KaiMatcha
Edit CompanyRecent Tasting Notes
Hey Steepster folks. It’s uh… been a while. A long while. I’ve still been drinking tea, but my obsession has dialed back a bit from where it was. Still haven’t forgotten about you tea.
So I ordered this matcha a couple Black Friday’s ago. Some awesome Steepster sent me a sample so I knew I was gonna like it, but I actually NEVER got around to even opening the canister. So it sat – unloved – for a couple years. I did end up pitching some of my older tea, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw this away. So, I finally broke the seal and incorporated this into my daily drinking routine, since I’m trying to get back to eating well and slimming down for upcoming wedding (yay!)
I’ll be honest – I’m way too lazy to break out the matcha bowl, whisk, and do that whole jazz. It’s just not for me. So what I’ve been doing is taking 1/3 tsp in my water bottle, mixing it with cold water, some ice cubes, and giving my water bottle a big shake. No mixer, no frother, no additives. Just matcha and water. It mixes decently enough and the taste is AMAZING. I wish all matcha were this palatable. There’s hardly any bitterness. It’s vegetable, but totally drinkable. Even though this matcha is probably WAY past it’s expiration date ;)
On a sad note, though, I don’t think this company is around anymore. Their website is still up, but support has not responded to my e-mails and their social media is pretty much dead. So, I don’t want to take my chances. So I’m on the hunt for another matcha I can drink regularly. Still, thanks KaiMatcha for your awesome tea. I probably should have bought more when you were still around :(
Preparation
It pulled right up for me! Their website does look like a big infomercial, but that is the correct site. I have ordered from them twice now. Love their matcha. My kids asked for it for Christmas. I did notice a while back that they were sold out of tea for a really long time and had to wait for the new harvest to come in to start selling, but a few minutes ago it was going to let me order.
Their website still works, but support and social media were unresponsive so I figured they weren’t around anymore. Are you saying they’re still active? When’s the last time you ordered from them?
I haven’t ordered in awhile. The website looked active. I have never seen them on any social media so I wouldn’t know about that. And sometimes I have a wretched time getting companies in general to respond to emails. If in doubt, don’t, they say.
Hm, it says their phones are manned 24/7 but when I called I got a message that said to email them instead. When I tried that, I keep getting the verification box with the code to submit and I am typing it correctly but I still get another code to type in so I don’t know if my email is going or not. I will email them from my private account and see what happens.
Okay, thanks for looking into it. I’d like to think they are still active, but I don’t want to send my money into a black hole.
I emailed them last night and had a reply first thing this morning. They are presently out of stock but will email when they have matcha to sell again. So I wonder why theme site doesn’t make that clear? It should say OUT OF STOCK in huge letters. Granted, I didn’t actually click to order and try to pay. It is the best tasting matcha for the price I have tried, but they do tend to go out of stock for a very long time. I waited many months last time. I guess they are waiting for the new harvest, but it really should be made clear and should carry an estimated date of restocking. I apologize for not investigating them more quickly before saying their website as active!
I just went back to their website and “ordered” and when it got to the actual checkout page it said, “Oops! Sold out and currently out of stock! Will send an email when back in stock with 10% off for the inconvenience” or something like that. Exactly what happened last time I ordered but I did indeed later get an email and discount when it came back in stock. So I am glad that at some point it does tell you what is going on, but I still think it should be front page.
Ooh thanks for looking into it. I really appreciate it. I’m going to sign up on their website and get a 10% off coupon. Really wish they would monitor their support email though :(
Still not preferred over DoMatcha, but I’m boosting the rating a little as I haven’t had as bitter an experience as the first time I made this. Been having it in the mornings prepared with the chasen in a chawan, just water and no additions. It’s a little more vegetal/spinachy tasting than the DoMatcha. Froths up like a champ.
Decided to give this a try after reading the reviews. I’ll admit, the website is a huge turnoff for me. It looks gimmicky and plays up matcha as a big health fad; just rubs me the wrong way.
