Vietnamese Coffee: Phin Filter with Phuc Long Moka Blend

Boy, do I have a lot of coffee posts :))

A few weeks ago, I posted about using a concentrate in order to make Vietnamese iced coffee. Today, I'd like to talk about a more traditional way to make coffee with the use of a phin filter.

Have you ever used a phin filter? For those who haven't, a phin filter is a small metal device which is what the Vietnamese traditionally use to make their coffee. Unlike a french press, it can only make a cup at a time, but being made completely of metal, it's a lot sturdier, cheaper and takes up less space. 

Phuc Long Phin Filter

On the other hand, it's made up of several pieces which all need to be cleaned for each use, which may make washing more of a hassle.

4 Pieces of a Phin Philter (Top Left: "Saucer" Top Right: "Cup", Bottom Right: "Filter" Bottom Left: "Cover")

I don't actually know what each piece is called, but it's easy enough to infer the use.

1. Put a tablespoon of coffee inside the cup and tamp it down evenly with the filter. Some phin filters are the screw type, but this isn't so it takes a bit more effort to use.
2. Once compressed, try to lock the filter in place (not possible for this model).
3. Place the saucer on top of a glass with condensed milk, and place the cup with the compressed coffee and filter on top of it.
4. While holding down the filter with one finger, add some hot (not boiling) water until the filter is submerged.
5. Remove your finger and fill the rest of the cup, then cover.

Phuc Long Moka Blend

Alternatively, for a faster, grittier coffee: add some hot water without the filter until the ground coffee expands. Put the filter on and add the rest of the water. While clean-up is a lot harder since the grounds get everywhere, it takes less time for the coffee to drip, which can be great when you're in a rush.

Hot Vietnamese Coffee

The hardest part is waiting for it to finish dripping!

You can get the iced version by either adding or directly dripping it over a glass with ice.