If you’re buying matcha powder for the first time, it’s hard to know where to start. Depending on how and where this Japanese green tea powder is grown and produced, it can vary widely in terms of taste and color, not to mention price.
Readers often ask me which matcha powder is the best, but here’s the thing: there isn’t one best matcha powder for everyone. The qualities of the matcha you pick should depend on how you want to use it, and how often. A stronger, culinary grade powder is better for baking, while a ceremonial grade one is better for whisking into water and enjoying as tea. I recently tested ten popular brands, and I’m sharing my top picks for different uses and price points below. I hope you find a matcha powder you love, and if you want more background on matcha green tea, check out my What Is Matcha post!
Our Top Picks:
- My Favorite Matcha Green Tea Powder: Ippodo Tea Ummon – $30.99 at Amazon
- Best Value: Nativas Organic Matcha Powder – $20.97 at Amazon
- Best Matcha Powder for Lattes: Golde Pure Matcha Ceremonial Grade – $29 at Amazon
- Best Sweetened Matcha Powder: Rishi Tea Sweet Matcha – $11.49 at Amazon
- Best for Baking: Aiya Authentic Japanese Matcha Powder – $18.27 at Amazon
- Best for Beginners: Ujido Ceremonial Blend Matcha – $15.19 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Matcha Powders
My Favorite Matcha Green Tea Powder: Ippodo Tea Ummon
The Ippodo Tea Ummon is the best ceremonial matcha I’ve tried, as well as my favorite matcha overall. I’ve used it for years to make matcha green tea, and I love its vibrant green color and balanced flavor. It tastes rich, deep, and earthy with only a hint of bitterness. It’s a great option for making both lattes and traditional matcha tea.
It’s a bit expensive compared to some of the other matcha tea powders on this list, but we think the quality is well worth the price! Ippodo has a long history of producing matcha in Japan. If you’re looking for a high-quality matcha for drinking, you can’t go wrong with this one.
The Specs:
- Sizes: 0.7 and 1.41 ounces
- Ingredients: Green tea
- Caffeine: Amount not specified
- Sweetened: No
The Pros:
- Balanced flavor
- Not too bitter
- Great drinking matcha – works well for green tea or lattes
- Smooth texture
What Others are Saying:
The Strategist and Delish each named this powder the best overall, while Mashed called it the best high-end matcha powder and Food & Wine named it the best splurge pick. It also has a 4.5-star rating from more than 500 Amazon reviews.
Buy the Ippodo Tea Ummon:
Best Value: Nativas Organic Matcha Powder
For something a little more affordable, we recommend Nativas Organic Matcha Powder. At about $7 per ounce, this everyday matcha has an amazing price without sacrificing versatility. I enjoyed drinking it, but its flavor is strong enough for baking, too. Despite the bold taste, it’s not as bitter as other cheaper options I’ve tried.
The Specs:
- Sizes: 3 ounces
- Ingredients: Certified organic matcha leaf powder
- Caffeine: 16 milligrams
- Sweetened: No
The Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Strong flavor
- Versatile for drinking and baking
- Not as bitter as other affordable options
The Cons:
- More bitter than premium matcha
What Others are Saying:
Outlook India lists the Nativas Organic Matcha Powder as one of the best matcha powders. It also has more than 1,400 Amazon reviews with a 4.6-star rating.
Buy the Nativas Organic Matcha Powder:
Best Matcha Powder for Lattes: Golde Pure Matcha Ceremonial Grade
When it comes to choosing a latte-worthy matcha, you want a powder that’s bold enough not to get lost in the milk’s flavor. This ceremonial-grade matcha has a deep, intense flavor that stands out in a latte. In addition, it doesn’t have any added sugars, which allows you to sweeten your latte to taste. We even think it’d be great in smoothies.
