I Tried 7 Grocery Store Matcha Brands To See Which Ones Are (And Aren't) Worth The Money — Here Are My Thoughts

This is the matcha my aunt got me, and the way my eyes widened when I saw 100 grams of this is priced at $92?!?! Thanks, Auntie Joy!

Note: I did not end up trying the Morning Made brand because it's ceremonial! (I didn't read the back of the box, I fear.) 

I also made every matcha according to the package instructions. And if you don't have a matcha whisk, you can use a frother, a spoon, or a regular, tiny whisk!

Maybe my ~palate~ wasn't advanced enough for this brand, but all of the additional things in the blend just kind of made it not seem like matcha? The ginger, turmeric, and other spices were so strong, and the mushrooms really made it overtly earthy. My taste buds were overwhelmed and overstimulated, and the drink itself was just so thin. Honestly, maybe this blend is ONLY meant to be drunk hot, because iced? It was not working for me, hence why I had to rank it last. But if you're into all those flavors and are looking for a matcha brand with some additional oomph, this might be for you!

The color is super pretty, and I honestly feel like you get a lot of mix for the price, just to point out some positives. But the taste and mouthfeel of the drink were borderline chalky, despite my whisking it, and it also just didn't taste like matcha?! My sister said it tasted like "stale pantry," and I described it as tasting like laundry. Do with that information as you will.

I don't even necessarily know what could've caused such a taste, because I've had butterfly pea powder in drinks before, and it's a pretty neutral-tasting additive. Even the vanilla flavor wasn't at the forefront of this drink. It kinda tasted like what Play-Doh would, unfortunately. And the price? Spare me.

Honestly, maybe the company's original blend or ceremonial grades are better (as they should be), but I'm not too keen on finding out anytime soon.

Right off the bat, this is definitely less bitter and less earthy than a café or premium matcha blend/mix, but it still has undertones of those flavors that make matcha what it is. That said, it IS on the sweeter side — not overwhelmingly sweet, but enough to where it takes the spotlight away from the matcha. Overall, it's a subtle, pleasant drink, though it lacks much depth. As I said, the matcha isn't super concentrated, and it's not very creamy, either.

I think if you're a casual matcha drinker on a budget, this would be a good choice. But for me personally, it gets a "meh" pass.

The thing this matcha was lacking for me was balance. I love a sweeter matcha, but I still want the grassy, earthy flavor of the tea to shine through. This was just too sweet for me, but I will say that the overall flavor of it paired well with the milk (shoutout to the barista blend). There's not much room to customize this blend to match my preference, which is why it sits where it does in the ranking.

If you're into sweet matcha and can't be bothered to buy unsweetened matcha AND some type of sweetener, though, then this might be a brand you want to try out!

Though this matcha was thin-bodied, the flavor really did cut through the milk. Yes, the sweetener still overpowered the matcha a bit too much for my liking, but I liked that the grassy flavor of the matcha was still noticeable — albeit, you had to search for it a little. Honestly, I wouldn't mind drinking this on the daily, but from the ranking, there are other brands I'd reach for first.

I think this is certainly the most accessible matcha brand, though, and the price isn't too shabby for the quality, either. If you're looking for a matcha mix that doesn't require much pampering or zhuzhing up, then this might be the brand for you!

This was PURE, straight-up, no BS matcha powder, and it was very delicious to me (for the most part). Whisked into the hot water, it turns into a nice, creamy mixture with a gorgeous, in-your-face, earthy taste. Pair that with the milk, and it's a solid matcha latte that's GREAT for the price, in my opinion.

The only thing? It's a little too bitter, especially the aftertaste, and it needs a little extra whisking to properly get the clumps out. But the bitterness was not really an issue for me, because I simply added a dash of my French vanilla syrup after tasting it as is and called it a day.

So if you're someone who doesn't really want to go through the whole matcha-making routine, aka measuring, whisking/mixing, and adding sweetener, then you might want to lean more toward a latte mix. But honestly, I'll probably be adding this brand to my matcha rotation.

I low-key put too much milk the first time I made this (first pic), so I remade it — and WOW! It's literally so good. It looks and tastes high-quality, and though I'm a self-proclaimed matcha-with-sweetener girly, I could drink this as is. It's not overly bitter or intense like the Good & Gather brand; it actually tastes a little nutty, with some sweet undertones. It was perfect for me!

The price is a bit high, but I don't drink matcha every single day, so I think this bag would last me a while? I now have seven bags of matcha to get through, though, so that's something I don't have to think about quite yet!