We’ll also show you how to build the perfect matcha tool set based on your unique style and needs.
Let’s get started! 🍵
So before we even prepare a bowl of matcha tea, you will need to store the matcha properly. Matcha is incredibly sensitive to light, heat and humidity, and it can quickly degrade in quality if stored improperly.
The tea caddy, also called a Natsume can be one of the more important matcha tools to have if you are conducting a formal tea ceremony. Luckily, a lot of matcha tins function almost like a tea caddy, giving you a comfortable seal that keeps the air and moisture out of your matcha tea.
Our ceremonial matcha comes in tins that allow for longer term storage. If you buy matcha that comes in a pack, you may want to invest in a tea caddy to keep it fresh, otherwise you may not need it.
Once you are ready to use your matcha, there are two more matcha accessories that come into play. Once the matcha is opened it will begin to naturally form clumps as it is exposed to the humidity in the air.
This is why we recommend sifting the matcha powder, so you can break up these clumps and allow the matcha to mix more evenly into the water. Here are two matcha tools you can use for that.
This is an important piece of matcha tea equipment, as it allows you to easily break up the clumps before you make the matcha tea. Just position the sifter on top of the matcha bowl, put 2 grams of matcha powder into it and push the powder through.
Once you have a finely sifted layer of matcha powder on the bottom of the tea bowl, you are ready to continue on to the next step.
This is one of the matcha tools that you will find in a lot of our matcha sets. It is essentially a wooden spoon that is carved out of a single piece of bamboo. It is designed to be the perfect tool for scooping matcha powder.
It has a more vertical design, making it easier to scoop out of a cylindrical tin or tea caddy and it is the perfect measurement tool. Just measure out two scoops of the chashaku and you can use it to push the powder through the sifter, making it a versatile part of your matcha tool set
The chashaku is more than just a spoon! If you want to learn about what makes it so special, this is the perfect article for you 👉 Complete Chashaku Guide & Why you should Use it
Now we get to the most interesting part of the matcha preparation and that is the whisking. For this, you will need 2 more matcha tools, which are definitely the most important.
This handmade clay matcha bowl is the largest of the matcha accessories and it's where the magic happens. On first glance, it may look like just an ordinary bowl, but it has some key advantages that make it a versatile piece of matcha tea equipment.
First, it has a more cylindrical design with a wide base that gives you more room to whisk the matcha. It is made out of a thick clay that retains heat so as long as you heat it beforehand, it will keep your matcha nice and warm.
Want to become and expert on the Chawan? You might want to read this article about the famous matcha bowl 👉 Everything You Need to Know About Matcha Bowls
When it comes to matcha tools, without a doubt the most famous one is the chasen or bamboo matcha whisk. This clever little whisk is carved out of a single piece of bamboo and it is the perfect tool for whisking matcha.
As long as you follow the right whisking technique, using rapid wrist movements in a zigzag formation, you should be able to create a nice foam on top of your matcha, giving it a lighter, airier consistency and a smoother taste.
Want to learn more about the matcha whisk? You may want to read this article 👉 Learn all you need to know about Matcha Whisk
If you invest in only two matcha tools, it should be the whisk and the bowl, but there are a few other matcha accessories you might want to have.
While you can use a stove to heat up water, it’s much easier to heat water up with an electric kettle. This can heat up water much quicker, and some of the more modern ones can even be set to a certain temperature so you can prepare matcha at 60-70 degrees.
In the tea ceremony, the tea master will use a Kama or iron pot to heat up the tea water. This is one of the least practical matcha tools for home use because it is large, expensive and difficult to use.
Things get messy when it comes to preparing matcha, that’s why you may want to keep a towel handy. There are two different matcha tools that serve similar purposes.
The first is a hemp cloth called the chakin and this is meant to clean off the matcha bowl. The fukusa is a silk cloth and it is used to clean off dry objects like the chashaku. Both of these matcha tools can be useful if you want to keep your tea ceremony clean and tidy.
If you want to learn more about the Japanese tea ceremony and it's history, we have the perfect guide for you 👉 Japanese tea ceremony: Description, History, & Facts
In total, there can be as many as 19 different matcha tools used during the Japanese tea ceremony, but most of them are not necessary for at home use.
These matcha teas include the Sensu or fan, the kensui or waste water bowl and the futaoki which is a bamboo rest for the bamboo ladle. These matcha accessories are nice to look at, but your money is better spent elsewhere.
If you want the full list of tea accessories used in the Japanese tea ceremony, you can find it here 👉 All you need to know about the Tea Ceremony Set
As we mentioned before, the two most important matcha tools are the chawan and the chasen, and those can easily be found on our website. You can also build the perfect matcha tool set to fit your needs.
We have a few types of clay tea bowls that differ in color, glazing style and shape. You can mix and match to build the matcha tool set that you like the most!
Don’t spend too much money on the additional matcha accessories, it’s best to make an investment in a quality whisk, bowl and of course a good matcha powder.
Looking to build the perfect Japanese tea set? This article is perfect for you 👉 Essential guide to choosing the perfect Japanese Tea Set
Although there are 19 different matcha accessories out there, there are only a small handful of matcha tools you’ll need for everyday use.
We recommend you just start with the basics like a matcha bowl, matcha whisk and matcha spoon and then you can upgrade your matcha tool set from there.
While these accessories will make a big difference in the taste of your matcha, they won’t make as much of a difference as using a higher quality matcha, so make sure you invest accordingly.
]]>In this article, we are going to cover all the different types of Japanese tea cups and see what makes each one unique.
We’ll also take a deep dive into the history of each production style, and what you may be able to tell about the tea cups just by looking at them.
Without further ado, let’s get started! 🍵💚
First, I think it is important to mention that not all tea in Japan is consumed in cups. For the Japanese tea ceremony, a traditional Chawan is used both to prepare the tea and to drink the tea. Let’s discuss the differences between the Chawan matcha bowl and the Yunomi tea cup.
This handmade clay tea bowl is designed to be the perfect tool for preparing matcha. The thick heavy clay retains heat well and also conveys a sense of importance, forcing the guest to drink the tea with both hands, and focus only on the tea.
The tea master will preheat the tea bowl before preparing the matcha tea. This will keep the matcha warmer for longer, and it can even warm up your hands during a cold morning tea session.
The chawan looks quite different from a typical bowl, as it has more of a cylindrical shape to it. This makes the whisking of the matcha tea easier, as there is more space on the bottom of the bowl, and the steeper sides make it harder to spill.
Finally, there is usually a small pattern on one side of the tea bowl, that serves an important purpose in the tea ceremony. When the guest drinks tea from the bowl, they are meant to turn the design to the other guests as a sign of respect, allowing them to look at the most beautiful side of the bowl as they drink.
The yunomi is a tea cup designed for everyday drinking.
As we mentioned before, the chawan is designed to convey a sense of great importance, and that is one of the reasons it is used in the tea ceremony.
On the other hand, yunomi are tea cups meant to enjoy a more simple cup of tea.
This is not to say that these tea cups cannot be special, as much work and design still goes into producing them.
In the next section, we will cover the different styles of Yunomi, and the history behind each one.
The Hagi is an older, traditional type of Yunomi that is made from stone. The glazing style was inherited from the Korean style of pottery.
