Which Tools Do You Need to Prepare Matcha?
A bowl and chasen are enough to begin. Add a scoop, sieve, or travel container according to how you drink matcha.
By Roseline Zhou, Founder
Contents
You have matcha, but what should you whisk it in? For a preparation without milk, the steps for preparing matcha begin with a wide enough bowl and a chasen, a bamboo matcha whisk. A chashaku, a bamboo scoop, helps you lift the powder; a sieve helps if it forms clumps. Those last two tools can wait until you know what you're actually missing.
The whisk needs room in the bowl. We'd therefore choose the vessel's opening before adding other tools to the cart.
Which matcha tools suit the cup you want?
The useful tools change with the drink. With water, the texture you make with the whisk matters a great deal. In a latte, an electric frother can mix the powder before you add milk; a bowl and chasen still work. When traveling, a large bowl quickly becomes cumbersome.
| How you use it | Suggested choice | Why | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matcha whisked with water | Wide bowl and chasen | The whisk moves across the bowl without hitting the sides. | Both pieces take up space when traveling. |
| A dose you can repeat from cup to cup | Chashaku and scale | The scoop lifts the powder; the scale fixes the amount. | A chashaku alone doesn't give a consistent weight. |
| Powder that forms clumps | Fine sieve | It separates small clumps before you add water. | It won't make up for whisking too briefly. |
| Preparing matcha away from home | Small container with a secure lid | It lets you mix without a large bowl. | The texture differs from whisked matcha. |
Chawan and chasen: why the bowl matters as much as the whisk
When choosing a chawan, the bowl in which you prepare and drink matcha, think about both preparation and tasting. We prefer a bowl that lets your wrist move freely, even if a very large bowl may feel unnecessary for a small cup.
The chasen disperses the powder with quick wrist movements. Between models, the flexibility of the tines and the width of your bowl help you choose a chasen. If the opening is narrow, its tines hit the sides. After your cup, rinsing and drying the chasen helps keep them in good condition.
The chashaku scoops; the scale measures
With a chashaku, you can lift the powder without pouring it straight from the tin. We like this simple movement, which keeps powder off the bowl's rim. But the volume of a scoop varies. If you want the same quantity from one cup to the next, scoop matcha with a chashaku, then weigh it on a scale.
The furui, a sieve for powder that clumps
A furui is a traditional sieve. Hold a clean sieve over the bowl and pass the powder through without pressing it for long. We recommend it if the powder clumps: the whisk doesn't always break apart a clump that has stayed dry. If your powder already disperses easily, you can skip this step.
Preparing matcha while traveling without a bowl
To make matcha without a whisk while traveling, keep the dose dry in a container that closes securely. When you're ready to drink it, add a little water, shake, then add more liquid to suit the drink you want. It's practical on the move, but the foam won't be like that of matcha whisked with a chasen.
To taste the tea without milk, we'd keep the chawan and chasen; a closed container suits a quick cup better.
Which set of tools should you start with?
If you already have a bowl or a chasen, add only what's missing. Check how much room the whisk has in your bowl before choosing another piece.
If you have matcha but no tools, Coffret Initiation is a set of matcha tools. It contains no tea and would duplicate a bowl and whisk that you already like.
If you enjoy watching the mixture form, Coffret verre pairs a glass chawan with a whisk stand in the same material. It will suit you less if you prefer the feel of ceramic.
For a first cup with neither tools nor tea, Coffret Complet is a beginner's matcha set: it brings matcha and tools together. We'd choose this set when you still need everything. If you already have a favorite matcha, buy only the pieces you need.