Our list of the top 20 best matcha powders of all time is finally available! 🏆🍵
There are many different types of matcha powder out there, meaning that for every occasion, there is a perfect matcha tea.
In this ranking, we are going to break down 20 different ceremonial matcha and explain how good each of them are and for what occasion.
Without further ado, let's get ranking 🙌
How Did we Find The Best Matcha Powder?
Before we get into the best matcha powder, let's talk about how we came up with the ranking.
To create this list, we are using reviews created by the Nio Teas Team.
After traveling around Japan over the course of many years, we have tasted all sorts of matcha in different tea growing regions, to come up with a list of the very best.
We have also incorporated public opinion, with the higher ranking matchas appealing to more people than the lower ranked ones.
Finally, we are taking the unique growing regions and sub categories for the matcha into consideration.
Matcha that is intended to serve different purposes such as baking, lattes and tea ceremonies will be evaluated separately.
Without any further delay, let’s get started with our ranking of the top 20 best matcha powder!
Watch the Video About the Top 20 Best Matcha Powders
#20 Entry level Matcha Latte from Shizuoka
When you are making a matcha green tea latte, you don’t need to go for a premium matcha.
In fact, the more premium matchas, which are designed to be smooth and naturally sweet, have less flavor when they are combined to the plant based milk in the latte. Instead, you can use a cheap matcha that has a strong flavor to it like the Basic latte grade matcha.
For the best matcha powder for baking, you really don’t need to stress too much. When you bake things like cookies and cakes, you are using so much cream and sugar, it matters very little the quality of matcha you use.
You just want to have one that is produced without the use of pesticides or chemicals, and for that you can go for the basic latte grade matcha. This has a strong flavor to it so you should be able to taste the matcha no matter how many extra ingredients you add to it.
#19 Best Matcha Powder for Latte from Shizuoka
We found out that the standard Latte Matcha from Mr. Masuda in Shizuoka makes one of the best matcha lattes for a very affordable price.
If you want to go one step up from the Basic latte grade matcha, you can try the standard latte grade matcha. Like the previous cheap matcha this matcha is made from a later harvest so it is too bitter to drink plain, but it works great in a matcha latte.
To find the best matcha powder for lattes, you can look at the standard latte grade matcha. The less cream and sugar you plan on adding to your matcha, the more important the quality of the matcha powder becomes.
If you are baking, you are adding so many ingredients you can really go for a cheap matcha like the basic latte matcha. When you are making a matcha latte, you may want to go one step higher and get the standard latte grade matcha.
This one is just a bit smoother so you won’t have to add too much sugar to your latte. Like all of the other matchas on this list, this matcha powder was also produced without the use of chemicals or pesticides.
#18 Best affordable Matcha Powder Grown in Shizuoka region
Up in the mountains of Shizuoka, the Osada family works hard to craft a wide assortment of different Japanese green teas.
Here they work with a few different small farmers to produce green tea on a larger scale without compromising on quality.
These farmers are committed to growing tea without the use of pesticides or chemicals, earning themselves the nickname “the organic village”.
When we met with the osada family, we got a chance to try a few of their teas and really fell in love with a few of their matchas.
The matcha tea Kakitsubata from the Osada family is a very good matcha powder, but it’s made using the more astringent Yabukita cultivar.
The Yabukita is the most common tea cultivar in Japan and while it can be made into a delicious tasting teas, a lot of tea drinkers prefer a smoother and sweeter matcha. For this reason we will be ranking these yabukita matchas lower on the list. The Yabukita has a nice freshness to it with a citrusy finish, typical of a mountain tea.
#17 Best Affordable Matcha cultivated in Kyoto
Kyoto is where green tea was first cultivated in Japan, and still to this day it maintains a reputation for producing some of the world’s best matcha teas.
The title for best affordable matcha cultivated in Kyoto is the Kyoto Matcha from Masudaen. Mr. Masuda produces a large assortment of different matcha teas, and this is one of his better ones.
This matcha is grown in the area around Kyoto, which is the birthplace of Japanese green tea. Still to this day Kyoto is known for producing some of the best matcha and this one that bears its name is a great representation of that quality.
#16 Best Yabukita Matcha from Asamiya
At number 16 we have the matcha tea Asamiya Yabukita. Asamiya in Shiga prefecture is known for producing some of the best matcha in all of Japan.
