My first Matcha bowl.

[shogun89]

I just got this from Wegmans for $20. Its made in Japan and imported through a company called Miya. What do you guys think?















Thanks for viewing!

[edkrueger]

Good price, I like the footprint, but not so much the glaze.

[scruffmcgruff]

Ooh, very pretty! Nice find.

[Pentox]

Not a bad bowl for 20 bux.

[Geekgirl]

Love it- everything about it, nice shape, nice size, gorgeous glaze! good job!

[chamekke]

I agree with Pentox, that's a good buy for $20 and fully suitable for matcha preparation.

But you do have to reveal how you got it to stick sideways onto the wall like that

[Victoria]

Congrats on your first Matcha bowl!

[Salsero]

Perfect place to start your matcha career, General! Congrats.
I (and it appears everyone else) am very happy for you!

[devites]

I've seen that in store, I almost got it but the owner wouldnt sell it without the whisk and chashaku and I have those already.

[shogun89]

Well, I am glad to hear that you guys like it, I was a little skeptical about it since it was being sold at a grocery store for $20, but I guess i was wrong. They sell matcha there for $10 and a Chinese tea whisk for $13. What are the downsides to Chinese whisks?

[olivierco]

What are the downsides to Chinese whisks?

Durability

from Kevin (ocha) description:

The vast majority of tea whisks seen on the market are made in China, not Japan. There is no market for whisks within China itself, nearly all are exported abroad and surprisingly, to Japan. Japanese craftsmen start the whisk making process using a sharp knife to chip the end of the bamboo, giving it a clean sharp break, whereas in China it's tend to be done with a file. Because of this, the tip of the whisk prongs of Japanese whisks are known to last longer. The bamboo used in Japanese whisks is superior and is dried for well over a year before use.

By the way: nice first chawan!

[shogun89]

What are the downsides to Chinese whisks?

Durability

from Kevin (ocha) description:

The vast majority of tea whisks seen on the market are made in China, not Japan. There is no market for whisks within China itself, nearly all are exported abroad and surprisingly, to Japan. Japanese craftsmen start the whisk making process using a sharp knife to chip the end of the bamboo, giving it a clean sharp break, whereas in China it's tend to be done with a file. Because of this, the tip of the whisk prongs of Japanese whisks are known to last longer. The bamboo used in Japanese whisks is superior and is dried for well over a year before use.

By the way: nice first chawan!

Hmmm, thanks, Yeah I guess I will just go with Japanese then, about how many sessions will one last?

[Chip]

If you take care of it, it will last a long time! Dipping it in water ahead of time to moisten it, soften it before use is helpful in extending its life. Or so I have read.

Congrats on the bowl, very nice indeedy!

[Geekgirl]

I use a chinese whisk from Daiso ($4) at work, and a japanese whisk ($17) from Uwajimaya at home. There is definitely a quality difference. The japanese chasen holds its shape much better. The chinese whisk is somewhat straightened out now.

If you don't scrub your chasen on the bottom of the bowl, either one will last a very long time. I tend to believe the claim that chinese chasen are chemically treated and japanese are not. It takes very little care of the chinese chasen to keep it from getting mildew speckles, but the japanese chasen I must rinse with hot water and completely air dry before storing. That is certainly a consideration, and one reason I might hesitate to buy another cheap chasen, even though it is holding up very well.

Logically, I realize that my chasen probably leaches less chemicals into my tea (especially after the first few uses) than the dishwashing detergent I use on my plates, or the lens solution I put in my eyes, or the plastic water bottle I sometimes drink out of at the gym... or 100 other things I do on a daily basis, including waiting at the bus-stop and breathing fumes from passing trucks.

How long they last depends entirely upon how you use them.

[chamekke]

If you take care of it, it will last a long time! Dipping it in water ahead of time to moisten it, soften it before use is helpful in extending its life. Or so I have read.

In tea ceremony, you soften the whisk at the beginning by whisking it in some hot rinse water prior to making the tea. At the end, you restrengthen the whisk by whisking it in cold rinse water. My tea teacher explicitly told me that the latter step helps the whisk last longer - in fact, I expect that both steps contribute.

Drying and storing the whisk on a chasen-naoshi (whisk shaper), either ceramic or wooden, helps it keep its shape too.