Brewing with a Phin — the basics of Vietnamese coffee
2026-05-20
The Phin is the most widely used brewer in Vietnamese homes and street-corner cafés. A metal cup, the grounds inside it, a filter that presses down from above, and a lid. That is the whole structure.
How it is built
From the bottom: a body with holes for the water to drip through, an inner press that keeps the grounds flat, and a lid to hold in the heat. Some inner presses simply sit on top; others screw down. The body sits directly on a glass or cup.
Because no paper filter is used, the coffee's oils drip straight into the brew. This is what gives it a full mouthfeel.
Phin
A Phin is made of four parts
- LidKeeps the heat in until it finishes dripping
- Inner pressKeeps the grounds flat. Do not press hard
- BodySmall holes in the bottom. 20g of coffee, slightly coarser than medium
- GlassThe body sits right on top. Condensed milk often goes in first
The basic recipe
20g of coffee, ground slightly coarser than medium. Too coarse and the water rushes through; too fine and it clogs and stops dripping. The Phin is sensitive to grind size.
Add the coffee, shake gently to level the surface, and set the inner press on top. Do not press down hard here. Pressing too much stops the extraction.
First pour about 20g of water and let it bloom for about thirty seconds. This step waits for all the grounds to get wet and for the gas to escape. Then pour the rest of the water and put on the lid. Aim for about 90 to 100g of water in total.
Water at around 95°C. It takes about four to five minutes to finish dripping.
Recipe
Phin, step by step
Add coffee and level it
20g, slightly coarser than medium
Set the inner press
Do not press hard
Bloom
30 sec
About 20g of water
Pour the rest and cover
90–100g in total, around 95°C
Wait for it to drip through
4–5 min
How to think about strength
The brew from a Phin comes out much stronger than drip coffee. That is why cà phê sữa, with condensed milk, and cà phê sữa đá, with ice, are the standards in Vietnam: they assume this strength.
If you drink it black, use more water, or dilute it with hot water after brewing. It is a brewer for enjoying strength, so adjusting afterward works better than forcing it to brew weak.
A good match with Robusta
The Phin developed alongside Robusta. A full mouthfeel, the sweetness of cacao and nuts, and solid bitterness: this paperless structure suits taking all of that in.
Of course you can brew Arabica too, but if you want to bring out delicate acidity, Pour Over is better suited. Match the design thinking of the brewer and the bean, and the results follow naturally.
Filter
The filter material changes the mouthfeel
Comparing brew methods sets out the differences from other methods in diagrams.