During the 15th century, there was great competition between Japan and Korea when it came to producing pottery, and a lot of korean potters were recruited for their talents.
This gave rise to more Korean influence in Japanese pottery during this time period, which is evident in these types of Japanese tea cups.
You may notice a lot of Hagi tea cups with this cracked white glaze effect, as this was one of the most prominent styles of the time.
source: White Hagi (Shira hagi) yunomi #49 by Mukuhara Kashun
This is another one of the types of Japanese tea cups that is made using a high-firing process and glazing.
The iron painting is actually applied underneath the glaze, so the texture is uniform even though the coloring is different.
This type of clay tea cup became less common with the introduction of porcelain to Japan, but it has since seen a revival, thanks to the help of Nakazato Muan, a famous Japanese potter that lived from 1895-1985.
source: Karatsu kohiki yunomi by Kimata Kaoru #40
This was the first truly Japanese style of white glaze used for the Yunomi tea cups.
One of the more noticeable features of these types of japanese tea cups is the oxide markings, which are made from feldspar and added to give color and texture to the cup.
Possibly the most noticeable feature of these types of Japanese tea cups are the small holes dotted throughout the tea cup.
This style is sometimes referred to as citron skin or “Yuzuhada”, because of its resemblance to the outside of a Lemon.
source: Suzuki Tomio Shino Yōhen-kin Yunomi
These types of Japanese tea cups get their name from the small town of Mashiko where they were originally made.
The earliest iterations of these clay tea cups were red in color, as they were made from the red clay that the town was famous for.
A potter by the name Shoji Hamada, encouraged more creative freedom when it came to the craftsmanship of these types of Japanese tea cups, so the ones produced in the early 20th century and beyond will have less of this standard red clay design.
source: Bwoom-Japan Galerie für traditionelle Kunst aus Japan
This is not a medium of Japanese tea cup, but rather a general artistic style. You will notice this style across all types of Japanese art, particularly when it comes to teaware.
You will notice asymmetry, imperfections and lack of uniformity across the Japanese teaware produced in this style.
The idea is not to strive for perfection, but find joy in the imperfections. In a broader sense, the goal is to embrace the imperfections that exist in life and nature and celebrate their beauty.
source: Edo Arts - Japanese Wabi Sabi Tea Cup
In addition to the different types of Japanese tea cups, there are also different production styles. These production styles vary based on the medium used and the general spirit of the craftsmanship.
These are the original types of Japanese tea cups. There are places in Japan like Tokoname that have naturally occurring high quality clay and they produce excellent quality Japanese tea pots and Japanese tea cups. Clay is heavier than porcelain, but it can be easier to work with
Porcelain was introduced to Japan much later, and it soon rose in popularity. Chinese porcelain was considered a great status symbol not only in Europe but also in Japan.
Nowadays, porcelain is much more affordable, so it is quite common to see tea being served in small white porcelain cups.
]]>This set usually consists of 5 items, but you can also have more or less as you see fit. In this article, we’re going to discuss the pieces that make up the perfect ceremonial matcha set, and talk about the benefits of each utensil. Without further ado, let’s get started.
When it comes to finding a matcha set from Japan, all you really need are 5 separate utensils to create a delicious bowl of matcha tea.
In fact, depending on how you use them, you may even be able to get away with a matcha set composed of just 3 different utensils.
With a lot of our bundles, you will see some matcha tea, along with a matcha whisk, matcha bowl and matcha spoon.
If you want to get really fancy, you can also add in a matcha sifter and a natsume as well.
The natsume will keep your matcha powder safe from light, heat and humidity and the matcha sifter will help keep the clumps out of your matcha.
Let’s break down each of these utensils one by one.
The famous matcha whisk is not only the most iconic utensil of the japanese matcha set, it’s also the most important. This tool is used to whisk matcha tea and create that beautiful foam on top, and there is no real replacement for it.
This whisk is made out of a single piece of bamboo and the 100 small bristles move through the water quickly to aerate the tea. This tool has been a part of the Japanese tea ceremony for hundreds of years, and it still is the best tool to use in a ceremonial matcha set.
Some people try and get around the matcha whisk by using a metal whisk instead, but this does not produce nearly as much foam. The foam on top of a matcha is important because it gives the matcha a creamier taste and consistency.
This foam makes the tea taste almost like a latte but without milk or sugar. The chasen matcha whisk is definitely a tool every tea lover should have in their japanese matcha set.
The matcha bowl is the largest utensil of the matcha set. You will find this in both the ceremonial matcha set as well as the matcha set to use at home. If you compare it to a regular bowl, a few things will stand out to you.
First, the best matcha bowl will have a very cylindrical shape to it. This makes it easier to whisk up the matcha tea without spilling it. If you were to have a normal bowl design that tapers off towards the bottom, you may not have enough space at the base of the bowl for full whisking motions. This design maximizes the whisking space of the matcha bowl.
The best matcha bowl will also be much heavier compared to a regular bowl. This heavy clay retains a lot of heat so as long as the matcha bowl is preheated before using it, it can keep the matcha warm for long periods of time.
If you take part in a Japanese tea ceremony, you will notice the tea master pouring hot water into the bowl before preparing the tea. If this step is skipped, the heavy clay will immediately absorb the heat from the matcha tea, and it will become cold much more quickly. A properly heated matcha bowl will also keep your hands warm while you are drinking the matcha tea.
Finally, the best matcha bowl is beautifully decorated. You may see more complex patterns with animals or flowers as well as simple patterns with just a few brush strokes. This design actually plays a small role in the Japanese tea ceremony, and it is something you will find when you order a matcha set made in Japan
During the tea ceremony, the guests will turn the bowl so that the pattern faces the other guests. This is done out of a sign of respect, so the other guests can view the most beautiful side of the matcha bowl as they drink the tea.
Now that you have found the best matcha bowl and whisk it's time to add a spoon to your Japanese matcha set. This spoon, also called the chashaku, is something you will see in both the ceremonial matcha set and the home matcha set. It has a very simple design, made from a small strip of bamboo.
It has more of a vertical design, compared to the horizontal design of a typical table spoon. This helps it scoop powder out of a deeper container like a matcha tin. You can use a normal spoon for this, but the chashaku makes things slightly easier.
The bamboo spoon also works surprisingly well as a measurement device. During the Japanese tea ceremony, you will see the tea master use two large scoops of the chashaku to measure the powder into the matcha bowl, which comes out to around 2 grams.
If you order a matcha set from japan, it will usually come with this bamboo tea spoon included, and it can make a fun addition to your Japanese matcha set.
The matcha sifter is one of the more overlooked elements of the matcha set. You will not find this in a ceremonial matcha set, but that is because the matcha comes pre-sifted. The reason the sifting is so important is because of the small clumps that form in a matcha.
As soon as matcha powder is exposed to the humidity in the air, it will begin to form clumps, just as you would see in something like flour. These clumps don’t mean that the matcha has gone bad, but they will interfere with the drinking experience of your matcha.
The clumps prevent the matcha from mixing evenly into the water, so rather than a smooth consistent flavor, some sips of the matcha tea will be rough and bitter.
The solution to this problem is simply to get a metal sifter for your matcha set and sift the powder through it before adding it to the matcha bowl. This method only takes a few seconds and you will be surprised how much of a difference it makes.
