There's so much to making that perfect cup of Jo that I don't even know where to begin.
So, let me start by saying that I've been using Coffee Phins for over 20 years. I have two sizes, a 6oz and 10oz. Both are the screw on models. After 16 years of use, the center pin broke off my 10oz Phin (it was welded on). Needless to say, it still worked, but it wasn't the same... and so I was in search of a new Phin. These Phin's by Trung Nguyen appeared to be good quality Phins, Amazon customer's highly rate it, and these come with a LIFETIME warranty which gave me total confidence in the product.
The closest size they carried to my 10oz was the 11oz, so I went with it. It was the newer "gravity press" version rather than the screw on type of my old Phins, but even with my old Phin's I never screwed the Press in, so I wasn't worried. I brewed a few cups with this phin and they were terrible every time. Upon further investigation, I concluded that the Phin Press was too small. This created a gap and allowed the grinds to float above the press, thus altering the taste of my coffee.
I reached out to Fitzy (the seller) thinking they gave me a defective product (the press seemed like it was for a 10oz Phin, not 11oz). Fitzy immediately acknowledged my concern, and took full responsibility by giving me a full refund, no questions asked. 5 stars alone for the customer service and response time.
Now I've been fortunate enough to try 2 other Phins (complementary of Fitzy). I have received both the screw on and the gravity insert 8oz Phins. I've used these alternately for about 2 weeks now, and I must admit, I'm very pleased with the performance from both of these. They closely resembled my old Phins. Note: my older Phins are only three pieces (the phin, the press, and the lid), but these Phins are four pieces, with the fourth being the cup plate. It acts as another filtration layer (which I'm still not used to), but doesn't alter the taste of my coffee. It take a fraction longer to brew, but there's no discernible difference in taste.
The LIFETIME warranty is good enough reason to try these Phins, but I've experienced their customer service first hand, and they don't try to weasel out of their warranty. Fitzy's integrity is 5 stars, and I highly recommend you try these Phin's (just not the 11oz for now -- Fitzy working with their manufacturer to resolve the fit issues on the press). The 8oz Phins work great and they're super versatile. They're perfect for travelling or camping, and each cup of coffee can be catered to individual tastes.
Now for those that are just not getting that perfect cup in the mornings, here are some tips to using a Phin.
1. The coffee beans. With the plethora of beans out there, finding the right brand and roast is key. This may take a while, but determining this is step one. If you already have a favorite bean, you're all set and ready for step 2!
2. The grind. Aside from fresh ground being the best, how fine you grind your bean is also a factor. In general, the finer the grind, the more flavor you lose during the grinding process. Also, there are different grinds for different brewing methods. French press and Phins often recommend a medium grind. But you need to be careful, a medium grind typically results in a weaker cup of coffee when using a coffee phin (Water passes through too quickly and doesn't have enough time to extract the flavor from the coffee grounds). If you grind your own beans try the different grinds. For me I like it on the finer side, but not so fine as espresso (NB: Too fine a grind will result in grinds filtering through the holes of the phin and entering your coffee!)
3. Temperature of water. Believe it or not, this does affect the flavor. Colder water will result in flat, under-extracted coffee, water that is too hot will cause a loss in the taste of the coffee. Coffee is best brewed with water between 195°F - 205°F. Now I know what you're thinking, how do you get that when water boils at 212°F?! Well, there are water boilers out there that boil and maintain water in this range. I have an older Zojirushi water boiler that keeps water temps at 3 settings, 140°F, 194°F, 208°F. The 140°F temp is the minimum temperature required to kill bacteria, so if you're just using it as drinking water, this is the setting to use. The 194°F is for Coffee, and the 208°F is for "cooking" instant noodles. Some have a fourth temperature setting (172°F), which is designed for loose leaf teas. The ideal water temperature to steep loose leaf Green tea is 172°F. Loose leaf black teas are not as sensitive and can tolerate higher temperatures. While these water boilers are not cheap, they may be worth the investment if you use it regularly (I'm on my 2nd one in 16 years.)
