You have Matcha. Now what? The good news: getting started is cheaper and more straightforward than the tea ceremony aesthetic might suggest. A bowl, a bamboo whisk, a sifter, and hot water — that is the absolute minimum for preparing good Matcha. Everything else is refinement. This article covers what you actually need, what is worth the investment, and why the tools are more than decoration.
Chasen — the bamboo whisk
The Chasen is the most important tool in Matcha preparation. No fork, electric milk frother, or wire whisk is a real substitute. The difference is mechanical: a Chasen creates a fine emulsion between powder and water as you whisk, producing a dense, stable microfoam. A wire whisk cuts through the foam rather than building it.
Chasen are carved from a single piece of bamboo — the tines are formed by splitting the bamboo from the inside out and shaping the tips with a knife. No glue, no connectors. The number of tines determines the intended use. For Usucha (thin tea, what most people make at home) you need a Chasen with 80 to 100 tines — referred to in Japanese as hondame or 80-hon. More tines mean finer foam. For Koicha (thick tea, used in ceremony) you use a Chasen with fewer but thicker tines, which can move the viscous mixture without snapping immediately.
A Chasen has a limited lifespan. With daily use, plan to replace it after three to six months. The tines become brittle, start to break, and eventually the whisk loses its spring. This is not a defect — it is the material. Bamboo lives, and it deteriorates. A worn Chasen whisks unevenly and produces large bubbles rather than microfoam.
To extend its life, there is the Kusenaoshi — a plastic or ceramic holder on which you rest the wet Chasen after use to dry. It preserves the round shape of the tines and prevents them from warping as they dry. After each use: rinse briefly under lukewarm water (no soap, no detergent), place on the holder, leave to dry. This noticeably extends the whisk's life.
Before first use — and ideally before each use — soak the Chasen briefly in warm water. The tines become more pliable and are less likely to snap during whisking. About thirty seconds in warm water is enough.
Chasen and accessories at UNEARTHED
Chawan — the tea bowl
Choosing a bowl is not purely an aesthetic decision. Two dimensions matter practically: diameter and depth. For Usucha you need an interior diameter of at least twelve centimetres — the Chasen needs room to move in brisk zigzag strokes without constantly hitting the wall. Bowls that are too small are frustrating to use and produce uneven foam. Bowls that are too shallow let the tea cool too quickly.
There is a seasonal logic to bowl shape that comes from the tea ceremony and has practical roots. In summer, shallow, wide-open bowls (natsu Chawan) are preferred because they let the tea cool faster. In winter, deep, narrow forms (fuyu Chawan) are used to retain heat. This is not folklore — it is physics.
On traditions: Raku bowls from Kyoto are hand-formed and fired at comparatively low temperatures. They are light, rough in texture, and retain heat well. Raku is the ceremonial bowl par excellence — it sits differently in the hand than any wheel-thrown piece. Hagi bowls from Yamaguchi Prefecture are well suited to daily use: porous enough to develop a patina over time, but robust. Over the years, Hagi bowls absorb the colours of tea — the so-called Hagi no nanabake, the seven transformations of the Hagi bowl. European potters such as David Louveau work with similar functional principles while bringing their own material language.
A good rule of thumb: do not buy a bowl you have not been able to hold. The weight, the feel, the way the rim sits at your lips — none of that comes through without physical contact. If you are in Munich, you can handle our bowls in the gallery. If you are buying online: read the dimensions and material notes carefully, and when in doubt, go larger rather than smaller.
Chawan collection at UNEARTHED
Chashaku — the bamboo scoop
The Chashaku is a narrow, curved bamboo scoop with a slight bowl at the tip. That curve is not incidental: it holds exactly the right amount of Matcha for one serving of Usucha — about two grams, or two heaped scoops. You do not need a scale. That is the point.
Dosage is of course a matter of taste: if you prefer a more intense bowl, take three scoops; for something lighter, one and a half. But the Chashaku gives you a reference point that is not easily reproduced with a kitchen scale or a regular spoon. Measuring directly from a pouch or tin with a teaspoon almost always leads to over- or under-dosing.
Quality Chashaku are bent from a single piece of bamboo — traditionally from Susudake, smoke-blackened bamboo from old tea houses, or from pale Shin-take. They are easy to clean: wipe with a dry cloth after use, do not soak.
Furui — the Matcha sifter
Matcha clumps. This is not a question of quality but a physical property of very finely ground powder in contact with humidity. Even fresh, high-quality Matcha straight from a newly opened tin contains microscopic clumps. These clumps do not fully dissolve during whisking — they float as small green specks in the tea, create an uneven texture, and the foam turns coarse rather than creamy.
The sifter — Furui in Japanese — is therefore not optional but a prerequisite for good Matcha. It is a fine metal sieve, roughly seven to ten centimetres in diameter, held directly over the Chawan. Using the Chashaku or a small spoon, you press the powder gently through the mesh. Ten seconds. The result: even, lump-free powder that disperses homogeneously the moment you start whisking.