Your Japanese matcha set is almost complete, you just need a place to keep your matcha tea. The natsume is really something you will only find in a ceremonial matcha set, but the idea is actually very practical.
The name means “tea caddy” and it essentially is a way to transport the tea from one place to another. The matcha tin essentially serves as a natsume in this case, allowing you to keep the tea well sealed before you use it, and also prevent you from spilling the tea.
The natsume is something you may want in a travel matcha set, but likely something you can do without if you are just using the matcha set at home. If you are going to get a natsume for your matcha set, make sure it is one you can tightly seal.
Matcha powder is incredibly sensitive to light, heat and humidity so it’s best to keep it in a cool, dry and dark place. If matcha powder is not properly sealed and left to be exposed to the elements, it will deteriorate in quality overtime. The vibrant green color of premium matca will soon turn into a dull yellowish brown and even the flavor will start to approach that of a low quality matcha.
When you order a matcha set from Japan it will likely not inlcude a natsume by default because the matcha will come in a tin, which works in a similar way to protect the matcha powder from light and humidity.
When it comes to building a travel matcha set, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First, some of the utensils can be quite fragile, particularly the matcha whisk.
The matcha whisks that we sell come in a protective case that you can use when traveling so you have a layer of protection between the fragile bamboo and everything else you are traveling with.
The second thing to consider when building a travel matcha set is the weight. This particularly becomes a problem when it comes to the matcha bowl, which can easily outweigh everything else put together.
When you travel, it’s best just to leave the bowl at home and use whatever bowl you can find where you’re staying. It may not be quite as easy to whisk the matcha tea in a cereal bowl, but it is worth it to avoid the extra weight in your carryon.
This will just be a Japanese matcha whisk set and not a full set, but it will get the job done when you are traveling.
When it comes to finding the best matcha set, you can find quite a few options on our website, nioteas.com.
For beginners, we recommend the bundle that includes the matcha sampler, the best matcha bowl and whisk as well as the matcha spoon. With this matcha set, not only do you get everything you need to begin your journey into matcha, you also get to try 21 different kinds of matcha tea sourced from all over Japan.
These are some of the best teas grown without the use of pesticides, and we found them by meeting with dozens of small farmers all around Japan. When you purchase a product, you are not only supporting us, but also the incredible work done by dozens of farmers all across Japan.
If you are searching for a matcha set near me, we can save you some time and just ship you some matcha utensils wherever you are in the world. We offer free shipping on all products, and we can ship just about everywhere in the world.
If you are looking for just a Japanese matcha whisk set, you can find them in our whisks section.
If you are looking for the best matcha bowl, we have a few different types to choose from in our matcha bowls section
If you are looking for the best matcha bowl and whisk together, you can get a full Japanese matcha set, which will also come with a chashaku.
If you search matcha set amazon, it will be difficult to find a matcha set made in Japan. Our matcha bowls on the other hand are made from a Japanese clayworking shop and they are very high quality.
It really makes a difference when you hold them in your hand and feel the weight and craftsmanship of the clay bowl.
These bowls make it easy to whisk the matcha tea and they also help to retain the heat of the matcha for longer periods of time. If you want a Japanese matcha set made in Japan, we'd love to share our teaware with you!
In the first section of this article, we'll be covering all the accessories of the traditional tea ceremony with detailed explanation and pictures.
In the second part, we'll explain to you step by step how to use the Japanese Tea Ceremony Set. Without further ado, let's get brewing! 🍵🍃
The Japanese tea ceremony is a traditional form of tea ceremony and a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of ceremonial matcha.
Thus, in this article, we'll be covering the Japanese tea ceremony set which is the complete collection of japanese tea ceremony supplies used in the preparation and serving of tea.
There are many different japanese tea ceremony supplies involved in the preparation of matcha tea.
Here, we are going to cover as many as we can, everything to the most important utensils, to the least used of the japanese tea ceremony supplies.
Some of the utensils used in the tea ceremony set you may already be familiar with because they are so ubiquitous and others you will barely even see if you attend a Japanese tea ceremony.
In total, there are 19 utensils involved in the Japanese tea ceremony set and they are the Chaire, Chakin, Chasen, Chashaku, Chawan, Fukusa, Furo, Futaoki, Hishaku, Kama, Kaishi, Kensui, Kobukusa, Mizusashi, Kensui, Sensu, Shifuku, Ro and Yakan. Let's discuss each one of them in detail!
The chaire is another important part of the japanese tea ceremony set. This is the tea caddy used to hold the matcha powder for special tea ceremonies. It is made out of a thick clay and it has a seal on top, almost like a cork.
This is not to be confused with the natusume, which is another type of tea caddy made with a lacquer material.
The difference is that the chaire is used for Japanese tea ceremonies that involve koicha or thick tea. This is a special matcha paste made with double the amount of powder and half the amount of water.
This is only meant for special occasions, and you need to use an extremely smooth matcha like the matcha washimine to make koicha, otherwise it will be very bitter.
The chakin is one of two tea towels used in the tea ceremony set. This towel is okay to get wet, which distinguishes it from the Fukusa, which is meant to remain dry.
The chakin is made from hemp and is specifically used to clean off the chawan or matcha bowl, which is something we will discuss later.
This purification process emphasizes one of the core principles of the tea ceremony, purity, which makes the chakin an even more important part of the Japanese tea ceremony set.
The chasen or matcha whisk is the most recognizable utensil in the tea ceremony set. This is the best tool when it comes to whisking up the perfect bowl of matcha tea.
It is made out of a single piece of bamboo and it has 100 small bristles that move through the water to inject air into the tea.
This creates a nice foam on top of the matcha, which can give the tea a smoother and creamier taste and consistency.
The chashaku is specifically designed to be the best spoon for scooping matcha powder and it is a key addition to the tea ceremony set.
The design may seem simple, but it has a few key features that make it easier to prepare matcha tea.
First of all, it has a more vertical design, compared to the horizontal design of most spoons.
This makes it easier to scoop out of narrower containers like a matcha tin. The second is that the chashaku is a great measurement tool.
All you need is two heaping spoonfuls from the chashaku and you will have the perfect amount of powder to create your matcha tea.
After the chasen, the chawan matcha bowl is probably the second most famous utensil in the Japanese tea ceremony set.
This may look like an ordinary bowl at first, but it has a few key features that help to improve the tea ceremony.
First, it has steeper sides, making it easier to whisk the matcha. It also is made out of a thick clay, which conveys a sense of importance to the tea and it also helps to keep the matcha tea warm as long as it is preheated.
Finally, it usually has a beautiful design on the side of it, which is meant to be turned towards the guest to demonstrate one of the core principles of the Japanese tea ceremony.
One of the core principles of the Japanese tea ceremony is respect, and this is demonstrated by the guest allowing others to look at the most beautiful side of the tea bowl as they drink the matcha tea.
The fukusa is the second towel used in the Japanese tea ceremony set. Unlike the Chakin, this towel is meant to remain dry, and it is used to purify the objects used in the tea ceremony like the natsume and the chashaku.
This cloth is made out of silk and is kept around the waist of the tea master and is unfolded before the tea ceremony.
