Sitting on a tiny plastic stool on the busy streets of Vietnam, watching the chaos of daily life, and sipping a cà phê sữa đá, I had just one thought: I never want this moment to end. So I pulled out my phone and started looking for the next best thing – Vietnamese coffee brands that I could get at home.
Getting 100% Vietnamese coffee beans is rare due to misconceptions about their quality. But those who specialize in them take incredible care of the quality, flavor, and every member of the supply chain. It’s hard not to fall head over heels. Top of my list is always Nguyen Coffee Supply – America’s first specialty Vietnamese coffee company run by 1st generation entrepreneur, Sahra Nguyen.
Every coffee we feature on this list comes exclusively from Vietnam and offers something special. Plus, we dig into what makes the coffee so different and how to brew it for the best results.
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Nguyen Coffee Supply
We love the range of choices on offer from Nguyen and have never had a bad bag of coffee from them. From single-origins to flavor-packed blends, we’re confident you’ll find something you love.
If it’s your first time trying Vietnamese coffee, you can also buy their starter kit which includes a phin (traditional coffee brewer) alongside your beans.
Best Brands of Vietnamese Coffee
When Vietnamese refugees started arriving in the USA during the 1970s, there wasn’t a whole lot of choice for coffee that tasted like home. It’s why Cafe du Monde became popular as a close alternative despite being a French, not Vietnamese, coffee brand.
However, there have been improvements on that front over the years.
This list showcases companies exclusively selling coffee from Vietnam. We’ve tried, tested, and loved every brand we highlight here. And we’re excited to see more companies popping up as the world becomes more aware of just how great Vietnamese coffee can be.
Nguyen Coffee Supply
Our Favorite: Moxy
Best Introduction: Original Vietnamese Coffee Trio
Best For: Black coffee drinkers
Important Information: Woman-owned selling direct trade single-origin Arabica and Robusta beans.
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Nguyen Coffee Supply was started in 2018 by 1st generation Vietnamese American Sahra Nguyen. Her goal is simple:
- Showcase the Robusta coffee bean
- Promote Vietnamese specialty coffee
- Bring the amazing coffee of Vietnam to the US.
Through direct trade with a farmer in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, they source high-quality Robusta and Arabica coffee varieties. They are then roasted in Brooklyn before being shipped to you.
They have a few different options that let you sample the world of Vietnamese coffee and transport you to a tiny plastic stool, watching the motorbikes whizz by in Saigon or Hanoi.
Our favorite is Moxy which is their single-origin Arabica coffee. If it’s your first time trying Vietnamese coffee and you want to stay true to the traditional brewing method, you can also buy these beans in a bundle that includes a phin brewer.
If you’re not sure what you’ll like then grab the Original Vietnamese Coffee Trio. It includes Moxy plus the classic robusta – Loyalty, and their super-intense 100% peaberry robusta – Truegrit. This offers a great intro to the brand.
Nam Coffee
From the stunning countryside surrounding the foggy city of Đà Lạt, Nam’s collection of coffees is focused on the extremely high-quality robusta grown there.
Started by Vietnamese immigrant and art director, Vince Nguyen, Nam Coffee aims to bring the unique style of Vietnamese coffee to the US.
The coffee is sourced from a single farm on Langbiang mountain, just outside the city of Đà Lạt in the Central Highlands area. The 3rd generation coffee farmer grows both arabica and robusta, allowing Nam Coffee to offer blends that show off the incredible flavor profile of the region.
Our favorite is the Da Lat robusta. The intense chocolatey sweetness with a hint of wildflowers is reminiscent of the best coffees we had while visiting Vietnam.
However, they don’t have a bad pick in their range. Their arabica/robusta blends are bold and complex whilst their decaf offers a full throttle of flavor.
Overall, this is a great Vietnamese coffee company.
Lang Thang Coffee Co.
This brand has a slightly different story – Lang Thang Coffee is an off-shoot of a very good Vietnamese restaurant in Cincinnati. Serving coffee their Dad roasted in Saigon was the obvious thing to do when they opened Phở Lang Thang at Findlay Market in 2010.
Over time they came to appreciate the growing and roasting process more and more. And eventually, they started selling bags of beans in addition to using them in-store.
Their signature blend – Saigon Phin Daklak – offers a true taste of Saigon coffee. Each bag is a blend of robusta, peaberry, arabica, and soybeans. It might sound strange but each adds a distinct element to the final product and produces a truly delicious yet unique flavor and mouthfeel.
As we always try to make the most ethical coffee purchasing decisions we can, we’re a huge fan of coffees that are roasted at source. It means that the maximum amount of money stays in the nation that grows the coffee.
So purchasing from Lang Thang Coffee Co. supports a Vietnamese family business and gives you an authentic taste of Saigon. It’s a great way to start your Vietnamese coffee journey.
ChestBrew
Vietnam is famous for its amazing iced coffee drinks, so it makes sense to have a coffee that is specifically designed for making iced drinks. Everything you buy from ChestBrew has been produced with cold brewing in mind.
Their best-selling option is Moon Bear which is selected and roasted to give a smooth and sweet cold brew without being bitter.
By using 100% Vietnamese Arabica beans and roasting at source, ChestBrew focuses on maximizing your caffeine AND flavor needs. You can expect a big boost of caffeine with bold flavors.
