Tips on Brewing Vietnamese Coffee

Trung Nguyên is the premier producer of Vietnam's finest locally owned and processed coffees grown in the ideal conditions of the Vietnamese highlands.

TN coffees are fairly traded, certified EUREPGAP (safe & sustainable agriculture) coffees brought to market directly by the producers.

The Trung Nguyen coffees are typically "strong" for the amount used, which yields good economy, especially since they are reasonably priced to begin with! They are "medium" roast and a relatively coarse grind. They provide a full range of aromatics and flavor from superior cultivation and hand-processing methods, without having to dark-roast or burn the beans, as is popular these days with lesser coffees.

New! Beat the heat with our special page on brewing iced coffee!

General information: Vietnamese Creation Coffees

This is general information for all our coffees. You can also click here to read advice for each individual Creation Coffee.

Amount to brew: When in doubt, follow the "1 tablespoon to one cup (6-8 ounces)" rule. All of the coffees will produce fine flavors if brewed this way. The grind is fairly coarse, and the best brewing time is about 6 minutes.

Type of machine/filter: Generally, the worst type of brewing is in a coffee maker that has water that is not hot enough and uses a basket-type filter. The first feature to look for in a coffee maker is a v-shaped filter (similar to Melitta #2 or #4). There are several machines available for anywhere from $25 - $50 that do a great job and have a v-shaped filter. Black and Decker has one with an insulated 8-cup carafe and v-shaped filter, often on sale for under $30. It makes great coffee and the temperature is perfect. If you can go a little more upscale, Krups also makes excellent v-filter machines for under $100.

The Vietnamese coffee shops brew one cup at a time in small filters devices that sit on top of the cup. The advantage of this method is that the coffee steeps in the grounds for the proper length of time despite the small volume. See instructions below.

Coffee "keeping" time and methods: The coffee we import from TN comes directly from the producer to us and is sold immediately on the website. The coffee is not vacuum-sealed, because TN believes that vacuum sealing removes too many aromatics.

There are two things to remember for fresh coffee: 1.) Oxygen deteriorates flavor within hours or days. Keep the bags sealed tightly, or in containers that don't have much extra air, and 2.) Extreme cold will slow flavor loss, but home freezers do NOT reach a low enough temperature to make a difference, so there is no reason to keep coffee in the frig or freezer.

Brewing Vietnamese coffee with a single-cup filter
These filters are great for people who don't have room for a coffee machine or who like to make a single cup at a time. All you need is hot water and this filter kit. We carry both the classic aluminum and the new stainless steel. Aluminum is pictured here. The kit includes the filter chamber, filter press, cup spanner, and cap. Some people prefer a glass mug or cup because they can watch the progress of the brewing. This method takes about 4-6 minutes from start to finish, about the same as brewing in a coffee machine, but it is more fun and guarantees incredible flavor.
Trung Nguyen coffee is a little coarser than most ground coffee. It is made for this method, although it still works fine in most coffeemakers. Measure out 3 slightly rounded teaspoons or one rounded tablespoon of coffee and place into the filter chamber. You can adjust the quantity somewhat for your taste, but if the coffee is too loose it will brew too fast and lose flavor, and if packed too tight, it will brew too slowly and get cold, so don't vary too much from the 3 teaspoons recommended.
When the coffee is in the filter chamber it looks like this. Tap the chamber a little to settle it so it will drain evenly.
Place the cup spanner on top of your cup, and place the filter on top of the spanner. Place the filter insert lightly on top of the coffee. Do not pack it down; the weight of the insert is enough to do the job.
Wet the coffee using about 20 ml of hot water... which makes the water level rise just above the filter insert. Wait 20 seconds for the water to sink into the coffee. It doesn't matter if it all sinks in; after 20 seconds, pour the rest of the water in as shown in the next step. Use the hottest water you can. Water from a hot water (tea) machine is fine, or boiling water.
Now pour hot water in till it is almost to the top of the filter chamber. Don't worry if some grounds float loose; they will not affect anything.
Now it is time for the coffee to brew. Put the cap on as shown to the right. Sit back and relax, the brewing takes about 4-5 minutes typically. If brewing is too fast or too slow, you may want to use more or less coffee next time, respectively. We suggest pre-heating the cup with hot water before you put it together, as it helps keep the coffee hotter. If you want to use sweetened condensed milk, as they do in Vietnamese coffeeshops, add the milk to the cup BEFORE brewing for the most authentic experience.
If you are using a glass cup or mug it is easier to see when the brewing is done. If not, then after 4 minutes lift the cap and see if the water has drained. The picture shows a fully drained filter, but sometimes after 4-5 minutes there will still be a little water brewing. No problem; remove the cap if you want to drink the coffee at that time, turn the cap upside down onto the table, and place the whole filter assembly on the cap to continue draining. Then you can add the extra to your cup later if you want.
The final picture shows the filter assembly draining into the upturned cap and a finished cup of coffee. Enjoy one of the finest coffee pleasures available on the planet Earth! Stir the condensed milk up into the coffee or add your cream and sugar at this time. CAUTION: Filter parts can get hot to the touch, so be careful handling them while they are still in contact with the hot water. The stainless steel filter has cool-touch handles, so use them to move the filter for improved comfort and safety.