After the tea master is done using the fukusa, she will fold it back up the same way, and place it back on her belt.
This is the portable heater for the iron pot used in the Japanese tea ceremony set. This is mostly used in the spring and summer, and it is usually made out of bronze.
The Furo has a small opening inside of it to let air in, and keep the coal inside burning well. This allows it to heat the water for the tea ceremony and be easily transported.
The Futaoki is a seldom known component of the tea ceremony set. At the start of the Japanese tea ceremony, the futa or lid to the kettle is placed on the kama or iron pot in order to keep the water warm.
Then the hishakuor bamboo ladle is positioned on the futaoki until the host scoops out the first cup of water from the iron pot.
Next, the tea master will place the kettle lid on the futaoki. Most futaoki are made out of bamboo with a small nodule in the middle but it is not uncommon to find one made out of either ceramic or porcelain.
The hishaku is another one of the more famous utensils in the Japanese tea ceremony set. This is the bamboo ladle used to scoop the water from the iron pot into the matcha bowl.
The tea master will use approximately half a hishaku full of water in order to prepare the matcha tea.
A Hishaku can also be used outside of temples as part of the purification ritual, but these tend to be larger.
The kama is the iron pot used to heat the water, and therefore it is a very important part of the Japanese tea ceremony set.
When you walk into the tea room, you may notice a square carved out in the tatami mats.
This is where the kama or iron pot resides, and it is lined with a bronze, heat proof material that also contains hot colas at the bottom. These hot coals serve as a way to keep the water hot throughout the tea ceremony.
The kaishi is the paper napkin used to serve the sweets and can be considered part of the tea ceremony set. During the tea ceremony, the guest is usually presented with some type of sweet or “wagashi” to enjoy with their tea.
The wagashi serves two purposes, the first is to offer a special gift to the guest to strengthen their bond with the host.
The second is to set the theme of the tea ceremony. Wagashi can be artistically created to convey different ideas or different seasons, so it really helps to set the tone of the entire tea ceremony.
The kaishi is usually kept by the tea master ready to be used, but it can also be kept by the guest. These paper napkins are very small and easy to tuck away.
The kensui is the waste water bowl used in the tea ceremony. This may not seem like an important part of the Japanese tea ceremony set, but it does play an important role.
After the tea master preheats the tea bowl and tea whisk, she will need to discard the water. Having the kensui around makes it easy to pour this water out without having to leave the tea room and interrupt the flow of the tea ceremony.
This is a thicker silk cloth used to present the matcha bowl. This is not use to clean the tea utensils, but rather to protect tea utensils.
Compared to the Fukusa, the Kobukusa is made from a much thicker material and often contains more decorative patterns.
It is placed on the tatami mat and then the chawan is place on top of it for the guest. This is used primarily for special tea ceremonies where koicha is drunk.
This is one of the Japanese tea ceremony supplies that you may not neccesarily see if you take part in a ceremony, but it is involved nonetheless.
The Mizusashi is another component of the tea ceremony set you may not notice over the course of a regular tea ceremony. This container is filled with cold water and it is used to refill the Kama or iron pot in between tea ceremonies.
It is normally made out of clay and it has a lid on top. This is an important tool when it comes to setting the stage of the tea ceremony, although you may not see it being used during the actually ceremony.
The natsume is another type of tea caddy. This is part of the tea ceremony set for preparing “usucha” or thin tea. As we mentioned before, if koicha or thick tea is being prepared during a special tea ceremony, the chaire will be used instead.
The Natsume is usually made out of lacquered or unprocessed wood and it gets the name because it resembles the jujube fruit which is called natsume in Japanese.
The sensu is perhaps the least used utensil of the tea ceremony set. In fact, the sensu isn’t really used at all!
This folding fan is kept in front of the guest completely folded up as a polite gesture during the tea ceremony. This is one of the japanese tea ceremony supplies you will rarely find, but it still is used.
This is the protective cloth pouch used for the chaire. The cloth is usually covered in a decorative pattern and it has a drawstring to it.
The chaire is placed inside the shifuku pouch and it is closed up to keep the chaire protected until it is ready to be used. Although this is technically a container for another piece of the tea ceremony set, a lot of work goes into making it and it is a work of art in its own right!
We mentioned before in the spring and summer the furo is used in the tea ceremony set, but in the fall and winter the Ro or sunken hearth is used. This is the square hearth carved into the tatami mat where the kama is submerged and kept hot with burning coals.
The yakan is the water pitcher that is used to replenish the mizusashi at the end of the tea ceremony. This may seem like there are too many containers being used just for water, but each one is an important part of the Japanese tea ceremony set.
This is the final piece of the japanese tea ceremony supplies, and it is one you may not see being used during the ceremony itself.
Now that we have covered all the tools in the Japanese tea ceremony set, let’s briefly discuss how to use them. We’ll take you through the tea ceremony step by step in this short guide.
Before a formal tea ceremony can begin, the host must first send out invitations to their guests. This is done several weeks prior to the tea ceremony and it is very important that the invitations used are aesthetically pleasing. Even before the tea ceremony set is brought out, the tea ceremony has begun and the aesthetic is important.
Before the guests arrive to the tea ceremony, the tea ceremony room needs to be prepared. There are 3 stages to this. First, the tea ceremony room needs to be cleaned.
The tea ceremony is meant to be very sparsely decorated, and nothing should be around to distract the guests from the ceremony itself or the japanese tea ceremony supplies.
After the tea ceremony room has been cleaned, it is time to set the theme of the tea ceremony.
Even though the tea ceremony room has very few decorations, the theme of the ceremony can be set with the flower arrangement and the scroll hanging on the wall of the room. This scroll will usually display a quick phrase or poem to set the tone of the ceremony.
Finally, part of the Japanese tea ceremony set can be brought out. Not all of the utensils will be displayed, just the basic things like the kensui, kama and mizusashi. These are the heaviest objects in the tea ceremony set. The rest of the objects can be brought in later, once the guests have arrived.
Guests that have been invited to the tea ceremony will typically wait outside in the garden until they are formally invited into the tea room by the host. The garden that surrounds the tea ceremony room is meant to be an extension of nature itself. This represents one of the core principles of the Japanese tea ceremony, harmony, in this case harmony with the natural world.
After being announced, the guests will remove their shoes and begin to enter the tea room. They will then proceed to wash their hands as a symbol of purifying themselves.
Historically, guests enter the tea room through a small door. This forces each guest of the tea ceremony to bow before they enter the room, regardless of their status. Inside the tea room, all guests are equal regardless of their status outside the tea room.
Once the guests are inside the tea room, they will sit down. The host will then acknowledge each guest.
If Japanese tea ceremony sweets or wagashi are being offered, they will be served to each guest during this time. Both the host and the guest will bow to each other during this exchange.
As mentioned before, a key principle of the Japanese tea ceremony is purity. This is where the tea ceremony set comes into play. The tea master will take out the Fukusa and wipe down the chashaku, hishaku and natsume. This is done in front of the guests to demonstrate the purity of the tea ceremony set.
During the Japanese tea ceremony, the host prepares thin matcha tea by following a series of precise steps.
Firstly, hot water is scooped from the kama using a hishaku and poured into the chawan to preheat it. This ensures that the matcha tea remains warm throughout the ceremony.
