(Part 2) Best matcha tea according to redditors

this kind of thing

that particular package is 340g for $15, or about 22g/dollar. 100g is just an estimate on the quantity, you'll have to scale based on your batch size. 100g would be for a quite large batch (since OP was talking about party recipes). Say 100g for 2 boxes of store-bought brownie mix for a reasonable estimate of batch size. 50g for one box if you're just making for your family at home.

and yeah, the cost of the matcha is probably about as much as the cost of the rest of the ingredients combined. that's why it's the "special" brownies.

A nice stash. But have you thought about upgrading to loose leaf? It makes a world of difference. Even for the honeybush.

Early Grey

White Tea With Jasmine

Toasted Rice Green

Organic Chinese Green

Honeybush

Haha. So you know what I'm talking about!

I used to drink strictly rooibos until I found out about honeybush. I think it's sweeter tasting and it's cheaper than rooibos. The Davidsons rooibos that I buy used to be $15/pound but it's gone up to $23/pound. Probably because rooibos has gotten pretty popular the last few years.

Davidsons Honeybush is still down at $14/pound.

I buy online and I've found several sources where you can get 4 oz for roughly $20-$25.

Amazon

Artoftea.com

iGourmet

Mountainroseherbs.com

I haven't tried all of these but I do plan to. Currently I have the Art of Tea matcha and for a casual drinker it is of plenty decent quality.

I've used this one and this one from amazon. You just have to make sure it's actually all spearmint. A lot of store brands mix the mints, so check the back for that.

I have one cup a day. 1-2 tbsp is all you need for a big cup. Less if you're using a standard one, but mine are all giant Friends size lol.

I tried using an infuser, but always ended up with bits in my tea, so now I just use my ninja coffee maker with a filter for a single morning cup. You can make a whole pot and fridge it too if you'd prefer it cold. For me it replaced my morning coffee so it was easy getting into a habit with it.

No problem! I splurged and went with the DoMatcha on Amazon, but I think next time I'll try the SerendipiTea Matcha because it's less expensive.

It's bright and vibrant, and I've got it stored away in my fridge. I figured since I didn't have any tea canisters, I might as well get the pricey stuff first and reuse the canister.

$8? I don't think you will find it that cheap.

Cheapest I found:
http://www.amazon.com/Davidsons-Organic-Tea-Jasmine-16-Ounce/dp/B000SARJGK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377974305&sr=8-1&keywords=Davidsons+Jasmine

http://www.strandtea.com/Jasmine-with-Flowers.html

If you want to make matcha a daily habit, I highly recommend you try Marukyu Koyamaen Matcha.

Everybody that I recommend this to see matcha in a whole new light. Unfortunately, you will never be able to go back to any other brand. This is the matcha you bust out when Pope Francis visits your home and asks for matcha. Their Organic Gold, Tenju and Choan are divine. Ask any Japanese person which brand of Matcha is the best in Japan and they will say Koyamaen.

For your workhorse matcha, give Magus Brands Organic a shot. It is similar to the Organic Gold of Koyamaen, but with a more Kagoshima mellow vegetal taste to it. What does that mean? Gotta taste it for yourself :)

I've tried some of the ones from the oolong owl review, I don't think they're all available anymore.

I recently grabbed this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N27V9SV/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&th=1 I went for the ceremonial, pretty good, not terrible, not a bad price either. I might go for the culinary next time as I usually mix matcha with yerba mate.

Top two for matcha prepared the traditional way:

Encha Ceremonial
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XXQF4DB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PifLDbAEHF095

Ippodo Matcha - Rich - Ummon-no-mukashi (40g)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KYSOCE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TjfLDb5J1VRN6

The every day drinker prepared as a latte :

Organic Ceremonial Matcha (Emerald Class 100g)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WVNY0CI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KlfLDb8VK19QG

For lattes, I mix with coconut almond milk.

Thanks for the advice but I couldn't find this matcha anywhere unless this is the one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06Y5Z2CRX/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524131560&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Ujitawara+matcha&dpPl=1&dpID=41NeFaa5ZEL&ref=plSrch

I typed in ujitawara matcha on amazon and that came up. I think Ujitawara is the region in Japan where it's grown?

If you want strong, cheap tea, it'll be a black tea blend like Irish breakfast. These blends have an Assam base. Here is a $13/lb loose-leaf Assam, though I can't vouch for the quality. But honestly if you want convenience and strong flavor, you should just use tea bags. Here is Twinings, a widely available brand, at $24/lb. Here is Barry's at $12/lb.

