If you’ve seen people all over your feed ditching coffee for a matcha latte, you’ve probably also done some window-shopping to find the best matcha powder to make the drink at home. Matcha might be having a moment, but it isn’t exactly new; the practice of turning finely ground young tea leaves into a vibrant green beverage dates back nearly a thousand years. Matcha boasts a boost of antioxidants and the amino acid L-Theanine, which is thought to promote relaxation and jitter-free, sustained energy. The highest quality matcha, as you’ll see below, comes from Japan, where it is at the center of traditional practices like chado (tea ceremony).
Our favorite matcha powders
- Best classic matcha: Yamagumo Kettl Matcha
- Most aesthetic matcha: Rocky’s Matcha Oishi Ceremonial Blend
- The splurge: Ippodo Tea Ummon – Rich Matcha
- A great matcha for beginners: Naoki Matcha Superior Ceremonial Blend
- Best matcha for lattes: Golde Pure Matcha
- Most sustainable matcha: Matchaful Hikari Single Origin Ceremonial Matcha
- Smoothest matcha: Isshiki Ceremonial Grade Yabukita Matcha Powder
- Best matcha for travel: Pique Sun Goddess Matcha
- Best matcha for cooking and baking: Navitas Organic Matcha
While we can’t all jet off to Japan to drink the world’s finest matcha (nor can our wallets support daily coffee shop runs), there are a lot of high-quality, thoughtfully sourced matcha powders you can buy to make great matcha at home. To learn what we should be looking for in a matcha powder, we turned to experts Zach Mangan, owner of Kettl Tea, a New York–based tea company that sources directly from Japan, and Remy Morimoto Park, creator of the vegan recipe blog Veggiekins and founder of her own matcha brand Frauth. We also tested and made a whole lot of matcha at home, so we could say that our morning ritual was for the purpose of journalism (and not just caffeination).
Whether you’re looking to kick your coffee shop habit, reap the benefits of this antioxidant-packed beverage, or simply bring a moment of calm to your morning ritual, here are our nine favorite matchas to make at home.
New in this update: We tested two new ceremonial-grade matcha powders: Isshiki Ceremonial Grade Yabukita Matcha, a blend served at a popular NYC matcha shop, and Pique Goddess Matcha, which comes in convenient travel-friendly sachets. We also updated our pick for Best Classic Matcha from Kettl to the Yamagumo Matcha.
Best classic matcha: Yamagumo Kettl Matcha
Origin: Uji, Japan
Grade: Ceremonial
What we love: Kettl not only purchases its teas weekly from Japan, but the company also packages them at its own facility in Fukuoka before air-shipping directly to customers. You can taste that attention to quality and detail in Kettl’s Yamagumo matcha, which we love most for at-home daily consumption. It’s smooth, rich, and pretty well-priced for someone looking for the highest quality of matcha.
