I’ve been matcha-obsessed for years. The obsession hit a new high when I traveled around Japan two years ago and now, finally, matcha is getting the attention it deserves Stateside. After launching and selling out in Japan, Sharp has brought their Tea-Ceré machines (available in two colorways for $299.99 each) to the US! This is a great investment if you’re a serious matcha drinker because it will deliver you top-quality tea in a fraction of the time and, in the long run, you’ll save money. For those that don’t know, matcha is a powdered green tea that is especially potent (1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of matcha is equal to 8 to 10 cups of regular tea in terms of its antioxidant power, which contributes to matcha’s cancer and disease-fighting properties). The powdered tea leaves are used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies and whisked together with hot (not boiling) water, which means you are ingesting the tea leaves and getting significantly more nutritional benefits than you would with traditional brewed leaf teas.
Using this machine, you can easily grind your own tea (the machine has ceramic plates that mimic the mortar and pestle-grinding process). Simply pour in tencha tea leaves and they will be ground up into a powder. Making your own powder is significantly less expensive than buying it pre-made. It’s also fresher and more flavorful. After the machine has delivered you the powder, it will also take care of the whisking for you too. You can make traditional matcha by filling the reservoir in back of the machine with water or a latte by pouring milk in the front of the machine. I still love coffee and fuel my runs with espresso, but other than that, it has been tea all the time for me since I started to use this machine; so I imagine it’s a great option for anyone looking to kick a coffee habit. Matcha is also so flavorful that I find it keeps me from mindlessly snacking throughout the day.
Also note that while I’ve been using this machine to ground my tencha leaves, it can grind pretty much any leaves you choose. You can also opt to just use the whisking function if you’ve already purchased pre-made powder.
