How to Grind Vietnamese Coffee: Grind Type, Grind Size, and More

The first step to enjoying a delicious cup of Vietnamese coffee — after picking up a bag of Nguyen Coffee Supply beans, of course — is to grind your Vietnamese coffee beans. Freshly ground coffee is optimal for extracting the bold flavors and assertive aromas of the beans. 

Not only does freshly ground coffee provide the best and most robust flavor, it also allows your coffee grinds to “bloom.” The coffee bloom is the phenomenon that occurs when hot water comes in contact with freshly ground coffee and releases carbon dioxide and other naturally occurring gases that are produced during the coffee roasting process. Because the gases escape quickly after coffee beans are grinded, pre-ground coffee won’t produce the same bloom that a freshly ground batch will. 

Each brewing method has its own ideal coffee blend and grind size, which we’ve compiled for you in the handy list below. But remember: There's no wrong way to enjoy your coffee. These are just our recommended grinds, but if you want to tinker with the sizes, freestyle on the water-to-coffee ratio, go for it. Experimenting until you find your personal preference (AKA the perfect cup) is what we’re all about.  

Chemex:

• Recommended coffee: Moxy. The fruity notes makes Moxy the best choice for your chemex.
• Grind size: Coarse. 
• Ratio: 44 grams of ground coffee (~2.93 tablespoons) to 640 grams of water (~22.57 ounces).

Cold Brew:

• Recommended coffee: Both Moxy and Loyalty make a great cold brew. If you prefer sweet and fruity, go with Courage. If you prefer robust and nutty, go with Loyalty. 
• Grind size: Super coarse grind, like raw sugar. 
• Ratio: 1 lb of grounds to 75 ml of water (2.5 quarts)

Drip:

• Recommended coffee: Truegrit, Loyalty or Moxy. If you prefer a bold, nutty, smooth taste with a kick of cocoa, go with our signature blend, Loyalty. If you prefer a light, fruity, and sweet profile, go with Moxy. If you want our strongest coffee, go for Truegrit.
• Grind size: Medium.
• Ratio: six tablespoons of ground coffee to 24 ounces of water 

Espresso:

• Recommended coffee: Loyalty or Moxy. Both are excellent for espressos and espresso-based drinks. For soft, fruity shot, go with Moxy. For a chocolatey and smooth shot, go with Loyalty.
• Grind size: Fine.
• Ratio: 18-20 grams in, pulled between 24-28 seconds, for 34-40 grams out 

French Press:

• Recommended coffee: Moxy. With this recipe, the Moxy comes out much more full bodied than a pour over and finishes sweet and smooth. 
• Grind size: Coarse. 
• Ratio: 4 tablespoons of ground coffee per 2 cups of water.

Phin:

• Recommended coffee: Loyalty or Truegrit. The robusta beans in this signature blend are indicative of Vietnamese coffee culture. If you want extra strong (like how they drink it in Vietnam), go for Truegrit.
• Grind size: Fine, like sand.
• Ratio: two tablespoons of ground coffee to three ounces of water. 
• THE TIMING TRICK: When dialing in the grind size with your solo phin, aim for these metrics -- 1st drip by 2 minutes, and last drip by 5 minutes. Staying within this timeframe will produce a solid brew. Too fast, and it means the grind size is too course, so the water is following through too quickly with less extraction. Too slow, and the grind size is too fine, and the water can't flow which will lead to a burnt brew.

Pour Over:

• Recommended coffee: Moxy. The light, fruity, and sweet profile makes Courage the perfect blend for your pour over coffee.
• Grind size: Fine. 
• Ratio: 22 grams of ground coffee (~1.46 tablespoons) to 320 grams of hot water (~11.28 ounces). 

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Our personal favorite grinder? The Baratza Encore. We recommend a grind setting between 14-16 for a phin filter.

Should you get a grinder? Read more here.

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