As a Vietnamese person, I admit I’ve never brewed traditional Vietnamese coffee using a phin. With two toddlers, I usually opt for a quicker method—my shortcut Vietnamese coffee made with a Nespresso machine.
This post was sponsored by Nespresso, but all opinions are my own. I used a Nespresso Latissima from 2019 until it finally gave out in 2025 after daily use. We upgraded to the Creatista Pro and I love it—highly recommended.
My late grandfather was an avid coffee drinker. I grew up watching him sip his pitch-black coffee from a small brown ceramic cup. He would often leave the last concentrated bit of syrupy coffee for me to taste, and that’s how I developed my love for coffee.
Vietnamese coffee has become more popular over the years and many modern cafés now serve it, so you don’t have to travel to Little Saigon to try an authentic cup. If you can’t find a nearby shop, making Vietnamese coffee at home with a Nespresso machine is easy. If you have some extra time, try pairing it with Vietnamese coffee shortbread cookies for a fun treat.
How Vietnamese coffee is made
Traditionally, Vietnamese coffee is brewed by letting near-boiling water slowly drip through a metal phin filter filled with dark roast coffee. The result is a strong drip coffee—more concentrated than standard drip but not quite espresso.
For a hot version, the coffee is typically brewed directly onto sweetened condensed milk in the cup. For the iced version, you simply add crushed ice after brewing.
Think of Vietnamese coffee as a very bold latte: condensed milk lends sweetness and creaminess while the coffee flavor remains intense.
My shortcut versions
Using a Nespresso machine makes the hot version effortless. Extract a capsule directly over condensed milk in a mug, stir, and enjoy.
For the iced version, follow these steps:
- Extract a coffee capsule. You can use either an espresso or a lungo capsule—see the tips section for suggestions.
- Add ice, condensed milk, and the hot coffee to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 5–10 seconds to combine and chill.
- Pour the shaken coffee into a glass and enjoy.
Shaking the drink isn’t traditional, but it distributes condensed milk evenly into the cold coffee much faster than stirring.
Tips for choosing your Nespresso capsules
Vietnamese coffee is often made with Robusta beans, which are bolder and more bitter than Arabica. To approximate that flavor, choose Nespresso capsules with higher intensity.
Four Robusta-blend Nespresso capsules that work well for this shortcut Vietnamese coffee are:
- Napoli – intensity 13
- Palermo Kazaar – intensity 12
- Ristretto Italiano – intensity 10
- Cape Town Envivo Lungo – intensity 9
My personal favorite is Firenze Arpeggio (intensity 9), though it’s not a Robusta blend. Lungo capsules yield more coffee (about 3.7 oz) with a longer extraction, while Espresso capsules yield a smaller, more concentrated shot (about 1.35 oz). You can use either type depending on how strong you want your drink.
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Vietnamese Coffee (hot or iced)
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Nespresso capsule (or more—see notes)
- 1 cup ice (for iced version)
Instructions
For hot Vietnamese coffee
- Add condensed milk to a small coffee mug. Extract a Nespresso capsule directly into the mug using the Espresso or Lungo setting based on your preference. Stir and enjoy.
For Vietnamese iced coffee
- Extract a Nespresso capsule into a small cup using the Espresso or Lungo setting.
- Combine the hot coffee and condensed milk in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for about 10 seconds, pour into a tall glass, and enjoy.
Notes
- Capsule recommendations: Napoli, Palermo Kazaar, Ristretto Italiano, or Cape Town Envivo Lungo.
- For a stronger drink, add an extra shot.
- Adjust sweetness by adding more or less condensed milk to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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