You should also explore masala chai, black tea with spices. This stuff is $15/lb.

Also, loosen up on those financial reins! A cup of tea uses less than .1 oz tea leaves. Are you really going to draw the line at 9¢ for a cup of tea? I'll bet you were happy paying much more than that per cup of coffee! If you're willing to pay 25¢ for a cup of tea, that's a much more reasonable budget of $40/lb.

My favorite chai is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Davidsons-Tea-Bulk-Classic-16-Ounce/dp/B000SATICI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398223643&sr=8-1&keywords=davidson%27s+chai

Though, I haven't gotten to my Adagio chais yet so I might change my mind.

Ippodo matcha is supposedly high quality. I haven't tasted different matcha varieties, but I do like the taste of this one.

Matcha is good for a caffeine boost and supposedly better because in theory, you are consuming the entire leaf and will, therefore, reap all of the benefits. But, as other users have said, don't believe everything you read. Tea may have health benefits, but I just like to consume for enjoyment :)

And bagged matcha...ick.

While I haven't had this particular flavor from them, the Davidson's Teas I've had (probably ~8 or so at this point), have all been very good quality and an amazing value. They have a Mao Jian Jasmine green tea (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SARJGK) that I would probably recommend trying based purely on my previous experience with them.

This is close (with shipping, $20.08) Plus Nicky got me a mug the other day and I want to put this in it. Will you come over for tea?

You're so pretty. I'm a little bit in love with you. I want us to go on fantastic adventures together and everyone will be like, "Whoa. Those two are pretty."

I've found that I need the peppermint oil to be ungodly strong. I use loose leaf peppermint tea, 2 tbsp per cup with boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes.

I add some honey to it, to try to cover up the super strong peppermint flavor.

This one! It was the best deal per ounce by far and is just pure spearmint.

Here's a thread with several suggestions, and I can tell you what I've tried:

• Ito En Mugi-Cha (Japanese roasted barley tisane) – 1 liter tea bags that can be cold-brewed. This is the only mugi-cha that I've tried, so I couldn't say how it compares. But I enjoy it! 54 teabags for $8.59 link
  
• Davidson's Organics Earl Grey with Lavender – A bit rough for me to drink straight, but I enjoy it with (soy) milk. $14.61 for 16oz link
  
• A bunch of Harney teas are offered on Amazon. link

Amazon. /u/pkzilla? Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Davidsons-Tea-Bulk-Lavender-16-Ounce/dp/B000SANU7C/

I haven't found one in bags I like as much. But this is great and that enormous bag lasts forever.

If you're drinking it straight, you'll want a ceremonial grade, but if you're mixing it with anything (smoothie, latte, etc.) a "culinary grade" works better -- it will have a bolder flavor, and more bitterness (in a good way, like coffee). This one is a culinary grade subset they're calling "supplement grade" -- it has more antioxidants, and also tastes great in a smoothie or latte.

Mmm, I love tea for it's detox effects and for it's light, yummy flavor! White tea is my favorite for the antioxidants and health benefits! But it's pricier because it's so delicate and more difficult to collect! Hibiscus tea is less pricy and has a bold, amazing flavor! It's also red so it feels so exotic to drink!

To tea or not to tea!

Why not both matcha and cold brew? Recently tried Naoki's new cold brew jade blend. freaking refreshing. as others have said - put it in a bottle. shake it with ice cold water and it is delicious enough.

​

As for matcha advice - if you have some budget, go for ippodo. if not, try naoki superior matcha blend. decent value for money brand on amazon as far as I am concerned.

​

Is the caffeine necessary? I'm a fan of rooibos, which is naturally a little sweet and is uncaffeinated. Tazo's vanilla rooibos tea is SO GOOD. (Amazon link.) I drank it non-stop when I worked at Starbucks. It's nice with honey, but it's very good brewed at double strength and iced.

If you need caffeine, I like jasmine pearls iced. This might sound weird, but I prefer it a little weak. Jasmine pearls are kind of spendy and a few of them go a long way. So it's basically sweet scented water, not tea, but it's really refreshing when chilled. I have a [large tea ball](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007DHN32/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0007DHN32&linkCode=as2&tag=biscfortea-20">Mesh Tea Ball 3" Large), the kind intended to go in a pot rather than a cup, and I put maybe five pearls in it. I brew it in a 32-ounce jar, which is the right combination of big enough to brew in and small enough to drink from. I don't have a favorite brand of jasmine pearls. The cheaper stuff is lower quality, natch, but when it's iced I don't think you're going to mind.

