The 7 Best Matcha Powders, Taste-Tested and Reviewed

April Benshosan, M.S.
·19 min read

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Whether sipped or dusted over pastries, these matchas won us over.

<p>Courtesy of Brand</p>

Courtesy of Brand

Reviewed by Dietitian Brierley Horton, M.S., RD

Matcha, a finely ground powder made from specially cultivated green tea leaves called tencha, has deep roots in both Japanese and Chinese cultures. Traditionally enjoyed as a hot beverage as part of a tea ceremony, matcha's vibrant color, unique flavor and potential health benefits have propelled it to popularity in the Western world.

"As a dietitian specializing in brain health, I’m a fan of green tea for its immediate focus-boosting benefits from caffeine and amino acid L-theanine, and because its polyphenols help pump the brakes on brain aging longer term," says Maggie Moon, MS, RD, brain health nutrition expert for MIND Diet Meals.

To help you find the best matcha powder, we spoke to a registered dietitian who's well-versed in all things green tea on what to look for in a quality matcha as well as taste-tested popular brands. Whether you're looking for a coffee substitute to sip on in the morning or a powder you can add to homemade baked goods, these are the best matcha powders on the market.

Our Matcha Powder Recommendations

Best Overall: Encha Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha Green Tea

<p>Amazon</p>

Amazon

What we like: It's certified organic and free of pesticides, toxic metals and radiation, which is confirmed by third-party testing.

What to know: Its flavor may be overpowering to some.

Encha's matcha is labeled as ceremonial grade and organic, and it’s perfect for sipping on its own mixed with hot water or transforming into a creamy latte. Encha tea is ground from tender, first-harvest leaves that hail from a farm in Uji, Japan. This region sits between Kyoto and Nara and boasts the perfect climate for growing tencha leaves: Hot, sunny summers and cold winters. Matcha from Uji, Japan, is some of the most reliably sourced, Moon says, so you can feel confident that Encha's product upholds traditional matcha cultivation and quality.

Each batch is free of synthetic fertilizers, GMOs or pesticides, and the result is a smooth, full-bodied matcha that's slightly grassy. We love that the brand third-party-tests its matcha for radiation and toxic heavy metals per California's strict Prop 65 limit, and all of the results can be found on the website for full transparency.

This Encha matcha has a smooth, quintessentially grassy flavor that’s subtly sweet. While the flavor may be slightly overpowering to those who are new to matcha, we think it makes a stellar overall pick.

Origin: Uji, Japan | Grade: Ceremonial | Flavor Profile: Robust, smooth, grassy

Also Great: Kenko Organic Matcha Premium Ceremonial Grade

<p>Amazon</p>

Amazon

What we like: It's organic, grown in one of the best matcha-cultivating regions in Japan and boasts a balanced flavor.

What to know: Its flavor is milder than other teas, which could serve as a good beginner-friendly option.

According to Moon, Kenko's matcha powder is certified USDA Organic and grown in the Nishio region of southern Japan, where some of the best matcha is cultivated. This premium pick is made with younger, delicate, slightly sweet tencha leaves that are sorted out and stone-ground on granite mills. Each batch you purchase has been processed only within the last month, which ensures the product you're getting is fresh in terms of taste and aroma.

In our taste tests, we found this to be one of the more vegetable-forward powders in terms of aroma, and it boasted a deeper jade hue. This matcha gave off a sweet scalded-milk middle note upon first sniff and a more yeast-doughnut scent when pre-whisked. Combined with water, this matcha remained fairly light in scent but bloomed in flavor, offering a balanced daintiness of brewed tea, taffy flavor and smooth, medium-bodied texture.

Origin: Nishio, Japan | Grade: Ceremonial | Flavor Profile: Medium-bodied, taffy

Best Value: Kimikura Kagoshima Organic Matcha

<p>Amazon</p>

Amazon

What we like: It's made in internationally recognized and certified factories, tested for contaminants and offers a delicate flavor that's great for beginner matcha drinkers.