If Moon Bear doesn’t sound like your thing then there’s also Grizzly Bear, which is dark chocolate-dusted coffee. It’s pretty different from what you’ll likely be used to. Whilst we love the rich, decadent caffeine punch, it’s not an every morning coffee for us.
Trung Nguyen
It may (or may not) surprise you to learn that a lot of the coffee served in Vietnam is not freshly ground.
One of the popular brands used by street vendors and coffee store owners throughout the country is Trung Nguyen.
Their Premium Blend combines Robusta, Arabica (including catimor), and the lesser-known Excelsa. They add a small amount of cacao for the extra chocolatey notes that are distinct in Vietnamese coffee.
If you’re looking to dip your toes into the world of Vietnamese coffee, or just want to relive the joyful chaos of those street-side morning brews, then this is a great way to do it without having to buy a grinder. You’ll still need a phin though for that truly authentic flavor.
Copper Cow Coffee
Copper Cow Coffee is another amazing woman-owned business. They not only deliver amazing, sustainably sourced Vietnamese coffee into your life, they make it super convenient too.
In addition to bags of beans, you can also choose individual pour over bags. As people who’ve travel a lot, we love the pour over bags. Armed with only a hotel room kettle, we can still get delicious Vietnamese coffee anywhere.
Debbie Wei Mullin founded Copper Cow Coffee and is striving to offer premium quality Vietnamese style coffee that is sustainably sourced and easy to prepare. They also offer some amazing flavored coffees that are made without sweeteners or artificial flavors, just real ingredients and coffee beans.
The “pour over latte” bags are really individual cà phê sữa servings (which we adore). You just need to add some sweetened condensed milk creamer to the cup then use the pour over bag to brew your rich and punchy Vietnamese coffee on top. The result is sweet and delicious coffee – just like in Vietnam – but without any specialist equipment needed.
Vinacafe
Want to drink coffee like an old-school Vietnamese person? Then it’s the 3-in-1 coffee sachets from Vinacafe that you want.
This is how much of Vietnam prepared coffee for the latter half of the 20th century.
Is it the best tasting coffee Vietnam has to offer?
No.
But it gives you that sweet and rich flavor with a hefty caffeine punch that is reminiscent of all Vietnamese coffee. This brand is popular in supermarkets around the country, and has made it’s way to the US now too.
What to Expect from Vietnamese Coffee
Having spent over 3 months in Vietnam with an insatiable coffee habit to feed, we have consumed a lot of great coffee. Plus we conduced some very scientific research into the best Vietnamese coffee brands in the US. (Drinking so much coffee you get the jitters is scientific, right?!)
So we have a good idea of what you’re going to get:
It’s sweet
In Vietnam, most coffee is served with sugar and/or sweetened condensed milk. Or it’s made from sachets that contain instant versions of these.
If you’re visting and ordering coffee in Vietnam but don’t look Vietnamese or you order in English, they’ll likely ask if you want sugar. You definitely do. I never drink coffee with sugar at home but in Vietnam it’s essential as otherwise the coffee tastes extremely bitter.
Whilst some of the brands featured here sell beans for an American palette, the 100% Robusta options and more traditional blends will definitely benefit from a little sweetness.
It’s strong
When brewed traditionally in the phin, coffee from Vietnam tends to be extremely strong in both flavor and caffeine content. This is, in part, due to the use of Robusta beans which have more caffeine per weight than Arabica.
As a result, the cups of coffee consumed tend to be smaller.
Think of it like drinking espresso – you wouldn’t drink a full mug of espresso (if you do, I’d recommend seeking medical help!) You only need that 1-2oz of coffee to get the full experience.
It’s mostly served cold
As a general rule, Vietnamese coffee is served iced. In the North, some locals drink hot coffee though its more likely they’ll drink cold coffee with hot tea. In the South, it’s pretty much only drink iced coffee, cos its hella hot there.
So if you want to enjoy the full experience, brew your coffee over ice.
That said, the more specialty coffee options featured here are also delicious hot. So if its midwinter at home and you need something hot to drink, you can still enjoy a taste of Vietnam.
How to Brew Vietnamese Coffee Beans
The most common, beloved, and authentic way to brew Vietnamese coffee is with a phin.
This is a cheap, simple coffee brewer that you can buy in a range of sizes from single serving up to batch brewing. To use, you just sit the phin on top of your cup, add finely ground coffee and water then let gravity do the rest.
But it’s not the only way to enjoy the coffees from these great brands. If you don’t own a phin, you can also use your espresso machine or French press. It’s also possible to make great pour over coffee but that’s not a hard and fast rule.
Final Thoughts
Coffee from Vietnam has its own unique style and deserves recognition as one of the most enjoyable ways to drink coffee. It has previously been looked down upon by industry leaders as a huge quantity of the coffee grown is bought up by massive brands like Nestle.
But the best Vietnamese coffee brands you can buy in the US are working hard to change this. Many work directly with farmers, and sometimes roasters, in Vietnam to ensure sustainable farming practices are used and that profits are fairly distributed.
If you’re missing the coffee from home or from a recent trip, or you just fancy something new, then grab any of these Vietnamese coffees, a phin, and a great big smile! They all offer something a little different, so experiment and have fun.
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