This matcha is very good and it’s made from the Yabukita cultivar, which gives it a slightly more astringent taste.
This matcha is quite well made, but as we mentioned before the Yabukita cultivar tends to be a bit more astringent for most people, so this is the reason it is not ranked higher.
#15 Best Sayamamidori Matcha Powder from Asamiya
To follow the Yabukita matcha, we also have a Sayamamidori matcha from the same region of Asamiya.
The sayamamidori cultivar is quite a rare tea plant variety.
Although it was registered the same year as Yabukita, it is nowhere near as popular. It produces a nice green color and a pleasant aroma.
Did you know that you can differentiate a good from a bad matcha based on colour? Do you want to master this technic? Than read our article 👉 How to Differentiate Good From Bad Matcha with the Matcha Colors.
#14 Best affordable Matcha Powder from Uji
If you’re looking for the best affordable matcha powder, you may want to search for one of the Yabukita matchas.
Yabukita is the most popular cultivar for matcha powder in Japan, which makes it the least expensive as well.
These yabukita tea plants are designed to tolerate the colder winters in Central Japan and they produce a slightly more bitter taste profile.
On the more positive side, these Yabukita tea plants are easier to maintain and can be used to produce affordable matcha powder. A premium yabukita matcha is a great choice if you are trying to save a bit of money, but it still delivers the taste of some of the more high end matcha.
Mr. Takada at Chanoka makes some of the best matcha powder, and the Chanoka Yabu Matcha is no exception.
Although it is from the more common Yabukita cultivar, the producer has found a way to make it smoother and less astringent. This leads to a more well-rounded drinking experience, while still offering that strength some people look for in a matcha.
If you want to learn more about Uji matcha, we made a complete guide 👉 What is Uji Matcha and Why is it the Most Famous Tea?
#13 The Best Matcha Powder from the Yabukita Cultivar grown in Wazuka
Wazuka is a small town outside of Kyoto where Mr. Nakai and his family live. A few years ago, we traveled to Kyoto to meet with Mr. Nakai and taste a few of his matchas.
We learned that Mr. Nakai’s father was one of the people responsible for designing the JAS logo so it’s clear that his family has a long history in the Organic Japanese green tea industry.
We got to try a few of his green teas during our visit, and settled on a few matchas that we really enjoyed.
The matcha Seisui is the final Yabukita matcha on this list. This tea finds a way to master these vegetal and citrusy taste profiles that Yabukita is known for, without being too overpowering.
Because of the strength of this matcha, it still works well in a matcha latte, although it is good enough to drink plain as well.
#12 Best Premium Matcha Blend from Shibushi
Our travels through southern Japan brought us to the small town of Shibushi, where we met the legendary Mr. Sakamoto.
Mr. Sakamoto is the best Gyokuro farmer we have met, so it’s no surprise that he also produces some of the best matcha powder as well.
High end matcha and Gyokuro share similar production steps, but matcha needs to be ground into a fine powder in a large granite mill. After recently purchasing a few of these mills, Mr. Sakamoto is now able to produce some excellent matcha powder, and we are happy to add it to our assortment.
The Sakamoto Hime Matcha is his second highest grade of matcha powder, made from a blend of different tea cultivars.
#11 Best Matcha Blend made by a Gyokuro Farmer - Grown in Shibushi
The Sakamoto Sae matcha is the high end matcha entry made from Mr. Sakamoto.
It is made using the Saemidori cultivar, typically reserved for only the best matcha and gyokuro.
This cultivar is light and sweet, which can be a huge asset when it comes to matcha, a tea that can easily overwhelm the palate.
When prepared right, the Sakamoto sae matcha has a light and airy texture and a naturally sweet taste.
#10 Best Uji Matcha Powder from the Okumidori Cultivar
Uji is a town near by Kyoto that is nearly synonymous with green tea.
When tea seeds were brought back from China, they were originally planted on the grounds of Kyoto’s Kozanji temple, where tea could be cultivated and used by the monks during long periods of meditation.
Green tea cultivation eventually migrated south, making Uji the hotbed for matcha production for hundreds of years.
Uji still carries this legacy of premium quality green tea, and many tourists come here just to explore Japanese tea history and culture.
Kicking off the top 10 best matcha powder is the Uji Matcha Chanoka Okumidori. This matcha is made from the Okumidori cultivar, which you will be seeing more of in future entries.