What to know: Flavor is more on the delicate side (but not bland!).

This matcha powder hails from Kagoshima, Japan, and is certified organic by Japanese standards. It's graded by the company as "ceremonial," by which they mean it is made with the first flush, or the first leaves that are picked during harvest. Kimikura's factories are certified per international standards for food safety management systems, and the matcha is tested for radioactivity, pesticide residue and contamination. You can score a 1-ounce tin for $18 on the company's website, or if you're an avid matcha drinker, opt for the 3.5-ounce value pack for under $30.

We found Kimikura to be a pastel-toned, vanilla-scented matcha powder that resulted in a lighter-tasting and textured final brew. When made with hot water, the resulting tea had more white chocolate notes, with just a hint of herbal greens like chrysanthemum. The flavor of this matcha was one of the most delicate but not bland; it offered just enough of a creamy, well-rounded consistency on the tongue to make the drink satisfying.

Origin: Kagoshima, Japan | Grade: Ceremonial | Flavor Profile: Mild, creamy

Best Splurge: Ippodo Tea Co. Ummon Matcha

<p>Amazon</p>

Amazon

What we like: It has a rich and robust flavor that scored major points in our taste test.

What to know: The Ummon blend is rich and a bit astringent, so people who aren't used to drinking matcha may find the flavor profile a bit overpowering.

The Ippodo Ummon matcha hails from the mountains of Kyoto Prefecture, which gets just the right amount of sunshine and rainfall to produce quality tea. Ippodo's internal team blends matcha powder to offer a variety of options for any occasion. This is one of their more robust blends, which their president recommends preparing a "little on the strong side so that you can feel its full impact."

While this tea isn't organic, Japan tightly regulates the use of pesticides and fertilizers, setting strict limits on residue in the final product and the allowable amounts for tea fields. Additionally, Ippodo's tea is third-party-tested for contaminants. The brand also started testing its teas for radioactive compounds after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, which caused a tsunami that damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and released radioactive material. Ippodo tested its teas for about a decade after the disaster to confirm they were free of radioactive contaminants.

This was one of the more expensive matcha powder options in our taste test, but we felt it was worth the price tag. Ippodo's matcha is an emerald-hued powder that smells dewy and bright, like stepping outside after a cleansing rain. We got a lingering hint of birthday cake on the nose, an ode to the complexity of this matcha. After mixing, the green tea scent became more pronounced, tempered with a cocoa-butter-like aroma. The flavor is robust, with a sweet, milky flavor and a bit more heft than the other powders we sampled.

Origin: Kyoto, Japan | Grade: Ceremonial | Flavor Profile: Robust, rich, milky

Best for Versatility: Midori Spring Gold Organic Ceremonial Super Premium Matcha

<p>Amazon</p>

Amazon

What we like: This beginner-friendly matcha boasts a neutral taste that works well on its own as well as in cooking and baking.

What to know: It might be too light and mild-tasting for those who prefer a richer, robust matcha.

This Midori Spring matcha powder is considered ceremonial, so it's suitable for drinking on its own as tea. But it's also great when combined with milk for lattes and when scooped into batters for cookies, muffins or cakes (like this matcha castella cake, for instance). It's kosher and certified organic by both Japanese and U.S. standards, and it's tested several times a year for heavy metals and radiation.

In our tests, we found this powder to be a medium-toned, flat green when dry, and when swirled with water, it forms a dark army-green liquid that emits a strong green tea scent. Upon tasting, though, it's surprisingly neutral and is fairly light when it comes to mouthfeel and weight. Of the matchas we tasted, this is a versatile option with a simple flavor profile that can be used for any occasion, beverages or otherwise.

Origin: Kagoshima, Japan | Grade: Ceremonial | Flavor Profile: Light, mild

Best for Lattes: Chalait Everyday Ceremonial Grade Matcha

<p>Amazon</p>

Amazon

What we like: It has a naturally milky flavor profile that complements lattes well.