Even though I froze my container for storage while I finished off the DoMatcha, this frothed up beautifully. It has a slightly heavier mouthfeel than DoMatcha, a stronger vegetal taste with mild sweetness, but it also had more of a bitter taste mid-late sip. The bitterness increases as the cup cools.
Two chasaku scoops sifted into a chawan, added about 2oz of 175F water to mix, then added another 6oz of water and whisked.
Preparation
Green as spring itself
Most beautiful cup of Jade
There is only one
Perfect top of foam
Sometimes it works out that way
Glad it did today
Random snowflakes fall
Sitting by my kumquat tree
Sipping dreams of spring
“This is the only Matcha in my collection. I detest flavored matchas & consider them to be a blasphemous travesty, a desecration of perfection.” from Terri Harplady’s Tea as Spiritual Experience.
Note to Sil – I love you anyway,you heathen! hahaha
To each their own.
DYING WITH ENVY…I have yet to find ANY matcha I like. I have a strong stomach, takes a lot to upset it. Yet, a tiny little bit of matcha, and I feel instant pain. Plus I don’t understand what’s so fantastic about the taste. As you said, to each their own :-)
I bet this is amazing I just can’t justify $30 an ounce :(
My Fairy friend, I can only drink Matcha & other greens with or after food. Any other time you can forget it, so I relate.
Steph, I got mine on sale last year, 2 for one. I keep it in the freezer. I only drink it about once a month, so it has lasted almost forever!
Terri – i think of my flavoured matcha as flavouring. not matcha. if that’s any consolation :)
:) Enjoy!
Terri: how I earth did I miss a two for one sale on this??? I surely would have bought it. Bought a bunch for Christmas gifts with a small discount, though.
Wow, two for one would be an awesome deal! :) Let us know if you ever see that again.
It was shortly after I joined steepster, a year ago in the fall. I think it was 2 for one…or buy one get the 2nd half price…something like that.
Flavoured matcha is coffin and flavouring. It doesn’t really count as matcha because I love Flavoured matcha and not so much the real stuff.
This tea has been known to send me into a Haiku writing Nirvana, and if it was snowing outside, that would probably be the case. But the reality is, it’s 3:30 in the afternoon & I haven’t really accomplished anything. Well, that’s the case if I don’t count the novel outline I spent 2 hours on in my bedroom, several tea blend samplings, fantasizing about a music video I want to make, making breakfast, & starting dinner in the crockpot. So I guess I have done a few things, but none of them, other than eating, are the things I had planned to accomplish today. I think I have enough caffeine in my system now, so I’m going to go do the most important one: Make a bank deposit!!
A lovely cup of green!
I would probably write another Haiku to this tea, but I’m getting ready to go look at a house with Tony. That doesn’t actually mean we’re finally moving in together (after 13 years of each owning houses 5 minutes apart), but we are leaning more in that direction, & are both very interested in this house, as it appears to have the features we want, & it’s in the neighborhood we want to live in (which I already live in.)
To be continued…
Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter just bought houses side by side that connected through a balcony or something like that. They didn’t have to live with each other but didn’t have to live apart. Ha ha. A great idea I think.
Good luck!
It IS a great idea!
When I got divorced 17 years ago, my ex bought the house next door, which would have been fine except he was a drunk & felt like he should be able to just walk in any time. Hence, I sold that house & moved to the current house.
The house we looked at today is Beautiful, BTW, especially the master bedroom. It’s on the south side of the house, 2nd floor, with 9 windows, built in his & hers closets & dresser drawers, 2 window seats, etc. Nice front porch, lovely yard. The kitchen is kind of small, but there is a spacious dining room. There’s a lot of really nice features, but no garage (but plenty of room to add one). It’s stucco over frame, & the stucco is in need of repair, plus the whole thing needs painted & most of the windows are original (house built in 1890). We went to tea afterwards, & if we were to get it the first thing he’d plan to do is replace all the windows, add vinyl siding, & build a garage. Whew!
