How Much Caffeine is in Vietnamese Coffee?

The question we get asked more than any other: is Vietnamese coffee actually stronger? Yes. Here's why.

It starts with the bean

Most coffee in NZ is Arabica. Your flat white, your pour over, your cold brew from the good cafe downtown — almost certainly Arabica. It's a great bean. But it contains around 1.2 to 1.5% caffeine by weight.

Vietnamese coffee is traditionally made with Robusta, which contains 2.2 to 2.7% caffeine. Roughly double. That gap is biological, not a roasting thing or a marketing thing. Robusta plants grow at lower altitudes where pests are a bigger problem, so they produce more caffeine as a natural defence. More caffeine in the plant, more caffeine in your cup.

What that looks like in real numbers

Our Condensed Milk Iced Coffee sits at 220mg per can. More than a double shot, more than most energy drinks, from real coffee with nothing synthetic added.

Does dark roasting make it stronger?

Not really. Roasting does reduce caffeine slightly, but the difference between light and dark roast is small compared to the Arabica vs Robusta gap. A dark-roasted Arabica still has significantly less caffeine than a light-roasted Robusta. If someone's sold you dark roast as "stronger coffee", they mean flavour intensity, not caffeine.

The phin factor

The phin filter uses a higher coffee-to-water ratio than most brewing methods, around 1:5. That means the caffeine per ml is higher than a standard filter or espresso. Brew Buffalo through a phin and you're getting a genuinely concentrated cup, not just something that tastes strong.

Is 220mg too much?

The general guidance for adults is up to 400mg of caffeine per day. One cup of Vietnamese phin coffee or one can of our iced coffee puts you at just over half that. Most of our customers drink it as their single morning coffee rather than stacking it on top of other drinks. For context, four standard flat whites would put you at the same level.

Worth trying

Buffalo Robusta is the purest way to taste the difference. Brew it through a phin filter if you want the full traditional experience. Or grab a Condensed Milk Iced Coffee from Farro Fresh, New World or PAK'nSAVE if you just want to get on with your day.