4. Lastly, there's a process when using a Phin. A coffee Phin needs the grounds prepped and packed (i.e. they need to be wet.) To do this, fill the Phin with the preferred amount of coffee grounds, then slowly fill about 1/3 of the phin's capacity with water and let the coffee filter through. Make sure there's enough water to wet all the grounds. As the coffee grounds absorb the water, it will naturally "pack" the coffee grounds. This resultant coffee from "packing" the grounds will naturally be weaker coffee, you can either discard it, or you can keep it. Next insert the inner piece (screw down or gravity press) of the phin to trap the grounds in place. With the grounds "packed" you need to apply excess pressure or force when inserting the press plate. If you have the screw on type, how tight you screw it on will also affect the brew. For coarser grinds, go more tight. For finer grinds, screw until there's resistance (do not over tighten!) If you have a gravity press, then your coffee grounds should be on the finer side and you can just insert the press in place and stop once you feel resistance. Finally, fill up the Phin with water. The coffee will take 5-7 mins to brew for the large size Phin (11 oz), and still be a good drinking temperature.
As with every recipe, it's dependent on personal preferences and taste. You need to constantly tweak your recipe until it's perfect for you. Short on grounds and want to stretch that last cup? Just apply more pressure with the press plate to the "Packed" grounds and it will slow down the filtering process and produce a stronger cup of coffee.
Traditional Vietnamese Coffee made with a Phin has a condensed milk base. The coffee drips directly onto the condensed milk, and the ideal size phin to use is the 4oz or 6oz phin. This will brew your cup in less than 5 mins. The coffee will be hot, and still drinkable, or ready to pour over ice after mixing. If you're making espresso, go for the 4oz Phin. For a regular cup of coffee, I'd recommend the 6oz or 8oz Phin's. If you love your coffee, do what I do and make multiple cups, rather than one large one. This keeps the coffee hot and fresh. If you need to make larger amounts, rather than go for a bigger Phin, I recommend you use a different method (I use an Italian Moka or a French Press). A larger Phin may take longer to brew a cup and hence alter the drinking temperature.
If you like Vietnamese style coffee, I recommend you purchase multiples of these (just not the 11oz phins -- Fitzy is working with the manufacturer in resolving the fit issue) as there is some good savings value (save 20% on 2, 30% on 3). The extra's will come in handy with company and household or family members. They're super easy to clean, and they're great for travelling and camping!
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This Item  Thang Long Vietnamese Coffee Filter Phin 11 Ounce (Large), Gravity Insert, One Cup |  |  |  |  | | |
| Price | $11.95 | $11.99 | $18.99 | $12.95 | $9.95 | $10.95 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 1 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 1 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 1 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 1 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 1 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 1 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Flavor | ||||||
| Durability | ||||||
| Quality of material | ||||||
| Sold By | Fitzy Shop | Fitzy Shop | Fitzy Shop | Fitzy Shop | Fitzy Shop | Fitzy Shop |
| capacity | 8 ounces | 1 cups | 8 ounces | 15 ounces | 6 ounces | 8 ounces |
| material | Stainless Steel | Paper | Paper | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| input interface | buttons | touch screen | touch screen | buttons | buttons | buttons |
| wattage | — | 230 watts | — | 50 watts | — | 50 watts |
| weight | 5.8 ounces | 191 grams | — | 7.4 ounces | 3.1 ounces | 4.4 ounces |
Reviews with images
Seller is Great... Filters are Great!
We initially received one of our three filters with a broken handle, the seller immediately made it right and replaced our broken filter. Great to deal with! Would buy again!
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2020
Item Package Quantity: 1Size: Large (11 oz)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024
Item Package Quantity: 1Size: Medium (8 oz)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024
Item Package Quantity: 1Size: Medium (8 oz)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024
Item Package Quantity: 1Size: Large (11 oz)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
Item Package Quantity: 2Size: Medium (8 oz)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024
Item Package Quantity: 1Size: X-Large (15 oz)Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2020
Quick seller feedback first: Fitzy Shop went above and beyond. The product is fullfilled by Amazon, which they felt shipping in a yellow envelope was sufficient...it was not. Obviously with 3 phins jammed in an enveloped that barely fit them, one of them was dented. I contacted the seller and they immediately shipped me a replacement and was very sincere in their reply of making sure I'm a satisfied customer. 5 star seller for sure!
TIPS for BREWING:
1.) Basic physics lesson I learned (maybe it's physics, I'm not sure). So imagine when you hold the top of a straw filled with water and lift out of the cup. The water stays in the straw. I think there's a similar concept at play when brewing. If you looked at people's pics they've shared you've seen a couple where the coffee doesn't go through the filter but overflows. NOT THE PHINS FAULT! What I've found is if the cups mouth is not wide enough, the air in the cup can't be displaced and coffee overflows. If you see this happen, simply tilt the bottom filter plate so it's not fully contacting the cup. You'll see the coffee then flows through. Lesson here, use a cup wide enough esp if you're getting the 15oz phins like I did.