The chasen, or bamboo matcha whisk, is then soaked in water to make it more pliable and less likely to break due to its delicate bristles. The chasen and chawan are the only utensils in the tea ceremony set that require preheating.
Once the tea set is ready, the water is discarded, and the chawan is cleaned using the Chakin cloth.
The tea master then opens the natsume, takes the chashaku, and scoops two portions of matcha powder into the chawan. Typically, the powder is pre-sifted into the natsume to avoid clumps.
After that, a scoop of hot water is added to the chawan, and the tea is whisked vigorously with the chasen.
The sides of the bowl are scraped, and rapid zigzag motions create a light green foam on the surface of the matcha. The whisk is withdrawn, and the bowl is turned to present its design side to the guest.
At this point, most of the utensils in the tea ceremony set have been used.
Thick tea or koicha is prepared during the tea ceremony, but only for special occasions. To make this tea, the tea ceremony set is used in a similar way, but the key difference is a different amount of powder is used.
To make this, the host will use twice the amount of powder and half the amount of water. This makes the tea very flavorful and very thick.
Because the tea is so thick and it is passed from guest to guest, each guest will use their kaishi or paper napkin to clean off the bowl before passing it to the next guest.
After the tea ceremony set has been used, all the utensils are cleaned up by the host. This of course once again demonstrates the concept of purity. At this point, the host and the guests can take the opportunity to observe the craftsmanship of the tea utensils and appreciate the quality of the tea ceremony set.
After all the steps have been followed, all the guests are now allowed to depart. The host will bow to each guest individually as they leave. The formal tea ceremony can take up to 4 hours, as a meal is typically served during it. The length of time depends on the season and the type of meal served.
If you are looking for a tea ceremony set, you can find all the most important tools on our website. Just check out our matcha tea sets section to browse different types of matcha bowls, matcha tea, matcha whisks and matcha spoons.
You should be able to get everything you need to begin your journey into the world of the tea ceremony. Maybe you’ll even host your own someday!
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Here is a quick definition of each type of teaware:
Shiboridashi: A flat teapot with a small water capacity designed to produce small, concentrated cups of gyokuro and sencha tea.
Japanese Kyusu Teapot: A side handled teapot with a medium water capacity designed to produce larger cups of gyokuro, sencha, hojicha, Kamairicha, kukicha and more.
The first thing you will notice when comparing the shiboridashi vs kyusu is the size and shape. The kyusu teapot is much rounder and it will generally hold a larger volume of water. The shiboridashi is much flatter and it holds only a small amount of water.
If you are planning on brewing larger cups of green teas like sencha, hojicha and kukicha, it definitely makes sense to go for a kyusu teapot. This will allow you to use 5 grams of leaves and 150ml of water which is the standard leaf to water ratio for most types of Japanese green tea.
If you are preparing richer cups of gyokuro and kabuse sencha for special occasions, the shiboridashi is definitely the way to go. To prepare tea in this teapot, you can lay out a blanket of 5-7 grams of gyokuro leaves on the bottom of the teapot and then drizzle 50ml of water on top. This will create a super concentrated tea with a rich umami and a heavy, thick mouthfeel that coats your tongue with flavor.
When comparing the lid of the shiboridashi vs kyusu, you will notice two things. The first is that the lid is clearly much flatter on the shiboridashi, because it needs to fit into a much wider teapot. Also the lid has a built-in clay filter. This lid is optional if you want to prepare smaller leaf teas, or if you want to increase the speed of the pouring.
The kyusu lid is much smaller and more simple, with just a hole in the top to help the air exchange. This more simple design would be what most shiboridashi lids would follow, but the teapots we have selected for Nio Teas have the built in filter, making them quite unique.
As we mentioned before, there is a difference between the shiboridashi vs kyusu filter due to the fact that the shiboridashi has a built-in filter in the lid. There is also a difference when it comes to the main filter of each teapot.
With the kyusu, you will find that there is a much more complex filter in the main body of the teapot. This is either a finely woven metal mesh, or a clay filter with small holes carved out into it.
The metal mesh works great for leaves with smaller particles like fukamushi sencha. If there is a blockage at one part of the filter, the water can easily move around and pour through another part. This prevents clogging, and makes it easier to pour your fukamushi sencha teas.
The clay filter makes it a bit harder to pour tea like fukamushi sencha, but it has the added benefit of not containing metal. A lot of more seasoned tea drinkers claim that having any metal in contact with the leaves will affect its flavor. If you really want to get serious about a particular type of tea like gyokuro, you should go for the black kyusu, which has a built in clay filter.
The shiboridashi takes it a step further. Because it is only typically used to prepare larger leaf teas like gyokuro and kabuse sencha, the main filter of the shiboridashi is incredibly understated. You will just notice 3 small notches carved into the clay or the shiboridashi. These are just enough to allow water through, but not the larger tea leaves. Because of the minimalist design of this filter, you get a quick, consistent pour from your shiboridashi.
The reason you want a quicker and consistent pour is because you don’t want to over brew the tea leaves. Once the brewing time is up, you want to quickly pour the tea out so it doesn’t overinfuse. If it takes 20 seconds to pour all the water out of your teapot, you won’t be able to have as much control over the brewing time.
The handle (or lack thereof) on the shiboridashi vs kyusu is the final staggering difference between these two teapots. The kyusu teapot has this iconic side handle that has become one of its main advantages.
The side handle is made out of hollowed out clay. This dissipates the heat quickly, so you don’t burn your hand as you pour it, even if the teapot is filled with hot water. The side handle also allows for more refined movements when pouring, meaning that a simple turn of the wrist is all it takes to pour out a beautiful stream of delicious green tea.
By contrast, the shiboridashi does not have a handle. Instead, you are meant to pour it with your thumb positioned on top and 4 fingers resting at the base. This is simple enough, and you won’t burn your hands as you will likely be using very low temperature water. The shiboridashi teapot also has a small button on top that you can use as a finger rest. This makes it much easier to get the proper finger position down and pour more gracefully.
Comparing the shiboridashi vs kyusu is a matter of asking yourself what teas do you typical prepare, and comparing the different features of the two teapots. If you tend to prepare more gyokuro, kabusecha and sencha teas, you should go for the shiboridashi. If you prefer more of an all-in-one teapot that can brew great gyokuro and sencha, but also karigane, hojicha, genmaicha and bancha, you may prefer to get a kyusu.
Whatever you decide, I’m sure you will appreciate the fine craftsmanship of these two clay teapots. They are made from very high quality clay, and they are just waiting to be used to prepare flavorful and colorful cups of Japanese green tea!
When people have trouble deciding whether they want a Shiboridashi vs Hohin, there are a few different factors to consider. Both of these teapots have features that make them perfectly adapted to certain situations, and each can have their own advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we’re going to break down the features of the Shiboridashi vs Hohin and see how they compare.
Before we talk about the differences, let’s briefly define these two teapots:
Shiboridashi: The name translates to “squeeze out” and it is used as a way to prepare smaller, denser infusions of premium Japanese green tea.
Hohin: The name translates to “treasure bottle” and it is designed to brew larger cups specialty teas, but can also be used to brew more common, everyday teas.
Even though this article is dedicated to exploring the differences between the shiboridashi vs hohin, it is important to note that there are quite a few similarities as well.
