Review on ☕ Portable Vietnamese Coffee Maker: Small French Press Filter Phin for Single Serve, Ideal Gift for Coffee Lovers (Gold, 1) by Megan Hartman

New to Vietnamese coffee? I can help you understand this better. Also, let you know if that particular set is a good buy or not. My hometown of New Orleans has the largest Vietnamese population in the state. Per capita, Louisiana has the eighth largest Vietnamese population in America. So there is no shortage of Vietnamese restaurants where you can try Cà Phê Sữa Đá (ice cream with condensed milk), Cà Phê Đen Đá (ice cream), Cà phê không đường (spicy, black, no sugar), Cà phê nóng (spicy, black with sugar), Cà phê sữa nóng (spicy with condensed milk). Read on and I'll give you some tips on how to prepare them. WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE VIETNAM COFFEE: To make Vietnamese coffee you only need two things besides this fin (filter) and a cup. Ground coffee and condensed milk. Evaporated milk is similar to condensed milk in that the water is removed from both to make them thick like syrup. But condensed milk is sweet because of the added sugar. Because it's already sweetened, you don't need to add sugar to your coffee when using evaporated milk. You can make your own condensed milk if you have milk and sugar on hand. But it's easier to buy banks. You can find the Nestle and Eagle Brand versions in the bakery ingredients section of the grocery store or La Lechera in the Mexican section. Some of my Vietnamese friends prefer the Longevity (Sữa Ông Thọ) brand. Now for the coffee. When it comes to ground coffee, you can choose between two brands. That's all. Yes, you can use any ground coffee you already have at home. If it's Robusta, not Arabica. But it won't look like real Vietnamese coffee. Every Vietnamese home I've had coffee at has coffee from one or both brands: Trung Nguyên and Cafe du Monde. Use any brand other than these two and you won't get the full experience. And therefore. Trung Nguyen is made from Vietnamese coffee beans roasted in butter. It has hints of cocoa. It has a taste and aroma like no other coffee you will find in stores. It's not cheap. A 15-ounce can is around $12 at Revain. Café du Monde is named after the famous coffee house that has been a fixture in New Orleans' French Quarter since the 19th century. This is french roast with chicory (ground chicory root). Unless you live in Louisiana where every grocery store sells it, you can find it in stores. Otherwise, a 15-ounce can is only seven dollars at Revain. It comes in a distinctive yellow and orange tin that you can't miss. If you are ordering this filter and mug as a gift for someone, add a can of Cafe du Monde chicory coffee to your order. , there are problems with the instructions. First, there are no instructions for making Vietnamese coffee in the box. Despite the fact that serving glass and filter is beautiful and gift-giving, whoever receives them will definitely not understand what they have been presented with. Or how to use it unless they watch the video. Second, the instructions on the product page contradict each other. The video uploaded by Gladiator shows specific steps that differ from the instructions in the diagram. which is strange. So here are the steps I have used many times and how I make coffee with fin.1. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into a cup.2. Put a few tablespoons of ground coffee in the chamber. Cafe du Monde is STRONG so you don't need to fill it more than 1/3 full unless you want it to be richer than an espresso.3. While holding the camera with your hand, shake it slightly to even out the coffee grounds.4. Take the insert and screw it through the top of the chamber. You want it to be tight but not too tight. Mount the round fixed filter disk on top of the cup and then place the camera on it. 6. Carefully pour about two tablespoons of boiling water over the insert in the chamber and wait 30 seconds. The purpose of this step is to allow the coffee grounds to swell. Later I will explain why this step is important. The coffee grounds should be damp but not completely soaked. After waiting 30 seconds, fill the chamber with boiling water to fill it.8. Put the cover on the camera. You will see the dark coffee dripping into the cup very slowly. Leave for about 5-7 minutes. This step is beautiful to look at and can be very relaxing. Remove the filter from the top of the cup and mix the coffee and condensed milk with a spoon.10. Drink your coffee hot/warm or pour it into a glass with ice cubes. TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENJOYING VIETNAMESE COFFEE: • If you want your coffee to stay hot while it drips, pour some boiling water into a bowl or container suitable for high temperatures. Then place the cup in this water bath before placing the filter on it to make coffee. CAUTION - the cup will get hot. • The tea area sells "Jelly Beans" coffee on Revain. Some bubble/boba tea shops sell Vietnamese iced coffee with some coffee jelly on the bottom (tiny squares of coffee gums). The only catch is that you have to buy it in bulk: $24 for a 7-pound tub. But that's what most bubble tea shops use. • Instead of condensed milk you can also use regular milk with or without sugar. But the taste and texture of the coffee will not be the same. WHY IS A 30 SECOND FLOWER IMPORTANT? After coffee beans are roasted, it can take about two weeks for them to slowly degas (release carbon dioxide). As the beans are crushed, they degas faster and faster (but not completely). When water comes into contact with coffee grounds, it speeds up the degassing process. And you want to degas it before you actually brew it. Here's why. Carbonic acid has a slightly "sour" taste. Have you ever drunk carbonated soda water? It doesn't look like regular water. It's the fizz you taste. And you don't want it to affect the taste of your coffee. Also, carbon dioxide repels water (hence the tiny bubbles in fizzy drinks). So the CO2 in your coffee