COFFEE SOCK METHOD

Learn the traditional way, plus Kopi recipes and all the lingo

SOCK FILTER

BASE BREW

HOW-TO VIDEOS

KOPI DRINKS

KOPI LINGO

KOPITIAM TERMS

THE COFFEE SOCK FILTER METHOD

 The Coffee Sock method is the traditional and benchmark way to brew Kopi. It is big on flavour and has a luxuriously soft velvety mouth-feel. Unlike espressos that can be drunk neat, Kopi base brews are normally diluted for Kopi drinks. This recipe yields one 150g serving of Kopi Base Brew, enough for an 8oz Kopi drink [220ml approx.] Multiply out the quantities for additional servings

Traditional strength Kopi drinks call for a 2:1 ratio of 2 parts Kopi Base Brew to 1 part water. In other words, 2/3rds of a cup is Kopi Base Brew, the remainder 1/3rd is dilution water and other liquid ingredients such as condensed or evaporated milk.



NANYANG KOPI BASE BREW

FOR ONE PORTION, YOU WILL NEED:

NANYANG KOPI POWDER

Kopi House Award-Winning Nanyang Kopi Powder

2x BREWING CUP S1

One for brewing and pouring, the other to filter into

COFFEE SOCK FILTER

Rinsed in hot water and wrung

Kopi Powder

Add 20g Nanyang Kopi Powder (2 heaped tbsp approx.) to a Brewing Cup

Add Water

Add 200g hot water (95-98 °C) to Brewing Cup, then stir ten times, saturating all the grinds

Set A Timer

Infuse coffee grounds for 3 minutes. When the timer is up, stir again to reincorporate grounds that have settled to the bottom

Now Filter

Pour the coffee mixture through a pre-rinsed coffee sock filter into a second Brewing Cup. Congratulations! You have made your Nanyang Kopi Base Brew. Now turn it into a Kopi Drink from the recipes below

KOPI HOW-TO VIDEOS

Some of the most popular Kopi drinks served at Singapore Kopitiams [coffee shops] are presented below with How-To Videos. Have a go at brewing and find your favourite. Don't forget, there are over 132 different ways to serve a Kopi drink, so we're sure you will find one thats perfect for you.

KOPI

KOPI [Coffee, Condensed Milk]

The iconic and traditional coffee of Singapore! If you're new to Singapore Nanyang Kopi, we recommend starting here.


Profile: Rich, chocolatey and smooth


Steps:

  1. Prep a mug with 2 tbsp. condensed milk
  2. Add 2/3 Base Brew
  3. Top up final 1/3 (milk quantity is included in this) with hot water.


Adjusting sugar / condensed milk?

  • 1 tbsp = Kopi Siew Dai ('less sweet')
  • 3 tbsp = Kopi Ga Dai ('more sweet')

KOPI-C

KOPI-C [Coffee, Evaporated Milk]

An alternative to using condensed milk. Evaporated milk has a much thinner consistency, meaning a more milky and creamy coffee


Profile: Smooth, creamy and rich


Steps:

  1. Add 2/3 Base Brew to a cup.
  2. Add approx. 2 tbsp evaporated milk
  3. Top up final 1/3 (milk quantity is included in this) with hot water.


Adding sugar?

  • 1 tsp = Kopi-C Siew Dai ('less sweet')
  • 2 tsp = Kopi-C (regular recipe)
  • 3 tsp = Kopi-C Ga Dai ('more sweet')


KOPI-O

KOPI-O [Black Coffee]

For coffee lovers who like their coffee black. This is a surprisingly smooth coffee without the typical bitterness found in other coffees.


Profile: Intense and smooth


Steps:

  1. Add 2/3 base brew to your cup
  2. Add 2 tsp sugar [or no sugar for 'Kosong']
  3. Top up with 1/3 hot water.


Adding sugar?