Spring becomes Summer
Sun, Rain, & Earth together
Everywhere Green
Everytime I drink this Matcha, I want to write a Haiku.
Lovely Jade Green cup
Elixer of amazement
to my open heart.
…sigh…& there’s another. This Matcha is so beautiful, so green, with a taste of sunflower sprouts! My cup is empty.
I tried to order more a while back and got a message they out of tea! I was supposedly put on a list to be notified but have never received anything from them saying their matcha was back in stock.
Bummer! Want me to send you a couple cups worth, to tide you over?
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a cup of Matcha, but I’m pleased to report that my whisking technique is still top notch! I got a nice head of foam on my cup, no clumps, & enjoyed a tasty cup of green goodness!
Ms Theresa (who had the idea for the chart, & the analysis I reported on earlier) has pointed out that I need to drink up more whites, greens, oolongs, & puers before I can have another cup of black tea. So here we go…
“Dreary Winter Day
Early morning reverie
sipping cup of Spring”
LOL, I wrote this Haiku the last time I drank a cup of this Matcha. Today is not a dreary day, it’s a beautiful sunny day! The sun is so bright it hurts my eyes, but I am loving it. I’ve been taking a walk in my garden for the last several days, looking around to see what’s waking up, & fantasizing about this year’s garden. This morning it was so sunny that I stepped out back barefoot, sliced of a few scallion tops from my Egyptian Walking Onion bed to use in my breakfast. The ground is still cold, & actually there’s a cold wind blowing today, but I love this weather! I’m ready for spring!
I tried to order some more of this yesterday and the website says they are sold out!!
Bummer!
Who else has good matcha that isn’t flavored? I formerly got mine at Teavana, & its the best tea they carry.
I bet the Red Leaf higher grades are good. I know when I upgraded my base on a flavored tea there it was noticeably brighter and smoother. I should give it a try. I am relatively new to matcha. The matcha from Olive Nation is good enough, especially for lattes, but KaiMatcha is clearly superior, no question about it.
Some time ago KaiMatcha offered a “buy one get one free” promo on Steepster, and I did. But I still had some of the Teavana matcha, which I felt I should finish drinking before I opened anything new, so the Kai went into the freezer. I kind of wish I’d made my last cup of teavana & this at the same time, so that I could really compare them, but I didn’t. Oh well…
Could this possibly be greener? Could it possibly be greener than any matcha I’ve ever had? This is so green, so joyful, so heart opening! The aroma is so ‘fresh’, that’s the only word I can think of to describe it. I don’t sift my Matcha. This foamed up beautifully, & the flavor is heavenly! It’s like the freshest greenest sweetest greens you’ll ever eat, & in the background, sunflower seed butter! No, it’s sunflower seed sprouts, that’s what it is! I haven’t grown those for awhile. Usually I grow them in my sunroom, especially in late winter, & they are so cute & tasty!
Anyway, the mouth-feel is very creamy, & as it cools I feel like I’m drinking cream, & it is lovely & sweet. I take the last sip, and there are NO clumps in the bottom of the cup at all! Wait…I feel it…another Haiku!
Dreary Winter day
Early morning reverie
Sipping cup of Spring
My eating habits have been deplorable these past few weeks and I can feel it. I keep getting hungry, and tonight I wanted to hydrate and have something healthy at the same time. Since I got my first ever matcha bowl (chawan) for Christmas from my daughter SuperAnna, I picked matcha! I got a nice treat and felt like I was making a great choice at the same time.
This is a vibrant green matcha and I haven’t had another like it at this price point. The wonderful spinach aroma as I whisked it was mouthwatering, and I really want to have more but shouldn’t this late at night. The only bad thing about this matcha is that it sells out and stays out of stock for long periods at times, so if you want some, grab it while you can.
That settles it. I have to buy a matcha bowl. I have been making do with bowls I have but I really want one. I am looking at the ones on zentealife.com and I like the Aurora one as well as Grace. I loved the old Zen Brush bowl when it was navy blue and white but they don’t have that color anymore.