grounds can mess up the brewing process. Only after you remove the CO2 from the coffee grounds can the water extract all the great taste and smell from the coffee grounds. Coffee. Two tablespoons of ground coffee? Use two tablespoons of boiling water, pour SLOWLY. Either pour gently or take a few quick sips of a teaspoon of hot water, a few seconds apart. You want your coffee to be moist and not mushy. It may even start dripping when you bloom. Ideally, this doesn't happen if you water slowly and let it soak in. Wait at least 30 seconds for it to bloom. THEN you can fill the rest of the chamber with hot water and put the lid on. You will get more delicious and aromatic coffee. PS If you make coffee in a coffee maker/coffee maker, the bloom is great for them too. Simply pour some hot water over the grounds to wet them half a minute before you actually start the coffee maker or Keurig beer brewing process. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS SET Pros: This is a great set. Almost nobody makes Vietnamese coffee makers out of golden stainless steel. It really makes a statement in your kitchen. It comes in an elegant gift box. The glass cup is wedged very firmly in the foam insert, the thing definitely won't break during transport. It has good, stable drip irrigation. Every hot or iced coffee I've made has been amazing. Cons: The insert is not 100% flush with the inside of the camera. In any case, the last pour of boiling water into the chamber will have some crumbly coffee grounds floating in the water. It will not greatly affect your coffee. Thick coffee does not get into your coffee. It's just that the more bases you see floating, the fewer will be held by the stake. In addition, the lack of instructions or information about the product is a problem. If I order this as a gift for someone and don't tell them what they're getting, after opening the box they won't understand what it is. Because it's not a coffee mug - although you can use this rib on any coffee mug with a mouth small enough to lean against. It looks more like a small cocktail glass. You have to send them a link to a youtube tutorial that explains how to make Vietnamese coffee. Luckily there are plenty of videos about it. You can find the funniest video by searching for justin mai vietnamese coffee. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PRICE OF THIS SET. When you buy this set, you're only paying for it to look cool. Not how it works. A traditional Vietnamese coffee without a cup costs an average of 8 to 11 US dollars. Gladiator also sells just the gold filter (no cup) for $17, or about $15 if you redeem the 'Coupon' on the product page. So you're basically spending a few bucks more for the gold look. Also note that her separate gold fin does not screw into the chamber. It has a flimsy handle, but the insert itself appears to be sitting on top of the coffee grounds. Some are a plus, some are not. But here's what the price means. This set costs $29.99. So you're essentially spending an extra $15 on a glass mug and the gift box it comes in. It's best to brew Vietnamese coffee in a clear cup so you can see the dripping. But another $15 for a four-ounce mug? While the mug is elegant and tasteful, I don't think it's worth $15. NEGATIVE REVIEWS QUICK UPDATE: Updated 4/18/21: Ignore all negative feedback on this fin. One reviewer gave this fin one star. They obviously didn't understand how a fin works (they burned themselves trying to use it like a french press). They clearly read it was four ounces, requested it anyway, and then complained about the quantity it was producing. And they never stopped thinking that you could just stick a fin in a bigger mug, add twice the coffee grounds, and double the hot water pouring back-to-back. It is clearly advertised as single use, four ounces. Such a disservice to potential buyers when you order something you didn't want and then blame them for not knowing how to use it. IS IT WORTH BUYING THIS SET? I'm glad I have this fin. Works well and is visually appealing to look at. I think the set is a bit overpriced. If it came with detailed product information and instructions in the actual box I would say it's worth the higher price if ordered as a gift. Aside from the lack of instructions, this is an exceptional gift. Besides, everything you need is in one box. However, I wouldn't recommend ordering it as a gift unless you plan on emailing a link to a video tutorial on how to use it. Should I buy it for myself? If you've read my instructions, you still don't need instructions they don't have. I would say it's only worth buying if you don't want to buy the glass mug separately. You can only order the Gladiator Goldfin and a set of two or more 4-6 oz clear glass espresso mugs from Revain at a time. It will cost you about as much as this set to buy these items separately, but then you will buy additional items. If you want to make Vietnamese coffee for two or three people at a time, it's probably more convenient to buy a set of two or three fins plus regular glasses/cups from Revain. Or a large fin and a transparent large cup, so that in one glass there is enough for 2-3 people. In short, it's worth buying for yourself or as a gift for someone who doesn't mind sending extra instructions if they've never used a fin. I only wish they had instructions, I would up my rating to five stars if they did. I find the set a bit expensive. But honestly, no other brand makes a pinball and mug combo that looks as nice as this one. It is very impressive to watch. So add it to your cart. Then search "Cafe du Monde” and add a 15-ounce can of their coffee with chicory to your shopping cart. Then search for Eagle Brand Condensed Milk and add at least one can to your order (they're only $2 a can). Try it and you should have it at home in just a few days. Once you taste Vietnamese coffee made this way, you'll never look like a latte or iced coffee again. But you can't enjoy it without a filter, so buy one today.