First, the teapots serve a similar role. While the Japanese Kyusu Teapot is more of the everyday teapot, the houhin and the shiboridashi are more intended for premium teas. The houhin is meant for premium sencha tea whereas the shiboridashi is really meant to prepare the highest grade gyokuro during truly special occasions. Still, both of these serve as a way to prepare more than just an everyday tea.
Also, the teapots both share a relatively simple design with just a lid and a base. There is no handle on these teapots, meaning that you hold it directly as you pour. We’ll get into this in further detail in a later section.
Upon comparison of the shiboridashi vs hohin, it is difficult to tell which one is truly bigger as they are such different shapes. The water capacity of a shiboridashi is usually between 50-70ml whereas a houhin can easily be 150ml-200ml. This difference alone already tells you that there are teas that are better prepared with a shiboridashi vs hohin teapot.
If you plan on brewing larger cups of tea, you won’t be able to use a shiboridashi because the capacity is just too small to make a full cup of tea. If you really want to create a concentrated infusion of gyokuro or sencha, you can’t get any better than the shiboridashi. This really is the teapot for special occasions.
One of the first things you will notice when you compare the shiboridashi vs hohin is the shape of the teaware. The shiboridashi has a wide, flat design and the hohin is much deeper. This does not necessarily make one better or worse, they are just different design choices between the two pieces of teaware.
The deeper hohin teapot allows more space for the tea to expand vertically. Sometimes when the tea leaves expand, they pile on top of one another and the houhin allows this to happen without needing to add too much water to the pot.
The shiboridashi on the other hand allows more horizontal space for the tea leaves to expand. This works well for very small capacity brewing, as you can submerge the leaves completely without allowing them to move on top of one another. The difference between the shiboridashi vs hohin all comes down to whether or not you want the leaves to have more vertical space or horizontal space.
There are a few key differences not only with the design of each teapot, but also how you use it. We’re going to briefly compare the brewing technique of the shiboridashi vs hohin teapots.
The filter is a remarkable difference between the shiboridashi vs hohin teapot. Similar to the kyusu, the houhin has a proper clay mesh filter that sifts out the leaves. This is positioned just before the spout so the leaves can be filtered out automatically as you pour. The benefit of having the porcelain or clay filter is that it doesn’t have a negative impact on the flavor of the tea in the same way that a metal filter might.
The shiboridashi technically does have a filter, but it is much more of a minimalist design. When you look at the base of the teapot, you will notice a completely smooth finish with one exception and that is the 3 small notches carved into the clay. These notches allow the water to pour through while still catching the larger leaves. Because the shiboridashi is intended to prepare larger leaf Japanese green teas like gyokuro and kabuse sencha, it doesn’t need to have that much in the way of a filter
While it is unique for a shiboridashi to have a filter in the lid, the shiboridashi we have on our website provide this as an additional option to make the teapot more versatile. If you find that you are getting too many smaller leaf fragments in your cup, you can just position the lid so that this built in clay filter faces the front spout and you pour through it. This gives you an additional filter to increase the pouring speed, but also filter out the smaller leaves.
One major similarity between the shiboridashi vs hohin is actually that they are both handleless teapots. The kyusu teapot is probably the most well known Japanese teapot, and the defining feature of this is the side handle. What makes the houhin and the shiboridashi unique is that they don’t have a side handle, and you actually hold the teapot directly as you pour.
If you are interested in learning the differences between the shiboridashi and the kyusu teapot, you can learn all about it in this article here
The one exception is that some type of Houhin teapots have two small bumps on the side that make it easier to hold the teapot as you pour. These couldn’t technically be considered “handles” but they do make pouring slightly easier and they make it so that you’re less likely to scald your hands as you pour.
The final difference between the shiboridashi vs hohin comes down to the pouring. When you are pouring the hohin teapot, it is important to maintain 3 points of contact. You can place one finger on each side of the teapot and a finger or knuckle on the top of the teapot. This is very similar to the finger position of the gaiwan, a quite similar designed piece of teaware that does not have the spout of the hohin.
The reason you need 3 points of contact is because the base of the hohin teapot is too small to get a proper “sandwich grip” in. With the shiboridashi, you have so much surface area at the base of the teapot that you can comfortably rest four fingers at the bottom of the teapot and use your thumb to hold the top bump. With the shiboridashi, you are using such lower temperature water that you really don’t need to worry about scalding your hands even if they are at the base of the teapot, which tends to be the hottest part.
While both of these teapots can be used to prepare premium cups of Japanese green tea, the shiboridashi really excels when it comes to creating tea for special occasions. If you really want to get serious about your gyokuro tea, we recommend you try out the shiboridashi. If you don’t already have a kyusu teapot and are looking for more of a multi-purpose teapot, the hohin is the better choice.
Shiboridashi vs gaiwan is a comparison a lot of people make, but which one is better for each type of tea? In this article, we are going to compare the two teapots and brewing styles and find the advantages and disadvantages of each one. We’ll also look at the similarities of both the shiboridashi and the gaiwan and see why they have both become so popular.
A shiboridashi is a type of clay teapot with a very distinct design. Rather than having a lot of the bells and whistles you might notice on other teapots, the shiboridashi has a more minimalist design, with a simple wide and flat design and no handle.
The shiboridashi excels at producing premium Japanese green tea like kabuse sencha and gyokuro. For special occasions, these teas are prepared with a very high leaf to water ratio, with 5 grams of leaves and 50ml of water. This creates a rich, concentrated infusion with a powerful flavor and a denser mouthfeel. You’re meant to not only savor the taste of the tea, but the texture as well, as it glides over the top of your tongue drop by drop.
The name gaiwan essentially translates into “lidded bowl” and it is just that, a very simple piece of teaware that includes a lid, a bowl and a base.
This arose as a simple way to prepare tea in China, as farmers preferred to simply brew the tea in a lid and a bowl rather than buying a fancy teapot.
The gaiwan is still used by tea connoisseurs all around the world, as a simple piece of teaware that gives the brewer a lot of control over the tea.
The gaiwan works best for larger leaf Chinese tea, but can also work for smaller leaf teas. Teas like oolong, black tea and Chinese green tea work great in the gaiwan. The porcelain construction provides neutrality in the tea brewing process, as the flavor of the tea is unaffected by the smooth porcelain finish.
If you compare the shiboridashi vs gaiwan, you will notice some distinct similarities. For starters, each piece of teaware is simple, consisting of basically a lid and a bowl. Most shiboridashi do not have a complex filter or a dedicated handle, and the same is true for the gaiwan. Because both pieces of teaware consist of this lid and bowl design, a lot of people tend to compare the shiboridashi vs gaiwan, but make no mistake, the two teapots are very different. Let’s get into a few of the differences next.
One thing you will notice when comparing the size of the shiboridashi vs gaiwan is that the shiboridashi is much wider but also flatter. While there are a few larger gaiwans out there, they are usually quite small. The standard gaiwan size for individual brewing is around 100ml. Although the shiboridashi may appear to be larger, because of the flat design, the capacity tends to be quite low. This points to a major difference between the shiboridashi vs gaiwan.