The Okumidori matcha is a smoother cultivar, giving this tea a rounder and more full-bodied flavor. As a result, it’s no wonder that this cultivar is reserved for some of the best matcha.
#9 Best Premium Matcha Powder from the Rare Gokou Cultivar - Grown in Shizuoka
The matcha koiai is another matcha powder from the Osada family in Shizuoka, but instead of being made from the common Yabukita cultivar, this one is made from the rare Gokou cultivar.
This cultivar is famous for its powerful savory flavor, which is something a lot of matcha connoisseurs look for in the best matcha powder.
This high end matcha is a perfect way to get to know this unique savory or umami flavor that Japanese green teas are known for.
#8 Best Premium Matcha for a fraction of the price - Grown in Kirishima
In March of 2019, we traveled from Tokyo to southern Japan to meet with a handful of Japanese tea farmers.
The first farmer on our list was Mr. Henta. Mr. Henta tends to a relatively small plot of land, but he has been able to successfully grow 8 different tea plant varieties, and seems to be able to find the perfect one to match each occasion.
To make his best matcha powder, the matcha henta, he selects the Saemidori cultivar, the lighter and sweeter tea variety we mentioned earlier.
The matcha henta has become quite popular, with many people praising it for its light sweetness and smooth round finish.
#7 Best Matcha for Beginners - Grown in Kyoto
When you are looking for the best matcha powder for beginners, we have to recommend the Noike Matcha.
As we mentioned before, while this is a affordable matcha it is made from the Okumidori cultivar which is normally reserved for high end matcha.
$This makes this tea produced by Mr. Noike taste like a high end matcha but at half the cost.
The Noike matcha is so high on our list because while it’s a super smooth matcha, it’s also an affordable matcha.
Because this matcha is made from the smooth Okumidori cultivar, it is capable of going head to head with a high end matcha.
This tea is made by Mr. Noike, a talented farmer outside of Kyoto that does some really great work.
#6 Best Premium Matcha Powder Grown in Chiran
The next matcha on our list is the Chiran Premium Matcha.
Chiran is a small town in southern Japan that benefits greatly from the subtropical temperatures and fertile volcanic soils.
This is one of the many factors that makes the premium matcha from Chiran one of the best matcha powders.
#5 Best Uji Matcha Powder
The chanoka silver matcha is the third matcha produced by Mr. Takada in Uji, and it’s also likely his best matcha.
This matcha really strikes a balance between this strong matcha flavor and a well balanced smoothness.
You really get a heavy mouthfeel and a velvety consistency from this tea, which is quite unique.
#4 Best Versatility in a Matcha Powder - Grown in Shizuoka
When it comes to the best overall matcha powder, the Osada Okumidori matcha is a fierce contender.
This matcha powder is extremely unique and it encapsulates a lot of elements from other Japanese green teas.
This tea has the creaminess of a matcha, the savoriness of a Gyokuro and the roasted flavors of a hojicha.
It is very rare to find a tea that finds a balance between these taste profiles and the Osada Okumidori really pulls it off beautifully.
The Osada Okumidori matcha is another tea produced by the Osada family.
While most of the teas produced by Osada family, take on this slightly drier taste profile due to the rocky mountain soil they are grown in, this tea strikes a different tone.
This tea has a smooth sweetness to it and also a slightly roasted flavor, which is quite rare in a matcha. As we have mentioned before, the tea variety used to make this tea is really reserved for high end matcha.
#3 Best Matcha Powder from Kyoto
The Masudaen Superior Matcha is the most premium high end matcha from Mr. Masuda and it really does not disappoint!
This matcha powder has a bright green color to it and a ton of natural sweetness.
The price tag on this matcha is a bit on the higher side, but it is well worth it for this super sweet green matcha powder.
#2 Most Popular Matcha Powder - Grown in Wazuka
How could we not rank the matcha washimine this high on the list?
This has consistently been our most beloved matcha powder, and it is easy to see why people like it so much.
Like the Seisui, this matcha is made by the Nakai family in the area of Kyoto. Unlike the Seisui which is made out of the Yabukita cultivar, this matcha powder is made from the Okumidori cultivar.
This gives the tea a round and full-bodied flavor with no bitterness. If you would like to drink matcha, but are intimidated by these more bitter or grassy flavors, this could be the best matcha for you.
If you are looking for the best high end matcha powder and don’t care so much about the cost, you should definitely look for one of the matcha teas from Mr. Nakai.