I drink a blend of hibiscus and mint tea when it's hot out. My friend who'd been in the Peace Corps introduced it to me as wanjo, a drink from Gambia. He used to make it with a ton of sugar, but the sugar's not necessary. I pull the mint from my garden, the hibiscus comes from Amazon, and I use some stevia from my garden to soften the edge off the tartness without making it too sweet. You don't NEED the stevia, I just like it. It's refreshing as hell, minty, tart and naturally sweet. (Amazon link for the hibiscus.) I guess you could grow all of that in a garden if you've got the time and space, I would definitely do it if I could! The mint and stevia are fine in containers, I don't know about hibiscus plants.

Do you like gingery spicy things? Twinings Lemon and Ginger is wonderful. I don't like ascribing medical benefits to things that are really just tasty, but I drink it hot with a spoonful of honey when I'm feeling sick. It's soothing when hot, refreshing when iced. The ginger becomes peppery and bright, there's no lingering burn like you sometimes get with spicy things. For pure sweetness, Twinings Honeybrush Mandarin Orange is wonderful. I really like Twinings: it's universal enough you can find it in your local supermarket, cheap enough you can try new things without feeling like you're wasting money, and generally pretty high quality for tea bags.

Twinings Lady Grey is impeccable over ice, incidentally. I find Earl Grey gets bitter when chilled, but Lady Grey has a citrusy quality that translates nicely.

Bonus: okay, this isn't tea, but it involves dried petals. I can't find the recipe I've used in the past, but this is close-ish. Lavender-Hibiscus Lemonade. Get rid of most of the sugar.

potent medium oolong, nice display cut leaf;
http://www.amazon.com/Tie-Guan-Yin-Oolong-Tea/dp/B000IBODHC
using this for both tea broth and in cooking;
http://www.amazon.com/Maeda-En-Shiki-Matcha-green-powder/dp/B0007A0PWG
combine this 1:1 to a good chinese 5-spice mix;
http://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Spice-Powder-1-92-Ounce-Bottle/dp/B0001M10VA
rub into raw salmon steak or dark meat chicken, then broil - it's amazing.

I have Davidson's chamomile, ordered from Amazon. The quality is excellent and it is absurdly cheap for the amount received. The bag is HUGE, by the way.

Chamomile is one of my preferences for late night consumption, when caffeine's impact on alertness is undesirable. I don't believe its physiological effects are significant, but it's still a wonderful tisane and may provide mild relaxation.

$14 for 1 lb. of chamomile, free shipping over $35.

Is this what you're looking for?

Since you're new to the Matcha world, I recommend trying something less pricey to start off and see how you like it. Here are some more easily acquired ones that are still excellent.

• Maeda-En 'Universal Grade,' 1oz—$16.95 on Amazon

• Maeda-En 'Ceremonial Grade,' 1oz—$23.86 on Amazon

• DoMatcha Second Harvest 2.86oz—$31.76 on Amazon.

Those are much easier to get and still very good—especially the ceremonial grades. So, I'd recommend trying those first and then giving an Ippodo a go if they're not cutting it for you. I drink DoMatcha Second Harvest daily, and its good, but the difference between that and Maeda-En's ceremonial is still distinct enough that I notice a real difference. I haven't tried any from Ippodo, so I can't be of any help there.

I hope some of that was useful! :)

You can get regular grade matcha for as little as 20 bucks a pound on amazon, organic too. Ceremonial is the really epic japanese stuff that you whisk up and it is literal heaven.

https://www.amazon.com/Drink-Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder/dp/B011DMQRXW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1486484471&sr=8-4&keywords=culinary+grade+matcha+16+oz

https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Matcha-Ryori-16oz-Gluten-Free/dp/B01MRSDG39/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1486484471&sr=8-6&keywords=culinary+grade+matcha+16+oz

You can get less of the same type for the same price per ounce if you want. An ounce can last up to a month for a regular drinker. I get small amounts of ceremonial for special occasions and an all purpose everyday one which is the first amazon link.

That has lasted me a while and I still have most of it, at least 3/4 left for sure but I swear it's practically at the same level it was when I first opened it. Bottomless pit of matcha, a pound is, even for regular drinkers.

And it makes you reconsider artificial dye as a concept when you see just how green it is. You'd think leaves in peak season are green, but the chlorophyll and nutrients in matcha just make it over the top.

Incredibly good for you and nothing like kratom, but the tins are a great disguise for any green vein if a person who isn't a matcha expert wants to look in (TSA, customs, snoopy coworkers, the works). Just try it and see.