Brew Method

Vietnamese Phin Filter: Ratio, Grind and Brewing Guide

A phin is a small metal gravity brewer. Level the coffee, seat the insert and pour in stages. This guide explains the parts, a named starting ratio and drip problems; milk and ice are serving choices.

By Ali Can DoralarReviewed by Online Coffee Guide editorial teamPublished July 6, 2025Updated September 27, 20266 min read

Vietnamese phin over a glass of dark coffee with a pale base, beside an iced coffee

On This Page11 Sections

Key Takeaways

1A phin can make black coffee or a base for condensed-milk drinks.
2Nguyen's small-filter example uses 14 g coffee and 118 ml (4 US fl oz) water. Its 45-second bloom is included in the roughly five-minute brew.
3Measure water entering the filter separately from coffee collected below. Adjust grind and dose for your phin before blaming every slow drip on the press.

Parts and inserts Ratio and timing Fix the drip Caffeine and calories

Highlights

Method: Gravity through a metal filter
Named example: 14 g coffee + 118 ml (4 US fl oz) water
Bloom: 30 ml (1 US fl oz); wait 45 seconds
Collected yield: Less than water input; measure it

Vietnamese Phin Parts and Insert Types

A typical phin has a filter plate, brewing chamber, insert and lid. The plate supports it on a heatproof cup; the chamber holds the grounds and water. The perforated insert sits above the coffee bed. Water drains through the metal filter into the cup without an espresso pump.

A gravity insert rests on the grounds. A screw insert attaches to the chamber and changes how firmly the bed is held. Use the instructions for that design: twisting a screw tightly and pushing down a loose disc are not interchangeable techniques.

Four phin parts: lid, gravity pressing disc, brewing chamber and filter plate, with the disc above the grounds — The gravity disc rests above the grounds; screw-in inserts and integrated-base phins require their own assembly instructions.

Check that the plate sits securely across your cup and that the chamber and insert belong together. A loose or tilted setup is a fit problem to resolve before adding hot water. Choose a larger phin or repeat the brew when making more coffee; overfilling a small chamber changes bed depth and leaves little pouring room.

Phin Coffee Ratio, Grind and Timing

The following is Nguyen Coffee Supply’s small-filter method. Its separate dialing-in guide identifies the 118 ml (4 US fl oz) size. Start with a clean, dry filter and a stable heatproof receiver.

Nguyen's small phin example: coffee, water and elapsed time

Nguyen's small phin example: coffee, water and elapsed time
Setting	Starting guidance
Coffee	14 g; fine, described as sand-like in this guide
Total water input	118 ml (4 US fl oz); includes the bloom
Water temperature	91–93°C (195–200°F)
First pour	30 ml (1 US fl oz); wait 45 seconds
Remaining pour	Add the remaining water to reach 118 ml (4 US fl oz) total
Flow checkpoints	First drops before 2 minutes; finish around 5 minutes from the first pour

Write the units with the ratio. Four US fluid ounces is 118 ml, so this example uses 8.4 ml water per gram of coffee. This input-volume ratio keeps measured water separate from weighed coffee.

Grounds retain water. Do not top up the collected coffee to 118 ml (4 US fl oz) unless you deliberately want a more diluted drink. Record the collected amount if you need repeatable serving sizes.

How to Brew with a Phin

For the named gravity-insert example:

Recipe

Vietnamese Phin: Nguyen’s 14 g Starting Method

Makes:: 1 small coffee; collected liquid is less than 118 ml (4 US fl oz)
Time:: Around 5 minutes from the first pour, plus setup

Ingredients

14 g finely ground coffee, sand-like rather than powder-fine
118 ml (4 US fl oz) brewing water at 91–93°C (195–200°F)

Equipment

118 ml (4 US fl oz) gravity-insert phin with matching plate, chamber, insert and lid
Stable heatproof cup, grinder, scale, liquid measure, kettle and timer

Method

Set up. Put the plate and chamber on the cup. Weigh in 14 g coffee, level gently and rest the insert on the grounds.
Start the timer and bloom. Add the first 30 ml (1 US fl oz) of hot water. Wait 45 seconds.
Complete the input. Gently add the remainder of the measured 118 ml (4 US fl oz) and cover. Allow room below the rim; do not force a larger recipe into a smaller filter.
Watch and record. Look for the first drip before 2:00 and the last around 5:00 from the first pour. These are reference checkpoints; coffee and grind affect drainage.
Finish the serving. Remove the hot filter carefully and stir the coffee. Add any milk or ice to suit the drink.

Recipe notes

Nguyen Coffee Supply’s named small-phin method. A screw-down insert or another capacity needs its own directions.