Anyone who skips this step will notice it at the first sip in the grainy texture. Once you have used a sifter, you will not go back. A good Matcha sifter costs between eight and fifteen euros — it is the cheapest improvement you can make to your preparation.
Water — temperature is everything
Matcha needs warm but not boiling water. The target temperature is 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. This is not convention — it is chemistry.
Tea contains different classes of compounds that dissolve at different temperatures. L-theanine, the amino acid responsible for the sweet, umami-rich character, dissolves well at lower temperatures. Catechins — especially EGCG — require higher temperatures, but they are also the compounds that produce bitterness and astringency. At 100 degrees you extract primarily catechins and end up with a bitter, flat tea. At 75 degrees you draw out the sweetness and Umami while keeping bitterness in the background.
Practically speaking: if you do not have a thermometer, let boiling water stand in an open kettle for four to five minutes after switching it off. This typically brings the temperature down to 75–80 degrees. Anyone who prepares Matcha regularly will find a temperature-controlled kettle worthwhile — most models in the 30–60 euro range have preset temperature settings.
Water quality also matters. Hard, mineral-heavy water (as found in many German cities) dampens the flavours. To avoid this, use filtered water or still mineral water with low mineral content (under 100 mg/l total dissolved minerals). This is not perfectionism — the difference is clearly perceptible in a direct comparison.
Storage — why 30-gram tins exist
Matcha oxidises quickly after opening. The chlorophyll responsible for the vivid green colour reacts with oxygen and light. The aromas dissipate. Within weeks, an excellent Matcha can become a flat, olive-brown dust.
The measures are straightforward: airtight tin, dark, cool. The refrigerator is ideal — but only if you let the tin come to room temperature before opening it. Condensation on the cold powder accelerates oxidation considerably. Take the tin out, wait ten minutes, then open.
Opened Matcha should be used within two to three months. This is one of the main reasons why good Matcha is sold in small quantities — 20g, 30g, 40g. It is not a strategy to sell more frequently: smaller contents mean fresher tea. Someone who buys a 100-gram tin and takes six months to finish it is drinking oxidised Matcha in the final weeks.
A good metal tin with a screw or friction-fit lid (like the classic Japanese tea tins) preserves the contents better than a clip bag. If you have a good tin, you can decant Matcha from a pouch into it. Light and air are the enemies — ceramic tins without an inner seal work for decorative purposes, but not for storing open Matcha.
The minimal setup vs. the full setup
What makes sense for whom? Two clear scenarios:
Entry level — €40 to €80
This budget covers everything you need for good Matcha at home:
- A functional Chawan with 12–14 cm interior diameter (wheel-thrown, stoneware) — €15–30
- A Chasen with 80 tines — €12–20
- A Matcha sifter — €8–12
- A Chashaku — €5–10
You do not need a Natsume (Matcha caddy), a Kusenaoshi, or a Chakin (tea cloth). A small glass of water for soaking the Chasen is enough. The quality of the Matcha itself has more influence on the result than the tools — invest an extra €20 in the tea rather than in a more expensive bowl.
The full setup — €150 to €400
For anyone who drinks Matcha regularly and wants to deepen the experience, the following additions are worth considering:
- A hand-crafted Chawan, Hagi or Raku — €60–200
- A Chasen made from Kurotake (black bamboo) or Shirotake — €25–45
- Kusenaoshi holder — €8–15
- Natsume (lacquer caddy for Matcha) or a high-quality metal tin — €20–60
- Temperature-controlled kettle — €30–60
- Chakin (small linen cloth for wiping the bowl) — €5–10
At this price level, hand-crafted bowls from individual potters begin to make the tea feel substantially different from drinking out of a standard vessel. The tools become objects you genuinely want to pick up. That changes how regularly you practice — people who have beautiful tools prepare more often.
A note on the Natsume: the classic Japanese lacquer caddy for Matcha is primarily a ceremonial object. It is suited to short-term storage during preparation, not long-term keeping. For actual storage you still need a metal tin in the refrigerator.
What you do not need
A short list of things you do not have to buy:
- Electric milk frother: Produces coarse, unstable foam. Acceptable for Matcha latte, unsuitable for straight Matcha.
- Matcha set from a supermarket: Usually consists of a bowl that is too small, too few tines, and a Chashaku that does not fit. Buy the pieces individually.
- Specialist Matcha machines: None of them produce better results than a good Chasen in an adequately large bowl.
- A Koicha whisk as a starting point: Koicha is an advanced preparation style. Start with an 80-tine Chasen for Usucha.
Getting started with Matcha preparation is less complicated than it looks. A solid tool set for €40 to €80 gives you everything you need to understand what Matcha actually tastes like — provided the Matcha itself is good. If you have questions about what to choose, come by our gallery in Munich or write to us. We are happy to help put together the right setup for your situation.
