Brewing Vietnamese Coffee at Home
Essential Tools and Budget-Friendly Tips
Hello everyone,
In this week's Drip blog, we're diving deep into the essentials of making Vietnamese coffee at home. While quality fresh coffee beans or grounds are most important key, having the right tools can elevate your brewing experience. Let's explore the basic tools you'll need, recommended investments, and how to build your coffee toolkit on a budget.
Basic Tools for Brewing Vietnamese Coffee at Home
Making Vietnamese coffee is a cherished daily ritual for many, often centred around the traditional phin filter. This unique brewing device is a fusion of pour-over and French press methods, introduced to Vietnam in the 1800s by French colonialists. The phin consists of four stainless steel parts: a plate, the body, a press disk, and the lid. It's simple, affordable, and delivers a rich, flavorful cup.
Here's a breakdown of the tools I use in my daily brewing routine:
Gooseneck Kettle: While not mandatory, a gooseneck kettle offers precise control over water flow during brewing, leading to a more consistent and flavorful coffee. You don't need to splurge; there are affordable options that serve this purpose well.
Digital Scale: Consistency is key in coffee brewing. A digital scale helps measure the exact amount of coffee grounds and water, ensuring you maintain your preferred coffee-to-water ratio. A common starting point is a 1:15 ratio—1 gram of coffee to 15 grams of water—but feel free to adjust based on your taste preferences.
Coffee Grinder: Freshly ground coffee significantly enhances the flavor of your brew. Investing in a quality grinder allows you to control the grind size, which is crucial for the phin filter method. While I currently rely on pre-ground coffee, I'm considering adding a grinder to my setup in the future.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: A hallmark of Vietnamese coffee is its combination with sweetened condensed milk, introduced due to the scarcity of fresh milk during the French colonial period. Storing it in a squeeze bottle offers convenience, but using it directly from the can works just as well.
Milk Frother: For variations like egg coffee or salted cream coffee, a handheld milk frother is essential to achieve that creamy, frothy texture. Opt for a robust frother with multiple speed settings to ensure optimal results.
Glassware: Enjoying your coffee in aesthetically pleasing glassware enhances the experience. Stores like Flo & Frankie, Nood, and Ada Studio offer a variety of stylish options.
Recommended Investments
To enhance your home brewing setup, consider investing in the following:
Gooseneck Kettle: Mighty Ape offers a stainless steel pour-over kettle pot with a long gooseneck for precise pouring for $32.70
Digital Scale: A reliable digital scale is also available at Mighty Ape, ensuring accurate measurements for your coffee grounds and water at the price of $27
Milk Frother: A quality milk frother can be found at either Mighty Ape or Farmers around $24, perfect for creating that creamy texture in your speciality coffees.
These investments total approximately $83.70 and can significantly elevate your coffee brewing experience.
Building Your Coffee Toolkit on a Budget
For those seeking budget-friendly options, platforms like Temu offer a variety of affordable coffee tools. For instance, you can assemble a complete set—including a phin filter, kettle pot, scale, frother, and a set of four glasses with straws—for around $63.75. However, it's advisable to invest in a higher-quality frother from reputable retailers like Mighty Ape or Farmers, as the ones from budget platforms may lack the necessary power.
By allocating approximately $70, you can acquire essential tools that enhance your home coffee experience without occupying much kitchen space. If you're interested, here's a curated list of recommended items: Temu Coffee Tools Collection.
Enjoy brewing, savour your coffee, and I'll see you in the next blog!