The 30 ml (1 US fl oz) bloom is included in the 118 ml (4 US fl oz) total. Milk, sugar and ice are optional additions, not part of the plain-coffee yield.

Black phin coffee served in a short clear glass — Remove the phin and serve the black coffee before adding any milk or sugar.

For a complete printable milk-and-ice recipe, use Vietnamese iced coffee. That page deliberately uses a different home starting point: 18 g coffee with 90 ml (3 US fl oz) water. Follow one complete preparation rather than combining its dose with this guide's water quantity.

Fix Fast, Slow or Stalled Phin Dripping

If the phin is unusually slow, I check for an uneven bed or an insert pressed too firmly onto it. Pushing down again can make the restriction worse. I want a steady drip, not a tightly packed puck.

Change one variable between brews while keeping the coffee and water amounts recorded. A change of beans, roast or phin can require a new grind setting.

Phin troubleshooting: check the filter and recipe before changing the drink

Phin troubleshooting: check the filter and recipe before changing the drink
What happens	Useful check
Almost no dripping	Check blocked holes, excessively fine grounds or an overtightened screw insert. Let hot equipment cool before taking it apart.
Brews very quickly	Check dose and an uneven bed; try a slightly finer grind on the next brew.
Insert rises or tilts	Check matching parts, an even bed and space for blooming. Do not force a gravity disc down like an espresso tamper.
Weak only after milk or ice	Taste a cooled portion of the black brew first; reduce or measure serving additions.
Harsh taste despite normal timing	Review roast, coffee choice, cleanliness and extraction; the clock alone cannot diagnose flavor.

Nguyen's dialing-in guide uses drip timing to help adjust its phin. Use the five-minute checkpoint alongside the cup’s taste when adjusting grind.

Cleaning the Filter

Let the parts cool, empty the grounds, then wash and rinse the chamber, plate, lid and insert. Check the perforations for residue and dry the parts before storage. Nguyen's care guide covers its stainless-steel filter; follow your own maker's care instructions for aluminum, coatings or plastic handles. Avoid bending the perforations to make the filter flow faster.

Robusta and Condensed Milk

Robusta, arabica and blends all work in a phin. Use a coffee whose flavor you enjoy and a grind appropriate to the filter; pre-ground coffee sold for phin brewing can be a practical starting point.

Condensed milk is a serving ingredient, not part of the brewer's definition. Nguyen's explanation of Vietnamese coffee explicitly includes black coffee and Vietnamese-grown arabica as well as robusta.

The Phin in Vietnamese Coffee Culture

The phin has a strong place in Vietnamese coffee culture, but the brewer, bean origin and finished drink are different questions. A metal filter identifies the preparation; it does not identify where the coffee was grown.

For regional names, coffee choices and serving traditions, continue to the broader Vietnamese coffee guide.

The Taste, and Who It Suits

A phin suits someone who wants a compact, reusable metal brewer and enjoys adjusting a small batch. Coffee, grind, input ratio and serving additions shape the result. Some fine sediment can remain; a paper-filtered pour-over is another choice when you want different filtration.

South Indian filters also use gravity and metal, typically collecting decoction in their own lower chamber. A phin sits directly on a receiver. For hot extraction directly onto ice, compare Japanese iced coffee.

Vietnamese Phin Coffee Caffeine and Calories

Phin caffeine depends on the beans, dose and extraction. The 14 g method’s caffeine has not been measured. Adding milk or ice does not remove caffeine already brewed.

Milk can dominate the energy and sugar in a serving. As one named label example, 30 ml (2 US tbsp) Carnation sweetened condensed milk contributes 130 kcal and 22 g total sugar, including 18 g added sugar. These figures cover the condensed milk alone.

Serving assumptions and sources

The Carnation US label was checked on 27 September 2026. Its 30 ml serving contains milk and sugar and lists milk as an allergen. Total sugar includes added sugar and naturally occurring milk sugar. Black phin coffee without additions has no added sugar, and the milk figures should be added to the coffee’s own contribution. Use the actual milk label and amount; the linked iced-coffee recipe provides a separate ingredient calculation for its own serving.

Common Questions Before You Brew

Do You Need a Paper Filter?

A standard phin uses its metal perforations. Do not add paper by default or block the holes; follow the device's design and recipe.

Is a Phin the Same as a French Press?

No. A phin drains through a coffee bed into another vessel. A French press steeps the grounds in the water before its plunger separates them.

Can You Reuse the Grounds?

Use a fresh 14 g dose and 118 ml (4 US fl oz) water when you want another cup matching this recipe. You can try a second pour through the used grounds, but taste it separately: it will not repeat the original extraction.