What is cà phê sữa đá?
The Vietnamese national drink: strong phin-brewed coffee dripped over sweetened condensed milk, stirred, then poured over crushed ice. Born during French colonial times when fresh milk was rare and condensed milk became the substitute. The result is liquid dessert with a caffeine kick.
You'll need
- Phin filter (single serve)
- Tall glass with crushed ice
- Long iced-coffee spoon
- 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 20 g fresh Seelaz coffee, fine grind — Browse our coffees
Step by step
Pour condensed milk into glass
2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk go into the bottom of a heatproof glass. The phin will sit directly on top.
Load phin with coffee
Place the phin filter chamber on the glass. Add 20 g of fine-ground robusta or dark roast coffee. Insert gravity press lightly.
Bloom with hot water
Pour 20 g hot water to just cover the disc. Let bloom 30 seconds — watch bubbles rise.
Fill phin and drip 5 minutes
Add 100 g hot water. Place lid on phin. Coffee drips slowly into the condensed milk — the slowness is the magic.
Remove phin and stir
When dripping stops, set the phin aside on the lid. Stir vigorously to combine the dark coffee with the milk into caramel-brown.
Pour over crushed ice
Pour the mixture into another tall glass packed with crushed ice. Stir again briefly. Serve with a long spoon.
Pro tips
- Robusta gives that classic high-caffeine bitter bite. Substitute dark Brazilian roast if needed.
- Adjust sweetness by varying condensed milk — 1 tbsp for less sweet, 3 for dessert-level.
- For cà phê sữa nóng (hot version), skip the ice and stir directly.
Best coffee for cà phê sữa đá:
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