there is no need to stir in sugar later.
- 90 g (about 6 tbsp) condensed milk
Load the phin
Set a filter on top of one glass. Add half the ground coffee (about 2 tablespoons), shake the filter gently so the grounds sit level, then press down lightly with the metal insert, just enough to flatten the surface, not to pack it hard. Pressing too firmly chokes the water and makes the coffee bitter.
- 15 g (about 2 tbsp) ground coffee
Bloom first
Pour a splash of the hot water over the grounds, just enough to wet them completely, and let it sit for about 30 seconds. This bloom lets the coffee swell and release its aroma before the real brewing starts.
- 60 ml hot water
✅ Done when: the grounds look damp and slightly puffed, with no dry patches
Fill and let it drip
Fill the to the top with the remaining hot water for this cup and cover with its small lid. Let it drip slowly straight into the glass, undisturbed, for about 4 to 5 minutes. A slow, thin, steady drip is what gives Vietnamese coffee its strength; if it runs out too fast, the grind was too coarse or the press too loose.
- 60 ml hot water
✅ Done when: the dripping has slowed to occasional drops and the glass holds strong, dark coffee over the condensed milk
Stir together
Lift off the and stir the coffee and condensed milk together well until no streaks remain and the mixture turns a deep caramel brown.
✅ Done when: the coffee and milk look fully blended, with a uniform rich brown color
Repeat for the second cup
Rinse the and repeat steps 2 to 5 with the remaining coffee, hot water and condensed milk for the second glass, or brew both at once if you have two phins.
- 15 g (about 2 tbsp) ground coffee
- 120 ml hot water
- remaining condensed milk
Pour over ice
Fill tall glasses generously with ice cubes and pour the sweetened coffee over the top. Serve at once with a straw or long spoon, stirring again just before drinking as it settles.
- about 300 g (2 cups) ice cubes
Spoon in the milk
Divide the sweetened condensed milk between two heatproof glasses, about 3 tablespoons in each. This sits at the bottom and sweetens the coffee as it drips down, so there is no need to stir in sugar later.
- 90 g (about 6 tbsp) condensed milk
Load the phin
Set a filter on top of one glass. Add half the ground coffee (about 2 tablespoons), shake the filter gently so the grounds sit level, then press down lightly with the metal insert, just enough to flatten the surface, not to pack it hard. Pressing too firmly chokes the water and makes the coffee bitter.
- 15 g (about 2 tbsp) ground coffee
Bloom first
Pour a splash of the hot water over the grounds, just enough to wet them completely, and let it sit for about 30 seconds. This bloom lets the coffee swell and release its aroma before the real brewing starts.
- 60 ml hot water
✅ Done when: the grounds look damp and slightly puffed, with no dry patches
Fill and let it drip
Fill the to the top with the remaining hot water for this cup and cover with its small lid. Let it drip slowly straight into the glass, undisturbed, for about 4 to 5 minutes. A slow, thin, steady drip is what gives Vietnamese coffee its strength; if it runs out too fast, the grind was too coarse or the press too loose.
- 60 ml hot water
✅ Done when: the dripping has slowed to occasional drops and the glass holds strong, dark coffee over the condensed milk
Stir together
Lift off the and stir the coffee and condensed milk together well until no streaks remain and the mixture turns a deep caramel brown.
✅ Done when: the coffee and milk look fully blended, with a uniform rich brown color
Repeat for the second cup
Rinse the and repeat steps 2 to 5 with the remaining coffee, hot water and condensed milk for the second glass, or brew both at once if you have two phins.
- 15 g (about 2 tbsp) ground coffee
- 120 ml hot water
- remaining condensed milk
Pour over ice
Fill tall glasses generously with ice cubes and pour the sweetened coffee over the top. Serve at once with a straw or long spoon, stirring again just before drinking as it settles.
- about 300 g (2 cups) ice cubes
The Story Behind the Dish
Coffee arrived in Vietnam with French colonists in the 19th century, but fresh milk was scarce and expensive, so Vietnamese cooks reached for sweetened condensed milk instead, a shelf-stable product that was easy to find. Brewed through small individual metal phin filters and sweetened this way, the coffee became something distinctly Vietnamese rather than French.
Served hot or, more often today, poured over ice as cà phê sữa đá, it became the drink of sidewalk cafés, street vendors and long conversations, found everywhere from busy cities to quiet rural towns.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The slow drip through the phin makes a coffee strong enough to stand up to the sweetness of condensed milk, giving a drink that is bold, creamy and refreshing all at once.
💡 Fun Fact
Vietnam is one of the world's largest coffee producers, and most of its coffee is the robusta variety, which gives this iced coffee its deep, slightly chocolatey strength.
Vietnam, nationwide, with strong ties to the south and to Saigon coffee shops
10.82°N, 106.63°E
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