This is one of the most talented matcha farmers we work with and he specializes in these super premium matchas like the matcha washimine and Nakai premium.
You really can’t go wrong when it comes to these teas, it just comes down to your price range.
#1 Best Matcha Powder - Grown in Wazuka
When it comes to the best matcha powder, we have to give it to the Nakai Superior Matcha.
The Matcha Washimine is by far our most popular matcha, but this is actually only the second best high end matcha produced by Mr. Nakai.
The Nakai Premium matcha is one step above even the Matcha Washimine, and where you really notice the difference is in the mouthfeel.
This matcha tea is thicker with a more velvety mouthfeel, while still remaining smooth and full-bodied.
It also has a much greener color to it, which isn’t always an indication of higher quality but it definitely helps to differentiate it.
What goes into Making the Best Matcha Powder?
So now that we've talked about the best matcha powder, let's talk about what goes into making the best matcha powder.
Cultivating the Best Matcha Powder
The best matcha powder comes from the best tea plants. A farmer will carefully select the type of matcha plant they produce based on what flavor profile they are trying to capture. While most matcha comes from the Yabukita cultivar, some of the best matcha powder comes from more rare cultivars like Saemidori and Okumidori.
3 weeks before these tea plants are going to be harvested, they are covered in a special type of netting called a Kabuse. This cuts the tea plants off from sunlight and allows the leaves to develop a smoother and sweeter flavor.
Harvesting the Best Matcha Powder
The next step in producing the best matcha powder comes down to the harvesting. The quality of a tea being produced will often depend on what leaves are selected, and the younger leaves are the highest in nutrients and the richest in flavor.
Matcha is made from these top 3 leaves but it can also include the two leaves beneath these 3. These leaves are then gathered up quickly and brought into the facility to be processed.
Processing the Best Matcha Powder
Finally, the best matcha powder needs to be carefully processed. Like all green teas, the leaves used to make matcha are heated in order to stop the oxidation process from taking place.
After they are steamed and dried they have their stems removed to improve the flavor even further. Finally, the leaves are ground into a fine powder in a large stone mill. It takes this mill a full hour just to produce 50 grams of the best matcha powder.
If you want to take a full tour of the matcha making process, this is the perfect article for you 👉 How is Matcha Made?
Where can you order these Matcha Powders?
After traveling around Japan in search of some of the best green tea produced without pesticides, we decided to combine all these rare matcha powders into one lovely set, the 20 matcha sampler.
This matcha sampler includes 20 different types of matcha tea, plus the clay tea bowl, the bamboo tea whisk and bamboo tea spoon.
This sampler makes for a great gift for the tea lover in your family, but it can also be a fun and engaging way to learn more about matcha tea.
These 20 matchas come from different farmers, different regions and different types of tea plants, and they all taste completely different.
You can use this as an opportunity to improve your palate and see which matcha tea you like best.
How to make matcha taste good?
There are 11 rules that you have to respect if you want your matcha to taste good.
Because there are so many different strategies you can use to make a better tasting bowl of matcha, we decided we would put them all together in one article.
Read the article 👉 How to make matcha taste good with 11 simple tips to learn how to do it!
Why is matcha so expensive?
What's the difference between cheap tea and expensive tea?
This is a question we get asked all the time and because so much goes into producing matcha tea, we find it difficult to answer in a sentence or two so we decided to write a whole article about it. The article is called 👉 Why is matcha so expensive? Explanation by Experts. But we can sum up this article with the 11 main reasons:
- Matcha only grows in specific geographic locations
- It has to come from the first harvest
- Extra man to shade the plants
- Shading process and why do you need to shade the plants?
- The plant has to survive 3 weeks without sunlight
- Hand plucking process
- Careful Leaf Selection
- Stems and veins of the tea leaves are removed
- Tea is ground with very expensive equipment
- The precious powder has to be perfectly packed
- The demand is higher than the supply
Does matcha gives you energy?
So does matcha gives you energy? Yes! If you want to learn more about the topic, we invite you to read the article 👉 "Does matcha gives you energy?".
To sum up eveything, caffeine has a stimulating effect on the body, while l-theanine has a more calming effect.
By combining the two, you get the most desirable elements of both, giving you a calm alert sensation throughout the day.
Matcha is also not known to give people a crash or jitters later on in the day.