What to know: We couldn't find any info about whether this matcha is tested for heavy metals or radiation. 

Chalait makes for a deliciously satisfying matcha latte that'll make you look forward to waking up early. Chalait was started by a wife-and-husband team that sources their matcha through one-on-one relationships with farmers in Japan. This matcha is sourced from Uji, a region in Japan that Moon says is home to top-quality tea.

Chalait's Everyday Ceremonial Grade matcha is a medium-dark green powder that smells very slightly milky, with a well-rounded herbaceous note. Compared to the other matcha powders we sampled, this seemed best suited for a latte to highlight its milky notes and creamy mouthfeel. After being whisked with only hot water, this developed into a mellow, white chocolate and vanilla aroma with a surprising but pleasantly bitter (tannic) flavor alongside a medium weight on the tongue. Try pairing it with your favorite milk and drizzle in some honey or maple syrup if you prefer a bit of sweetness.

Origin: Uji, Japan | Grade: Ceremonial, culinary | Flavor Profile: Milky, tannic

Best Organic: Matcha Konomi Akira Organic Matcha Ceremonial Grade

<p>Amazon</p>

Amazon

What we like: This ceremonial-grade matcha is USDA-certified organic, so it's free of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers.

What to know: While organic matcha is preferable if you would rather stay away from these chemicals, it's worth noting that organic matcha powders usually taste less robust than non-organic varieties.

The Matcha Konomi Akira comes from Uji, Japan, and is certified organic by Japanese and U.S. standards. It is shade-grown for at least three weeks and is harvested in the spring (or first) harvest of tea during the year. We love that the brand tests its product for radiation and lead, and the results are posted on the website for transparency.

In our taste tests, we found that this jade-green matcha powder really jumps out of the can with its grassy, almost saline scent. Whisked with hot water, it produced a tea with only slightly milky notes—it had a robust, roasted green tea (almost oolong-like) scent. The final flavor and texture were slightly tannic (in a good way), with a smooth and lightweight mouthfeel and enough of a vegetal taste to keep things interesting. Of all the matchas we tasted, this was the best organic matcha powder of the bunch and a great well-rounded option.

Origin: Uji, Japan | Grade: Ceremonial | Flavor Profile: Vegetal, tannic

The Bottom Line: The Best Matcha Powders

We chose Encha Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha Green Tea (view at Amazon) as our number one matcha because it's certified organic, it has a robust flavor profile and it's third-party-tested for pesticides, toxic metals and radiation. The Kenko Organic Matcha Premium Ceremonial Grade (view at Amazon) is another great choice because it's organic, it's grown in one of the best matcha-cultivating regions in Japan and boasts a balanced flavor.

Choosing a Matcha Powder

Keep the following points in mind when shopping for matcha powders:

What's the Grade?

You may notice terminology such as "ceremonial," "premium," "cafe" or "culinary" to describe matcha. "These are marketing terms that can provide a useful way to think about how to use matcha powders with slightly different qualities, but they’re not universally recognized, consistent or regulated," Moon says. Though certain matchas are used for tea ceremonies, "ceremonial-grade" matcha doesn’t even exist in Japan, Moon says.

Generally speaking, a culinary or cafe-grade matcha will have a bolder flavor that can stand up to being mixed in with other ingredients, and a ceremonial or premium matcha tends to be more subtle and is intended for steeping in hot water to drink straight up.

How High Is the Quality?

Marketing terms like "culinary grade" or "ceremonial grade" can give you a peek into how the powder is best used, but you'll want to use your own senses to assess quality. Moon suggests looking for the following:

  1. Color: Good quality matcha tends to be a bright and rich green color. Dull and darker colors can mean the matcha is old or wasn't grown, processed or stored well.