Although the gaiwan and the shiboridashi both are designed to brew tea with very little water, the shiboridashi is perhaps the most extreme. With the kyusu teapot, which is commonly used for most types of Japanese green tea, you would use 5 grams of leaves and 150ml of water.
The gaiwan, which is typically used for Chinese teas, produces significantly more concentrated infusions, with 5 grams of leaves and 100ml of water. The shiboridashi takes this a step further by preparing teas with 5 grams of leaves and only 50ml of water. This is something you will really only see done at high end tea shops. It is a way to truly get the best flavor out of a premium tea like gyokuro, but it really only produces a few drops of extremely flavorful tea. This method really produces a great tasting experience everyone should try at least once.
As mentioned before, one of the clear differences when comparing the shiboridashi vs gaiwan is the shape. The gaiwan is in the shape of a bowl and the shiboridashi is almost in the shape of a plate.
The gaiwan is designed to produce a clump or a ball of tea leaves, such as the ones you will find in an oolong tea. These leaves tend to expand in all directions, so it is important for the teapot to be more in a bowl shape. The gaiwan excels at preparing teas like oolong, which is composed of large tea leaves rolled into strip shapes or ball shapes.
When it comes to the shiboridashi, the teapot is normally meant to prepare thin needle shaped teas like Gyoukuro and sencha tea. These can lay very flat and expand horizontally, so you ideally want to lay out a blanket of the leaves at the base of a teapot, and pour the water over it. The shiboridashi allows you to do this by providing a large amount of horizontal space. You only need enough depth for the tea leaves to be barely submerged in water, so the flat design is fine. This design feature is one of the key differences between the shiboridashi vs kyusu.
Although the basic design of both the gaiwan and the shiboridashi are about the same, they pour differently and they require different finger positions. Let’s discuss how to pour and hold each teapot, and what the strengths and weaknesses of each are.
The shiboridashi is simple to pour. After you have have laid out your leaves, drizzled in the water and allowed the tea to sit for between 1-2 minutes, it is time to pour it out and enjoy your tea. Unlike the gaiwan, the shiboridashi has a spout that guides the stream of water in a particular direction. This is really helpful, especially when you are preparing such a small quantity of water, because it is very difficult to pour a gaiwan without spilling.
To pour out the shiboridashi, you simply place the lid back on and point the spout towards the tea cup you are pouring into. A simple tilt of the wrist should pour out a quick, consistent stream of flavorful green tea. The teapot should not spill, allowing you to ensure that all the precious tea ends up in the tea cup and not burning your fingers are ruining your table.
This is where skill comes into play. When you pour the gaiwan, you actually need to position the lid slightly off to create a gap between the lid and the bowl. This gap essentially becomes your filter, and you can set it to be narrower or wider depending on the type of tea you are preparing.
If you are preparing a larger leaf tea with your gaiwan, you can set a wider aperture between the lid and the bowl and get a much faster, more consistent pour. This is why the gaiwan works really well for larger leaf teas, as it allows the tea brewer to control how fast they want to pour and how much leaf material they want to let in. You may find that you actually want to allow some pieces of leaf material into the infusion, to create a richer and slightly more powerful flavor.
When it comes to preparing smaller leaf teas, you may run into some issues with the gaiwan. You will want to set a very tight aperture between the lid and the bowl to sift out the small leaf particles, but if you set it too tight it will take forever to pour. With a gaiwan, you typically want very fast infusions, so if the pour is too long it can be problematic. If the leaves stay in contact with the water for too long, the tea will over brew and become bitter.
The lid of the shiboridashi vs gaiwan is quite similar, a flat design with a small button on top. This does not necessarily mean that the finger position is the same, in fact it is quite different.
With the gaiwan, you will want three points of contact. Two fingers on either side of the gaiwan and one finger or knuckle on top. There are a few variations to this, but this is the basic idea. This is due to the fact that the sides and the top of the gaiwan are typically the coolest, and the base is the hottest, and can even burn your fingers if you touch it.
When you prepare gyokuro tea in a shiboridashi, you are using incredibly low temperature water, between 50-60 degrees. This means that you don’t need to worry about burned fingers, and you can pour with only 2 points of contact. Place 4 fingers at the base of the teapot and your thumb on top. This is a similar finger position to holding a sandwich, so the motion is much more familiar.
One use case for the gaiwan is actually to crush the dried tea leaves as you prepare them. This style of chazhou brewing originated as a way to extract more flavor from the leaves. This is discouraged for Japanese green tea, but sometimes encouraged for oolong teas. Oolong teas tend to have a perfumy, floral flavor in the first 2 infusions and only play on the heavier notes in the later infusions. A way to combine these two into a flavorful early infusion is by crushing the leaves slightly, which reveals more of the body of the tea.
There is a big difference in the filtering of the shiboridashi vs gaiwan. As we mentioned before, the shiboridashi actually does not have a filter. It is up to the person pouring the tea to filter out the leaves by positioning the lid and the bowl a certain way and holding it there.
With the shiboridashi, you get these subtle notches carved into the teapot that allow water to pass through, while still keeping the larger leaves in the teapot. Furthermore, the Shiboridashi that we have found includes a full mesh clay filter that works perfectly when it comes to filtering out smaller leaves like those found in sencha. If you need a proper filter when you are preparing tea, the gaiwan is not for you.
This is actually a similarity between the shiboridashi vs gaiwan. Both of these pieces of teaware do not have a handle, you just hold the teapot and pour it directly. This allows you a bit more freedom with how you pour, but it makes the finger position and pouring technique more important.
You can shop for Shiboridashi on our website. We offer two types of Shiboridashi: one with a cup and the other without it. All our teaware are handcrafted by small Japanese artisans.
Our Tokoname Shiboridashi can’t be beat when it comes to brewing super flavorful cups of Gyokuro and sencha tea. The first thing you will notice when you look at this teapot is it’s much flatter shape, and it’s minimalist design. The tokoname shibooridashi is hand sculpted out of clay, and instead of a clay filter carved into the base, it has a few small notches towards the spout.
The shiboridashi tea set comes with the shiboridashi teapot as well as 2 small gyokuro cups. When you drink gyokuro, you are meant to savor not only the taste, but also the texture of the tea. When you serve tea in small quantities like this, it forces you to slow down and savor every drop. The best way to create this experience is by using the shiboridashi teapot to brew the tea and serving it in the gyokuro tea cups.
When comparing the shiboridashi vs gaiwan, it is difficult to say whether one is better or worse. There are certain advantages and disadvantages of each one, and it all comes down to what kind of tea you will be preparing.
If you prefer larger leaf teas like chinese green teas, oolong tea and black tea, the gaiwan is likely the better choice. If you prefer premium Japanese green teas like gyokuro and sencha, the shiboridashi is really going to hep you produce these rih, flavorful infusions.
When it comes to matcha green tea powder, you may need a bit more tools than with other green teas. While these tools like the matcha whisk and matcha bowl may seem intimidating at first, once you get used to them you will find it easy to prepare a bowl of matcha tea at home. With these tools, you can recreate the japanese tea ceremony yourself. Let’s briefly discuss the tools you may want to consider getting for your matcha tea set.
