Recommendations on a Matcha Kit
I’m really curious about Matcha and I’m interested in getting the proper equipment to brew this awesome tea. I had looked at this particular kit: http://www.matchasource.com/The-Matcha-Box-p/matchakit_blk.htm but I’m not sure if it’s of good quality. Anyone have any recommendations on where to get the equipment and some decent Matcha?
Thanks
That looks like a good set. It’s nice that it comes w/ a sifter, although that’s easy to get at a kitchen store. I’ve looked into this company, but haven’t made my 1st purchase yet. I’d trust them to be good quality because they deal exclusively in matcha. I have http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=289_295 from Den’s Tea and I love it. The 3 factors I considered when I bought mine was price point, if it came w/ matcha (some are just the utensils), and if the bowl was attractive to me. I’m looking into this http://uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?from=catalog.asp&itemID=AJ18&begin=0&parent=Accessories%3ETeaware%3ETea+Ceremony&category=Tea+Ceremony&sortMethod=0&categoryID=150 as a Ph. D. graduation present for my best friend.
O-Cha.com has the option to build your own matcha starter set. I’m very happy with mine and their matcha is fresh as can be. They’ve also got a very broad price range, so you can get some of the best matcha as wel as something a bit more affordable. I recommend the matcha sifter and tea whisk keeper as accesories.
Also, I would pick the Japanese chasen and not the Chinese, it’s a bit more expensive, but it’s worth the extra investment.
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/matcha-starter-kit.html
They’ve also got a larger tea ceremony set with more utensils, but you can’t put that one together yourself.
http://www.o-cha.com/green-tea/tea-ceremony-kit.html
I’m really happy with O-Cha. They’re a bit more expensive than other companies, but you get really great quality products.
I can’t speak for the set or other products, but I have tried the Kiri No Mori matcha and it’s excellent. I priced the least expensive set out and w/ the matcha sifter it’s $62… an exceptional value considering that’s w/ organic matcha!:) I wish I would have known that when I got my set. Oh well, I got Den’s awesome green tea sampler for novices w/ mine for being a 1st time customer. Now I know where to get my matcha sifter from! It’s quite a bit more expensive than the one from UTI, but I just may consider this one for my best friend. Thanks for bringing this to our attention Jonas!=D
I know it’s expensive, but their Uji Matcha Manten is absolutely heavenly.
I really think they’ve got a good price for the quality they offer, but the shipping can become quite expensive since they ship from Japan via airmail. I do think the possible extra cost in shipping is worth it. You just can’t get your tea any fresher.
Compared to Den’s, it’s actually more economical because you can get organic matcha and the sifter. Their organic matcha is half the price of Den’s. It’s just more expensive than UTI’s cuz theirs is dirt cheap, it’s the most inexpensive set I’ve found.
Only $3? I thought I paid A LOT more … Maybe I ordered an express shipping. That’s what I like about their website; you can try the cheaper ones first and then move to the really good stuff.
And then there’s the ultimate way to top off any matcha set. Buy some Tencha, and grind your own matcha w/ this!=D
http://shop.samovarlife.com/product_p/910321.htm
I wonder if it’d work w/ other teas as well…
They actually sell that? I wonder who buys it. Of course, if you want it truly fresh, you could always plant your own tea tree.
I would in a heartbeat if I could afford it. Not everyone lives in climate to grow their own tea.
Actually, tea doesn’t need a warm climate. That’s why it’s better when it grows at a high altitude. Cool temperatures makes the tea grow slower and taste better. The biggest problem is frost, but it seems that even in my country, Belgium, it’s possible to grow it outside without frost protection.
You’ll probably be able to get a better price if you shop around for the individual instruments… maybe not, though. Chawans and chasens tend to run high
I just bought a this set on Amazon.com that included a bowl, whisk, and scoop, for $29.99. I’m really happy with it. http://www.amazon.com/Tea-Ceremony-Bowl-Set-C3A508/dp/B002VGQTY2
I would recommend looking into buying the utensils separately as well…the set I bought was equivalent/barely cheaper than buying the pieces individually from different places (whisk from Amazon + bowl and spoon from Den’s), but most of the sets on Amazon and matcha websites were more expensive than buying them individually. I would check Amazon and search for things like “matcha bowl” “matcha set” “tea ceremony” “matcha whisk” “tea ceremony set” “tea ceremony bowl” or some combination thereof.
http://www.manyriversbooks.com/store/productlist_teaware_matchasets.html has matcha sets of the same price w/ more selection of chawans.
Here’s another set in that price range that allows for more customizaton: choice of 4 chawans, 2 scoops, and 2 chasens. http://www.yuuki-cha.com/Organic+Matcha/Matcha+Tea+Sets/Matcha+Starter+Kit+3P?osCsid=bec1de68cc127e845a5ce9b6b836a826 They also have one for $45 that includes a chasen holder, but I’d buy that separately, it’s only $6.
www.teatoys.com and www.matchaandmore.com are really great sites as well. (haven’t made purchases from either, but their inventory looks good)
Hi! Sorry to dig up this old topic. I’m new to Steepster and only a few months into loose leaf tea, but I love browsing this community. Recently I’ve been thinking about delving into matcha (maybe trying the Caramel Matcha from Red Leaf) and I was wondering what is a good, low-cost matcha kit. I don’t want to put too much money into it, in case matcha isn’t my thing, plus I’m a poor college student who already spends too much money on tea. Or do I even need a matcha kit for making matcha just to see if I like it at first? Can I use random kitchen utensils to make matcha just to try it out, and then invest in a matcha kit once I know I’ll be using it a lot? Thanks!
You can certainly get by with a small bowl and a wire whisk if you want to try out matcha before deciding on all the fancy equipment. The traditional stuff is great for atmosphere, but if you just want to see if you like the taste or not, I’d go the kitchen utensil route before investing. Matcha is costly enough as it is! :P
Others here are much more matcha-savvy than I, but my advice would be to definitely go a less expensive prep route at first with a quality tea to see if you like matcha. Although I enjoy ceremony, I (Walmart woman that I am) make my matcha lattes using a glass saucepan and an inexpensive battery powered frother. Works great. I’ve read that one can even use a cocktail shaker. Good luck; I think you’ll like matcha!
If you don’t like the taste from a battery powered frother and want something easier to use and clean than a bamboo whisk you may like our modern matcha whisk:
http://www.amazon.com/Coastal-Tea-Company®-Matcha-Frother/dp/B011LTQ5HU
If you’re looking for a $0 option you can use a ball jar. Mix 2 oz. of warm water + matcha, screw on the lid, and shake it up good! It’s effective, but we like to think our whisk does a much better job :)
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