Vietnamese Iced Coffee

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I’ve heard from so many people that nothing gives them a jolt of energy like Vietnamese Iced Coffee. In Vietnamese, it’s called “cà phê sữa đá.” It’s ridiculously easy to make, and I’m about to tell you what’s in it: just dark-roast coffee and sweetened condensed milk. But that’s not the secret. The secret to making it is using a special coffee filter.

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The four parts are the filter body, the screen, the base, and the lid. The filter comes in four parts and looks just like this. You can get it at a Vietnamese supermarket. It’s very inexpensive, and you need it to make Vietnamese Iced Coffee. It’s worth getting if you love this type of coffee, so get it! If you really can’t get this filter, my friend Kali has suggested using a coffee press. If you have success using a coffee press, write a comment below! This one is for a single serving, and it’s about 2 inches in diameter. They also sell larger ones for larger servings. Check out my online store if you’d like to buy either of these items on Amazon.

Click here for the recipe for ‘Vietnamese Iced Coffee’

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You will need ground dark-roast coffee beans. Try a French roast, it’s classic and traditional. Grab some sweetened condensed milk, ice, and boiling hot water, too.

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Now measure out 5 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk. (yeah, yeah.. it’s not that much. This is why it wakes you up!)

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Now get all that sweet sugared milk into the cup.. all of it.

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Place the coffee filter on the serving cup.

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Throw in maybe 4 tablespoons of ground coffee.

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Place the screen on…without screwing it on. Just place the screen on top.

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Now add enough hot boiling water just to allow the coffee grounds to bloom. You know, to soften it.

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Put the lid right on top. And wait a little bit.

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It looks like this inside…

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Now take the lid off, and pour enough hot water to fill the entire filter.

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Put the lid back on…

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Watch it drip through. It’s so exciting.

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How beautiful, check out the layers!

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The layer of coffee will continue to drip through… but I think this will be TOO strong….

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So I need you to add more hot water. You could also use less coffee (and less condensed milk) to make a smaller single serving. But I like a big healthy cup of Vietnamese Iced Coffee.

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Put the lid back on…

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..And let it drip. Look how much coffee we’ve made! And it’s strong as heck.

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Now take the filter off. All the water should have filtered through..

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Now stir until thoroughly mixed. I love this part the most. (besides finally drinking it)

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So purdy!

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Add some ice… Lots of it.

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et, voilà. Vietnamese Iced Coffee. So refreshing, so awakening. You’ll never go back to Starbucks.

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Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Total Time: 12 minutes
Prep: 12 min
Cook: 0
Yield: 1 serving
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
Water
5 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
tablespoons ground French Roast coffee (or any other dark-roast ground coffee)
Ice
Special equipment:
A single-serving Vietnamese metal coffee filter set (about 2 inches in diameter, available at Vietnamese super markets)

Directions: Bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a large heatproof serving glass, add condensed milk. Place filter over serving glass. Remove screen from filter, add coffee, and place screen back on without screwing it tight. Pour about 1 tablespoon of boiling water into filter to allow coffee grounds to bloom for about 3 minutes. Then add enough boiling water to reach top of filter. Place lid on filter and let coffee drip for 4 minutes, or until most of water has dripped through filter. Then add additional hot water to reach top of filter again. Let coffee drip for another 4-5 minutes. Stir coffee with condensed milk until well blended. Add ice, stir, and serve immediately.
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