  2. Smell: The aroma should be vegetal and grassy, rounded out with creamy or nutty notes.

  3. Consistency: Matcha powder should feel fine, like powdered sugar or cornstarch—but don't worry about small clumps.

  4. Taste: Decide what is right for you to drink straight versus what you'll use in recipes. Some people prefer a less bitter matcha for drinking on its own and a more intensely flavored matcha for recipes (like baking) and lattes.

"Get to know different brands and the range of matcha powders they offer, paying attention to their marketing terms," Moon says. "Once you find what you like, looking for these marketing terms combined with brands you trust will be a good shortcut to consistently getting matcha powder you enjoy."

Where Is the Place of Origin?

"The largest producers of matcha are China, where it originated, and Japan, where it became an important part of the culture and from where it was popularized to the West," Moon says. "Good quality matcha can be found from both countries, but it may be more reliably sourced from Japan, especially from the regions of Uji, Shizuoka and Nishio."

How Will You Be Using It?

Matcha powder can be used straight for a hot or cold tea, mixed into lattes and smoothies (or even smoothie bowls), or added into baked goods and confections such as breads, muffins, doughnuts, cookies, cakes, icing, truffles, scones and more, Moon says. "It’s also a nice touch to finish a dish made with matcha with an additional dusting of the powder."

To make a serving of matcha, you'll need to first sift the powder to prevent clumping. Then, pour in about 2 ounces of near-boiling water and whisk it vigorously in a zigzag (not circular) motion until it foams. Top it off with an additional half-cup of hot water for tea or steamed milk for a latte.

Is It a Good Value for the Price?

Ceremonial-grade matcha is usually a bit pricier than culinary-grade matcha. However, price isn't always reflective of quality. Instead, focus on the color of the matcha and where it's sourced, which are two factors more indicative of a matcha powder's quality.

Our Search for the Best Matcha Powder

To find the best matcha powders, we spoke to a registered dietitian who's well-versed in green tea and matcha on what to look for in a quality powder in terms of taste, aroma, color, origin and grade. We also taste-tested popular brands, taking note of their scent when dry and prepared, as well as their flavor notes when mixed with hot water.

Common Questions

What is matcha, exactly?

Matcha is a finely milled green tea powder made from a particular type of green tea called tencha. Tencha originates from the same plant as all teas—Camellia sinensis—but is shade-grown to encourage chlorophyll to color the leaves a darker green. After harvest, the leaves are steamed, laid out flat to dry, deveined, stemmed and slowly stone-ground to produce the final powder. Unlike other green teas, where the leaves are steeped in hot water and then strained out, matcha is whisked into hot water and is integrated as part of the final beverage.

What’s the difference between matcha and green tea?

Matcha is often confused with green tea, and they have a lot in common—but they're not the exact same product. "They come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, and have similar bioactives, but have different growing and processing practices that result in different coloring, levels of bioactives and taste," Moon says. So, matcha is a kind of green tea, but not all green tea is matcha.

"The most obvious difference is that matcha is a fine powder that is consumed in its entirety, while other green tea is loose-leaf, and we only consume the water it has infused," Moon says. Matcha is grown in the shade before harvesting, which is why it's deemed "shade-finished," while other green teas have more sun exposure. The time in the shade produces more chlorophyll and theanine, which is why matcha tastes less bitter than green tea, Moon says.

Compared to green tea, matcha is greener, more aromatic and higher in amino acids and caffeine, and it has three times the catechins once bloomed in hot water.

What are the health benefits of matcha powder?

There are more than 35,000 studies on green tea, but only about 50 specifically on matcha, per a 2021 report in Applied Sciences. But because they come from the same plant, it’s reasonable to think that benefits will be similar—or greater—with matcha, Moon says.

"One caution is that people should be aware of [matcha’s] higher caffeine content and adjust their intake as appropriate," Moon says.