Today was a very special day. I love and adore my family, but as a mom who homeschooled for 25 years (and I am still homeschooling) I am almost never alone, and I really, really love to be alone.
I decided to not accept another appointment as precinct chief judge and since I make all my children work at the polls, that meant I had the whole day to myself! This is the longest I have been alone at home in possibly 27 years!!! And it was awesome. I was a little disappointed when I realized that I still had to drop my daughter off at 5:30 am and then go to an ultrasound appointment for my thyroid at 9:30 am and then I had a piano student from 3 to 4, but nevertheless folks, this was the most I have been alone at home in years and I LIKED IT! Everyone may find their bags packed and on the lawn tomorrow. But I really do love them. :)
I drank lots of tea, and since I have been neglecting matcha I decided today was a great day to remedy that. I set my Krupps to the “Warm” setting which is supposed to give you 165F water and whipped up a cup of this. This is my favorite unflavored matcha so far, thought I admit that I have not tried all of the premium ones from Red Leaf. i have tons of their flavored matcha for matcha lattes and love it, so I should probably give them a try.
Anyway, this was an awesome cup of tea and I am not going to wait so long between matcha fixes. Now I need to get a nice bowl. Direct me to your favorites and I will take a look before I choose!
I intended to eat really well today after having some pretty epic indigestion last night. Breakfast was cheese toast with a little organic mustard – not too bad. Lunch was a cucumber salad eaten in the garden – nice. Supper was a chopped salad – very clean, healthy eating. Dessert was OH MY GOSH HAAGEN DAZ HAS GREEN TEA ICE CREAM!!!!
Funny thing was that after one bite of the creamy, delicious goodness, I craved some real matcha. This is my favorite of all I have tried so far for whipping up a traditional, whisked, unflavored matcha. It was sooooo good. The vegetal green aroma and taste are powerful and not at all bitter or sour. I love it.
After drinking a cup of it, I went back to the ice cream and made two – count them, TWO – green tea ice cream milkshakes while watching Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Yeh, baby. I know how to do Friday night.
I ordered a tin of this as part of my daughter’s birthday present. She has had tons of matcha, starting out with flavored and then advancing to unflavored. She has never had a premium matcha before, though. She is really drinking it for the health benefits.
I whisked some up last night as we were about to play a board game. She had opened the tin and remarked on how vibrantly green this matcha is. She took a sip and said, “There is no bitterness at all!” This is such a fresh, green, smooth tasting matcha…still the best I have ever had.
Next up, I would love to try the premium offerings from Red Leaf Tea and compare them to this one.
I don’t log this every time I drink it, but I thought it was worthy of a note tonight because to my great dismay I saw the bottom of the tin tonight. I have about enough matcha left for two more lattes. I hope they have a sale or something soon!
It is tasty!
Do you just prepare this as a hot tea, or some other way?
Oh, sorry, I just noticed you have posted other notes with details. Your notes and the positive reviews of others really make me want to try this!
Donna A : I use their own recipe for iced matcha latte. I sift one teaspoon into a tall glass, add cold water and whoosh with my aerolatte, add four teaspoons honey and whoosh again, then add milk and crushed ice. It is addicting. The first sips I took, I thought “Why am I drinking this?” Then I just couldn’t get enough. Now I wish I could have three a day, LOL! But I guess I shouldn’t have all that caffeine and all those honey calories. Moderation in all things….sigh. Sometimes I count down all day to when I will allow myself to have one.
Donna: I signed up to try the Red Leaf contenders for plain matcha, plus today I ordered matcha from Olive Nation. I want to see how they compare to KaiMatcha Premium.
I also ordered two tins from Nuvola, because the sample they sent to me was sooo good. In fact, one friend of mine preferred the Nuvola Taiwan Green Tea Powder, as they call their matcha! I am excited to try the one from Olive Nation. They have amazing prices and fantastic service. I ordered today, they shipped today! It is a real contender price wise, if it tastes as good!