The Specs:
- Sizes: 1.4 and 3.5 ounces
- Ingredients: Matcha green tea powder
- Caffeine: 60 milligrams
- Sweetened: No
The Pros:
- Strong flavor
- Works well as a mix-in
- A great price for ceremonial-grade
The Cons:
- More bitter than other ceremonial-grade matchas
What Others are Saying:
The Strategist named the Golde matcha powder best option for lattes, and Food & Wine named this the best overall matcha powder.
Buy the Golde Pure Matcha Ceremonial Grade:
Best Sweetened Matcha Powder: Rishi Tea Sweet Matcha
If you only keep matcha on hand for lattes, you might enjoy Rishi’s sweet matcha powder. I love that it whisks into water easily — there were no clumps! — so making a quick latte is a breeze. And because it’s sweetened with cane sugar, you don’t have to add a separate sweetener to your drink.
The Specs:
- Sizes: 4.4 and 35.2 ounces
- Ingredients: Japanese matcha green tea, cane sugar
- Caffeine: Amount not specified
- Sweetened: Yes
The Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Whisks easily into water
- No need for separate sweetener
The Cons:
- Can be too sweet for some
What Others are Saying:
The Rishi Tea Sweet Matcha has more than 2,000 reviews and a 4.6-star rating on Amazon.
Buy the Rishi Tea Sweet Matcha:
Best Matcha Powder for Baking: Aiya Authentic Japanese Matcha Powder
When you bake with matcha, you want a powder with a bold flavor that can shine through other ingredients. So, when I make my Matcha Donuts, I use this culinary-grade option from Aiya for both the donuts and the frosting. It has a strong taste, adding the earthy flavor that matcha fans know and love to these treats and other baked goods. Another plus? It’s relatively affordable at just $6 per ounce.
The Specs:
- Sizes: 3.52 ounces
- Ingredients: Pure matcha green tea
- Caffeine: Amount not specified
- Sweetened: No
The Pros:
- Strong, earthy flavor
- Works well as a mix-in
- Inexpensive
The Cons:
- Some people note bitterness
What Others are Saying:
The Spruce Eats calls this the best matcha powder for beginners, and Outlook India named it one of the best matchas.
Buy the Aiya Authentic Japanese Origin Culinary Grade Matcha Powder:
Best for Beginners: Ujido Ceremonial Blend Matcha
If you’re trying out matcha for the first time, the flavor can take some getting used to and the mixing process can be a bit tricky. For this reason, we recommend starting with an affordable option you can play around with. Ujido’s ceremonial-grade option has a balanced, grassy flavor with a hint of bitterness that you’ll enjoy. We suggest trying it as a green tea or as a matcha latte to test out the flavor profile without spending too much.
The Specs:
- Sizes: 2 ounces
- Ingredients: Powdered green tea leaves
- Caffeine: Amount not specified
- Sweetened: No
The Pros:
- Balanced, grassy flavor
- Not too bitter
- Affordable
The Cons:
- No tin, so can expire more quickly
What Others are Saying:
Food & Wine named the Ujido matcha powder the best option for smoothies.
Buy the Ujido Ceremonial Blend Matcha:
Other Matcha Powders to Consider
Matchaful Hikari Single Origin Ceremonial Matcha
This matcha powder has a gorgeous green color and a deep flavor. When ranking our picks, we decided it’s our second choice for “best ceremonial matcha,” falling behind Ippodo’s tea because of its clumpier consistency. Plus, it’s much more expensive. The Matchaful Hikari Single Origin Ceremonial Matcha is available at Amazon for $40.
Bitter doesn’t mean bad, but we found that this matcha has an extremely bitter taste that I don’t recommend for drinking. It’s fine enough for baking, but we still recommend going with our “best for baking” pick from Aiya if you’re making matcha treats. The Jade Leaf Culinary Grade is available at Amazon for $9.95.
While this option has more than 3,000 Amazon reviews and a 4.5-star rating, you’ll want to avoid this powder for drinks because it has a gritty texture. If you bake with matcha often, you might consider this option for its great price, but its flavor still isn’t as complex as other powders I tried. The Matcha Love Culinary Matcha is available at Amazon for $21.99.