Thang Long Vietnamese Coffee Filter Phin 11 Ounce (Large), Gravity Insert, One Cup

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).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!

I wanted something to allow me to make a single cup of coffee while at work. I use a pour-over filter at home (Maranello Caffé Pour Over Coffee Dripper with Cup Stand) that works well. However, I found this device while browsing for a work coffee filter. It was cheaper than the Maranello and similar filters, and I am interested in different ways to make coffee, so I ordered it (6 oz size). It arrived in a very timely manner. Packaging was utilitarian: a ziplock bag. There was a set of basic instructions included. The outer surfaces are nicely polished; I could wish that the inner surfaces were as highly polished, but the somewhat rougher finish makes no difference in function.After washing the filter, I made a cup of joe using pre-ground (I know, I know...) Chock Full o' Nuts coffee. Everything went smoothly, resulting in a nice cup of piping hot coffee to get me through the afternoon. My coworker, who also likes a good cup of java, tried it. He agrees that it works well. Clean-up was easy.For the interested reader, my method to make a 6oz cup of hot coffee:1. Clean and preheat the filter by running piping hot water through it.2. Place over a small coffee or tea cup, then add 2 TBSP (a standard American coffee scoop, about 10g) of ground coffee*.3. Bring 6oz (3/4 cup or 180mL) of water to a full boil. Allow the water to stand for about 30 - 60sec to cool slightly, then pour 2 - 3 TBSP (about 30 - 40mL) into the filter.4. Wait about 30sec to allow the coffee grounds to "bloom". Incidentally, this is where the Vietnamese-type filter has an advantage over the open pour-over filter: it has a top filter that helps spread the water and wet the grounds evenly.5. Add the remainder of the water and cap the filter if desired. Brewing time will depend on the fineness of the grind; for the Chock Full o' Nuts I used, it took about 2 - 3 min.Be careful when handling the filter after use as it will be HOT.(*) As with any method of making coffee, grind size is important: you will have to find the bean, roast, and grind size that best suits your taste. Note that, in this method, a too-fine grind will likely plug the filter and / or allow grounds to get into the cup.