I just received the Red Leaf contenders. Thanks for the tips on the KaiMatcha. And I will be interested to see what you think of your other matchas from Nuvola and Olive Nation.
Donna, I just whisk mine in hot water until its frothy, & I love it!
Ashmanra, I’ll be looking forward to hearing your reviews on the other brands!
Donna: SQUEEE! Maybe mine will arrive today!
Terri: I have tried the Kai Premium and the Nuvola as you describe, and they were indeed both nice and buttery-veggie tasting that way!
Today on Facebook, Kai Matcha suggested making an iced matcha latte with this. I was feeling a little sluggish this afternoon so I did it! I have made matcha lattes before but they were usually flavored matcha, all milk, and raw cane sugar. I didn’t follow their recipe exactly but made a few changes.
I sifted one teaspoon of matcha into my Starbucks cup that is like a Tervis tumbler. I added a little water, put the lid on, and shook like mad to mix it. I added the rest of the water for a total of one cup water, then added skim milk to the top of the glass, a little over a cup I suppose. It said four teaspoons honey, so I drizzled some in until I thought it was the right amount. I whooshed it a sec with my aerolatte to mix in the honey. I added a half cup of crushed ice from my fridge door. And then I slurped the whole thing down faster than I can believe. It was total deliciousness. I am going to be doing this a lot more often.
I must admit to being seriously tea drunk right now, though. I am not used to so much caffeine in so little time!
Mmm, I love matcha lattes!
This sounds interesting… I never had matcha latte, I’m going to have to try one day. :)
I just had another one this morning, and WANT another right this minute! I am LOVING plain matcha now! :)
I’m thinking almond milk, matcha powder, & a frozen banana in the blender…
Sounds great! I want to get more fruit flavored matcha for smoothies like that. I am thinking the chocolate matcha would be good with dark chocolate almond milk and a banana.
I’ve only tried one flavored Matcha, the caramel, which I didn’t care for. Call me old fashioned, I guess I’m a Matcha purist, but I admit, the dark chocolate sounds tempting! :D
Terri, I think you’d enjoy the wheatgrass flavoured one :D
I know, right? Cuz I love wheat grass, & although I haven’t had any lately, I’m the type that will drink it from a shot glass!
I’d also probably like the spirolina flavored one too. My favorite smoothie of all time (from my raw foodie days…this is one of the smoothies I practically lived on) is to fill my vitamix with an apple (cored but not peeled), 1/2 a lemon (or more) minus the peel, (frozen banana optional), a spoon of spirolina powder, a shot of wheatgrass juice, and water as needed. It’s been awhile since I had it, but I was actually reminiscing about it earlier today, & thinking I could add a tsp of matcha too!
I loooove wheatgrass shots!! though sometimes I take a shot of orange juice after. Duno if I’d like spirulina. A little too fishy for me lol
That’s why I put the powder in a smoothie!
When I use that stuff, I’m like the energizer bunny!
thats what I do with the powder to, only I’m almost out! eeeps.
I prefer the shots tho :P
My best friend had never had unflavored matcha before so I offered to whip some up today. Even using my metal kitchen whisk in a plain cereal bowl I got a really decent froth.
My friend said she felt like she had just had a serving of vegetables. I thought it tasted a bit like buttered kale, although sometimes leafy green veggies can have a bitter taste and you really don’t find that here. She agreed about the taste. This is the veggie goodness. I told her I hoped she was prepared to do some housework with all the energy that would be hitting her in about twenty minutes!
Last night was Writers’ Group meeting at my house! One of the men who comes is married to a Japanese woman. He has mentioned several times that she and her friends drink bitter tea and that he has tried it but just can’t drink it with her.
I showed him this matcha and he said, “Yep! Looks like it would be bitter!” So I went in the kitchen and whipped up a batch for everyone to try. He was so surprised when he tasted it and found no bitterness at all! Everyone seemed to like it, even though they are not hard core tea drinkers like us!