That said, research specifically on matcha shows benefits for:

  • Cognition: A handful of recent randomized controlled trials in the 2023 issue of Current Research in Food Science suggest matcha improves memory and attention, enhances cognitive performance under stress and reduces signs and symptoms of anxiety, Moon says. Results from these small studies were sometimes mixed, so more human trials are needed to confirm the findings. What’s promising is that animal studies support the positive findings—they consistently found that matcha reduced stress, improved memory, lowered oxidation and slowed down brain aging, Moon says. "Matcha’s antioxidant EGCG and amino acid theanine can both cross the blood-brain barrier where they can interfere with plaque formation in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and enhance mood, respectively," says Moon. The brain is vulnerable to oxidative stress, so matcha’s antioxidant capacity may help protect the brain from cognitive impairment related to oxidative damage.

  • Cardiometabolic health: Matcha intake consistently offers cardiometabolic benefits for weight, cholesterol, blood glucose and inflammation, according to animal studies. "Though it’s preferable to see results from human clinical trials, these animal studies on matcha are complemented by a wide body of evidence that green tea in general helps lower cholesterol, maintains healthy blood sugar levels and even has a modest but significant weight loss effect," Moon says.

  • Anti-cancer properties: Matcha’s anti-cancer (antitumorogenesis) potential is interesting, though it has only been studied in a few in vitro studies on isolated breast cancer cells, per the 2023 study in Current Research in Food Science. These studies found that matcha hindered the growth of new cancer cells, possibly by interfering with cell proliferation through its antioxidant effects and by combating inflammation that contributes to cancer growth. Much more research in this area is needed before making clinical recommendations based on these findings, Moon says.

Does matcha powder have caffeine in it?

While the exact amount varies, matcha generally contains about 19 to 44 milligrams of naturally occurring caffeine per gram of powder, per a 2020 Molecules report. That's nearly double the amount in regular green tea, which averages about 11 to 25 milligrams of caffeine per gram. (A serving of matcha is 1 gram, or about a half teaspoon.)

For reference, a cup of coffee contains between 80 and 100 milligrams of caffeine, so matcha's caffeine content is about half of coffee’s, Moon says.

"Keep an eye out as many manufacturers will list a caffeine amount or range on the packaging," says Moon.

How do you use matcha powder?

To get the most out of your matcha, start by sifting it and then whisk it with water at a near-boiling temperature.

You can enjoy it mixed with hot water for a hot tea or serve it iced. Matcha is also great made into lattes and smoothies or added into baked goods and confections, such as bread, muffins, doughnuts, cookies, cakes, icing, truffles, scones and more, Moon says. You can even finish off your homemade baked goods with a dusting of matcha powder.

What are the types of matcha powders?

Terminology such as "ceremonial grade" and "culinary grade" aren't actually regulated or enforced—they're just marketing terms. However, matcha used to make a product labeled as ceremonial grade usually has a more subtle taste than culinary grade matcha, which has a bolder flavor that can stand up to being combined with other ingredients, Moon says.

Whichever "grade" of matcha you decide to go with, Moon suggests looking for powders that are bright green and cultivated in the Japanese regions of Uji, Shizuoka and Nishio.

Our Trusted Expertise

April Benshosan, M.S., has been reporting on nutrition, health and expert-recommended products from the start of her journalism career. Before freelancing full-time, she spearheaded the nutrition vertical at two popular, well-respected publications. In writing this article, she also interviewed Maggie Moon, MS, RD, brain health nutrition expert for MIND Diet Meals, on what to look for in a quality matcha powder.

An earlier version of this article was written by Jenny Dorsey, an award-winning professional chef, author, freelance writer and speaker working at the intersection of food and social justice. This piece contains some of her original reporting, as well as her tasting notes for six of the seven matchas.

This article was edited by Kayleigh Drake, a former full-time baker and current EatingWell commerce editor and contributor to publications such as Food & Wine, The Spruce Eats and Simply Recipes, and it was reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., RD, Senior Commerce Editor, who has 15 years of experience reporting, writing, and editing nutrition and health content.

Read the original article on Eating Well.