I’ve been making magic sexy eyes at matcha for a long while now–the time has come to delve. After popping the lid on a tin of O-Cha’s Kiri no Mori a few weeks ago, I can say with some certainty that this stuff is cracktastic. I’m still a googly-eyed newb, so there’s not much use in me posting a review. Instead I felt the urge to wrangle in some chaos and list a few places where one can find a decent matcha starter kit.
Matcha Starter Kits
The Hajime-no-Ippo set from Ippodo is perhaps the most-often recommended matcha starter kit. The utensils and matcha are said to be of pretty good quality, and the set can be had for about $60 shipped. I passed on this kit because I thought the chawan appeared fairly pedestrian, but it’s actually kind of pretty. Click here and here for a few blog entries showing the kit in more detail.
O-Cha is one of only a couple vendors that allows you to build your own kit. I opted to go this route because it offered the highest degree of flexibility. You select matcha, a chasen, a chashaku, and additional accessories or matcha if you so choose, and everything clocks in at a 10% discount. A chawan is optional, which is what initially attracted me since I was planning to buy one elsewhere, although they just added an inexpensive Mino nezumi bowl that may have persuaded me not to. Selecting the cheapest options, including a chawan, this kit will cost you around $65 shipped.
Matcha Source sells a basic starter kit that includes a small sifter, but no tea bowl. They do offer a more complete gift set, but you’re locked into a pink chawan.
In Pursuit of Tea carries an impressively wide selection of matcha sets, including a deluxe kit containing what I consider to be an appealing Karatsu-yaki bowl and celadon whisk holder. Each of their kits includes a 20 gram tin of Wako matcha, Marukyu-Koyamaen’s highest grade of usucha. It’s worth noting that the less expensive sets come with travel-sized chasens, which might make whisking even more difficult for the uninitiated. I wouldn’t want to test my skills on them, anyway.
A few high-end matcha sets are hidden away under the gift section at Hibiki-an. None are particularly cheap, but I’d expect the chawans to be artisan-quality and the matcha tasty. It’s pretty likely that the gift amenities inflate the price a bit, rendering these a little unfriendly for a starter kit, that is unless you’re into giving yourself presents.
Matcha and More offers a set with a slightly more advanced sifter than the handled basket type, but there doesn’t seem to be a discount applied for buying all that stuff at once–in fact, it’s $1.50 more. They also sell a bare-bones kit, just matcha and a chasen, which is discounted, strangely enough. It’s on sale at the moment, so long as you don’t use the button on its product page.
Maiko carries a matcha set for two that they’ve named Katte Ryu, or “according to your own style.” With bowls that mismatched, I’m going to say your style is eclectic, though I must say I really like that Vietnam Annan-yaki cup. While I haven’t yet absorbed the general consensus on Maiko’s matcha, their selection of tea and ware leads me to believe it’s probably good.
Yuuki-Cha is the other vendor respecting the need for options with a “pick-your-own” matcha kit. Available in both 3- and 5-piece sets, the only thing missing is matcha, though one can easily be purchased separately. A little less flexible than O-Cha’s build-a-kit, the key differences are that a chawan must be purchased, and matcha isn’t discounted. However, using the smaller set and one of the cheaper matchas, one could probably achieve value along the same lines as the Ippodo kit.
Although this matcha gift set from Den’s Tea is currently unavailable due to the Haku-Yu bowl’s being out of stock, I think it deserves a mention anyhow. When and if it’s restocked, it might make a reasonable option, though this post is worth reading first.
DÅMatcha offers a travel matcha set. While the few opinions I’ve encountered of their matcha have been positive, the kit seems pricey for including only a relatively basic chawan and travel utensils, but it could be just the thing if you’re planning a matcha picnic.
I could list half a dozen more shops with matcha starter kits, but I think I’ve highlighted the better options. Whatever set you decide on, I highly recommend a kusenaoshi (whisk keeper). Although I didn’t buy one initially, I quickly figured out that I had nowhere to put my chasen. I made the mistake of thinking I could let it dry and store it in its plastic case, but the bamboo expanded after only a few uses, making it somewhat difficult to get the lid on. While I’m not specifically concerned about maintaining the whisk’s shape, I’d rather not break any tines, and the convenience alone is worth the five bucks.
If you’re wondering where I got my chawan, I’ll tell you tomorrow.