  • 0 tsp = Kopi-O Kosong
  • 1 tsp = Kopi-O Siew Dai ('less sweet')
  • 2 tsp = Kopi-O (regular recipe)
  • 3 tsp = Kopi-O Ga Dai ('more sweet')


KOPI GU YOU

KOPI GU YOU [Butter Coffee]

Coffee with butter? Yes, you read that right. Served in Singapore long before 'bullet proof' coffee became a thing, now only served by a handul of Singaporean Kopitiams.


Profile: Intense, Rich, Creamy, Silky, Punchy


Steps:

  1. Prep a cup with 2 tbsp condensed milk
  2. Add 2/3 Base Brew
  3. Top up with hot water
  4. Add a small slice of unsalted butter on top (8g approx)
  5. Enjoy the 'latte art' as the butter melts and marbles, then stir it all up, sip and enjoy an
    intensely rich, creamy and silky kopi drink.


The butter seems to enhance the caffeine effect and makes the drink more flavourful. The times we've had and made it, we certainly felt a stronger buzz.


KOPI 'SAM'

KOPI 'SAM' [Coffee, Condensed + Evaporated Milk]

Without a formal name in Singapore, coffee drinkers order this one with a description. We've decided to call our's Kopi Sam. Named in honour of Sam the Kopi Man [part of Team Kopi House] who likes both condensed and evaporated milk in his coffee.


It's like a Kopi Siew Dai but more milky


Profile: Chocolatey, creamy and smooth


Steps:

  1. Prep a mug with 1 tbsp. evaporated milk and 1 tbsp. evaporated milk
  2. Add 2/3 Base Brew
  3. Top up final 1/3 (milk quantity is included in this) with hot water.


KOPI PENG

KOPI PENG [Iced Coffee + Condensed Milk]

This is how iced coffee should be. No loss of strength or flavour. This is iced coffee the Singaporean way, and probably the best iced coffee you'll ever have. 


Profile: Rich and chocolatey flavour


Steps: 

  1. Add 3tbsp condensed milk to a suitable large heat resistant then fill with ice
  2. Pour Base Brew over ice
  3. Stir quickly to blend and chill the drink. Serve with a straw.


Tip

  • Struggling to mix in the glass? Mix coffee and condensed milk together before pouring


KOPI LINGO

With 132 ways to customise a Kopi drink, it may feel overwhelming, but there's a surprisingly simple way to order. In Singapore, the name of your coffee is also your fully customised order. It has an easy to follow structure - the type of milk, the strength, the sweetness sugar, and the serving temperature - shown here:

COFFEE - [MILK] - [STRENGTH] - [SUGAR] - [TEMPERATURE]

Simply modify any of these terms to customise your drink. The terms themselves are a mixture of languages including Malay, Hokkien, and Hock Chew - a wonderful nod to the multicultural history of Kopi.

'Kopi' without any other modifiers has a default recipe, which is as follows:

Coffee - [Condensed Milk] - [Regular Strength] - [Regular Sugar] - [Hot]

Any non-modified sections result in the default for that modifier. This is how Kopitiams can serve up coffee orders at blistering speed compared to western coffee shops.

The following chart shows how the modifiers for building a Kopi drink work. Simply choose a modifier [or don't, for a default value] to create your custom recipe. There are over 132 possible combinations.


Here are some examples:

KOPI [---] [---] [---] [---] = Coffee - [Condensed Milk] - [Regular Strength] - [Regular Sugar] - [Hot]

KOPI-O[---]KOSONG [---] = Coffee - No Milk - [Regular Strength] - No Sugar - [Hot]

KOPI-C [---] [---] PENG = Coffee - Evaporated Milk - [Regular Strength] - [Regular Sugar] - Iced


The true taste of our Nanyang Kopi Powder is best experienced as KOPI-O KOSONG [black, unsweetened, hot] but we are quite partial to a KOPI PENG [Kopi, Condensed Milk, Iced] - a lush drink for hot summer days.

Always remember, traditional strength drinks require 2:1 Kopi Base Brew : Water.

If adding milk, reduce the water quantity, not the Base Brew, or your Kopi drink will be too weak. See below for a full list of all Kopi terms with which to craft your perfect kopi drink

BACK TO TOP