2.) The 15oz phins can use a 2-4cup basket filter (sometimes called junior filter). DON'T put the filter into the phin and then put coffee in lest you want to press the whole paper filter down. What I do is put the coffee in the paper filter first and then place on top of the phin (see pictures). Then uses the inner press to push the coffee down, thereby causing the paper filter to wrap around it.
3.) Pre-wetting the coffee and pressing again makes a world of difference. Put in about 2oz of hot water in first and give it a min. Then press the coffee again (I actually don't press the stem bc it's not even, I press directly on the disc part). After that you can use the rest of the hot water. BONUS TIP: Remember tip 1? The size of the cup makes a big difference in brew. Narrow mouth makes the water slower to go through, thereby a fuller flavor. Wider mouth allows water to go faster, weaker flavor. Too narrow, it overflows. It's all about trial and error here.
4.) If you use a paper filter, I find the grind that works best is just a bit coarser than for a drip. I use a Starbuck burr grinder and it's 2 notches coarser than drip. Works great. At that grind, I use 2 heaping tablespoons for the phin. If I'm making a Viet coffee with condensed milk (hot or cold) I'll double it.
Hopefully these tips help others that have bought this or looking to buy these. I love mine!
Item Package Quantity: 3Size: X-Large (15 oz)Verified Purchase
FINALLY healthier coffee brewing - TIPS FOR BREWING
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2020
Since finding out that French Press coffee (and any coffee that doesn't pass through paper filter) can lead to higher levels of cholesterol and LDL, I was looking to find a better way to brew. THIS IS THE SOLUTION!! No machines with their plastic tubing and no weak\warm coffee from pour overs. These phins allow me to make coffee with bolder flavor than a french press AND allow me to use a paper filter too reduce the cholesterol. See tips at bottom on what I learned from using them (makes a HUGE difference).Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2020
Quick seller feedback first: Fitzy Shop went above and beyond. The product is fullfilled by Amazon, which they felt shipping in a yellow envelope was sufficient...it was not. Obviously with 3 phins jammed in an enveloped that barely fit them, one of them was dented. I contacted the seller and they immediately shipped me a replacement and was very sincere in their reply of making sure I'm a satisfied customer. 5 star seller for sure!
TIPS for BREWING:
1.) Basic physics lesson I learned (maybe it's physics, I'm not sure). So imagine when you hold the top of a straw filled with water and lift out of the cup. The water stays in the straw. I think there's a similar concept at play when brewing. If you looked at people's pics they've shared you've seen a couple where the coffee doesn't go through the filter but overflows. NOT THE PHINS FAULT! What I've found is if the cups mouth is not wide enough, the air in the cup can't be displaced and coffee overflows. If you see this happen, simply tilt the bottom filter plate so it's not fully contacting the cup. You'll see the coffee then flows through. Lesson here, use a cup wide enough esp if you're getting the 15oz phins like I did.
2.) The 15oz phins can use a 2-4cup basket filter (sometimes called junior filter). DON'T put the filter into the phin and then put coffee in lest you want to press the whole paper filter down. What I do is put the coffee in the paper filter first and then place on top of the phin (see pictures). Then uses the inner press to push the coffee down, thereby causing the paper filter to wrap around it.
3.) Pre-wetting the coffee and pressing again makes a world of difference. Put in about 2oz of hot water in first and give it a min. Then press the coffee again (I actually don't press the stem bc it's not even, I press directly on the disc part). After that you can use the rest of the hot water. BONUS TIP: Remember tip 1? The size of the cup makes a big difference in brew. Narrow mouth makes the water slower to go through, thereby a fuller flavor. Wider mouth allows water to go faster, weaker flavor. Too narrow, it overflows. It's all about trial and error here.
4.) If you use a paper filter, I find the grind that works best is just a bit coarser than for a drip. I use a Starbuck burr grinder and it's 2 notches coarser than drip. Works great. At that grind, I use 2 heaping tablespoons for the phin. If I'm making a Viet coffee with condensed milk (hot or cold) I'll double it.
Hopefully these tips help others that have bought this or looking to buy these. I love mine!
Images in this review
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ANTONIO D.
El filtrado por goteo más eficiente del mercado
Reviewed in Mexico on May 17, 2023Item Package Quantity: 1Size: X-Large (15 oz)Verified Purchase
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Hervorragend
Reviewed in Germany on September 3, 2023Item Package Quantity: 3Size: Medium (8 oz)Verified Purchase
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Ca phe sua da
Reviewed in Australia on January 22, 2024Item Package Quantity: 1Size: X-Large (15 oz)Verified Purchase
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