Quick and easy Vietnamese iced coffee recipe made in a French press. Just 4 ingredients, made in 5 minutes!
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Vietnamese Iced Coffee in a French Press
- Made in 5 minutes, this Vietnamese iced coffee is easy and delicious.
- Coffee is made in a French press.
- It’s sweet and creamy, with a caffeine kick.
- No need for a Phin, a traditional Vietnamese coffee maker and filter.
- The French press mimics the Phin by letting coffee grounds steep in hot water.
- This recipe takes a Vietnamese coffee (coffee plus sweetened condensed milk) and adds ice to make it a Vietnamese iced coffee.
RELATED: Vietnamese Coffee Boba
What You’ll Need
- Coffee (grind: medium-coarse)
- Filtered water
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Ice
- French press
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Combine coffee and hot water in a French press.
The French press does the same thing that a traditional Vietnamese coffee maker does — it steeps the coffee in hot water.
Make sure to use medium-coarse grind coffee, which is the French press setting. (It’s setting #28 on the Baratza coffee grinder.)
If you’re using an electric kettle to boil water, set the water temperature to 200°F.
Use filtered water whenever possible to make better tasting coffee.
It’s 2 tablespoons of coffee and 3/4 cup of hot water.
STEP 2: Steep for 4 minutes and press down plunger to strain.
STEP 3: Spoon sweetened condensed milk into a cup.
STEP 4: Pour coffee from French press into cup.
Stir.
If you want hot Vietnamese coffee, you can drink it as is.
STEP 5: Add ice.
To make it nice and cold, add ice to cool down the coffee quick. It’s now ready to drink!
Expert Tips
- Making iced and hot Vietnamese coffee is the same — just add ice to make it iced.
- Use medium-coarse grind coffee for the French press. If the coffee is too finely ground, it’ll pass through the filter and make your coffee cloudy.
- Any dark roast coffee like French roast would work but Cafe Du Monde is the most popular coffee to use for Vietnamese coffee.
- The more ice you add, the more watered down the coffee will get.
Questions You May Have
Cafe Du Monde with chicory is commonly used but any strong brewed coffee will work.
Yes, the sweetened condensed milk is essential in making Vietnamese coffee.
A French press is better for making small amounts of strong coffee than a coffee maker.
Related
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- Decadent Iced Coffee with Cream Froth
- Easy Coffee Ice Cubes
- Cold Brew Coffee Made Easy
5-Minute Vietnamese Iced Coffee
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup ice
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons coffee medium-coarse grind
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine coffee and hot water in a French press.The French press does the same thing that a traditional Vietnamese coffee maker does — it steeps coffee in hot water.If you're using an electric kettle to boil water, set the water temperature to 200°F.
- Steep for 4 minutes and press down plunger to strain.
- Spoon sweetened condensed milk into a cup.
- Pour coffee from French press into a cup. Stir. Mix the coffee and sweetened condensed milk.
- Add ice.
Cafe du Monde is acceptable but you should really seek out a roasted robusta coffee bean. That is what makes Vietnamese coffee different. It’s the type of bean grown predominantly in Vietnam, the world’s second largest coffee producing country. Try one from Trung Nguyen, easy to find at Asian markets.