The bamboo matcha whisk is perhaps the most important and hardest to replace tool in the matcha tea set. This is something you may be familiar with because of its use in the japanese tea ceremony. This matcha whisk is made out of a single piece of bamboo, and it is carefully carved to become the ultimate matcha making tool. If you invest in one tool for matcha preparation, it should be the chasen or matcha whisk. You will notice a huge improvement in the taste and texture of your matcha tea after using this for even a few matcha tea sessions. Maintaining this matcha whisk is easy, just make sure you soak it for a few seconds before using it and rinse it after you're done. This will keep it clean and prevent it from breaking.
The matcha bowl is another important utensil to have in your matcha tea sets. This is also something you will see if you ever take part in a japanese tea ceremony. This may look like an ordinary bowl, but it has a few key design features that make it easier to prepare matcha tea. The bowl tends to be more cylindrical, with steeper sides that allow you to whisk the matcha tea in rapid zigzag motions without spilling. The matcha bowl or chawan is also made out of thick heavy clay. This helps to convey a sense of importance, but also serves a practical purpose as well. The clay matcha bowl retains a lot of heat, so as long as it is preheated before preparing the matcha tea it will keep the drink warm for a long time. It can even warm your hands on a cold day.
This is the bamboo spoon used to scoop the matcha powder. While this tool isn’t necessary to have, it can make a nice addition to matcha tea sets and it also comes for free in a lot of the matcha tea bundles, so it should be easy to get one. If you don’t have this bamboo matcha spoon, you can use a regular spoon but it may be slightly harder to scoop the matcha powder. The benefit of the chashaku is that it has a more vertical shape so it works well for scooping out of deeper containers like matcha tins. It also works surprisingly well as a measurement tool, and in the Japanese tea ceremony the tea master will simply use 2 large scoops of the chashaku for each bowl of matcha, which comes out to approximately 2 grams of matcha green tea powder.
This is another optional addition to the matcha set, but one that can make all the difference when it comes to the taste and consistency of your matcha tea. Because matcha green tea powder is ground super fine, it begins to form clumps as soon as it is exposed to the humidity in the air. This may seem like not such a big deal, but the clumps of matcha powder really do not mix well into the water. The best way to fix this is to just run the matcha green tea powder through a sifter beforehand. This will ensure that the matcha powder mixes evenly into the water and a nice foam is created.
The kyusu teapot is the best tool for brewing Japanese green tea. Japanese tea has a very specific set of brewing parameters, and the Japanese teapots are designed to unlock the full potential of the leaves.
There are a couple of different benefits to using a teapot. The first is that it allows the leaves enough space to expand and fully release their flavors into the water. Teapots are designed to have a wider base to make sure that they don’t cramp the leaves at the bottom while they are brewing. The clay itself can have an impact on the flavor as well. Serious tea drinkers report having an improved umami flavor when they prepare Japanese green tea with unglazed clay. Because the clay is porous, you can also “season” a teapot over a period of time so that the flavor is enhanced when preparing the same type of tea.
You can use other types of teapots, such as those used for Chinese green teas, but there may be a few drawbacks. One example is the filter. Chinese teas tend to be made from larger leaves, so the holes in the clay filter tend to be larger than those of a Japanese teapot. This will allow some of the smaller leaves to pass through the filter and into your cup.
Japanese green teas are typically drunk out of small clay tea cups called “yunomi”. These are perfect for sharing tea with friends, but when it comes to daily drinking, we like to recommend drinking japanese green tea out of double walled glasses. This not only provides insulation for the tea, but it also adds an additional aspect to the drinking experience. You can clearly see the color of the tea infusion through the clear glass. Overtime, you can learn to associate the appearance of the infusion with the flavor of the tea, and get to know it as you brew it. Sometimes the tea will become a bit darker in color and be more bitter. Other times you will notice that the infusion is cloudy and sweet. These different cues are important to pick up on when it comes to mastering each different type of Japanese green tea.
After the kyusu teapot and the tea cups, the only other thing you may want to add to your japanese teapot set is a container for tea storage. While loose leaf teas like sencha can be pretty stable for weeks or even months, if you are planning on having a pack of tea open for more than a few months, you may want to make sure you are storing it the proper way. Just keep the tea leaves sealed in an airtight container, away from light, heat and humidity. If you like to have a lot of different types of teas opened at a time, it may be worth investing in a few of these double sealed metal tins for your tea storage.
Many people search for a japanese cast iron teapot set but this is actually something we do not recommend. While the cast iron teapot is something you often see being used in pictures, it’s actually not a good tool for preparing tea. First of all, it is very heavy and makes the tea brewing process a hassle. Also the teapots tend to be too large and Japanese green tea is meant to be prepared with a small amount of water to concentrate the flavor. When it comes to the japanese cast iron teapot set, it’s better off just avoiding it and sticking to the classic kyusu teapot.
Gyokuro is similar to sencha in many ways and as a result the tools can be used interchangeably. The only difference is that in high end tea shops, you may see a different japanese teapot set being used to prepare this premium leaf tea. The two other types of teapot sets we will cover are the Shibooridashi and the Houhin
This is considered the ultimate japanese teapot set for Gyokuro. The design of this teapot is extremely flat, and on first glance it may look more like a saucer than a teapot. This design makes it easy to use a lot of leaves and very little water. When you are preparing Gyokuro tea for daily drinking, the ratio of 5 grams of leaves and 150ml of water works great, but if you are preparing Gyokuro for special occasions, you may want to use a bit less water. At high end tea shops, you may see the tea master use as much as 10 grams of leaves and 50ml of water. The leaves are laid down at the base of the shibooridashi and the water is drizzled over it. The result is an extremely concentrated shot of Gyokuro tea.
This is another good japanese teapot set for Gyokuro. The Houhin is designed to accommodate more leaves and less water just like the Shibooridashi. Unlike the side-handled kyusu teapot, the houhin does not have an additional handle, just a spout and a top. When tea masters use this teapot, they have three points of contact with the porcelain. Two fingers on the side of teapot and one on top of the lid. This keeps the hand from getting too hot when pouring the tea.
There are many benefits to using a kyusu in your japanese teapot set. The reason we recommend using the side handled kyusu teapot over the other teapots mentioned earlier is because the handle makes preparation much easier. The clay side handle is hollow, so it stays cool even when there is hot water inside. This makes it much easier and more comfortable to pour the tea. The side handle is also designed to make the tea preparation more graceful. This side handle allows for more refined movements. Instead of using your entire arm to pour the tea, you can pour out the infusion with just a simple turn of the wrist. This is very important to the aesthetics of Japanese green tea.
You can use a japanese cast iron teapot set or a tea strainer to prepare tea, but these tools tend to produce weaker or more watered down teas. If you really want to concentrate the rich flavor profiles that Japanese green teas are known for, its best to go for the clay kyusu teapot.
We have tried preparing matcha tea with many different tools, and none seems to work better than the bamboo matcha whisk. Not only is the movement quieter and more refined, but it also produces more foam when compared to a metal whisk. This foam not only makes the matcha look nice, but it also gives it a creamier texture and taste.
If you would like to try a bunch of different kinds of matcha tea and get all the teaware you need to prepare them, you should try this bundle here. This bundle includes 21 different types of matcha tea from all over Japan, as well as a matcha whisk, matcha bowl and matcha spoon. With this set, you get everything you need to start exploring the world of matcha tea!
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