Why can’t I get my matcha to dissolve and it settles at the bottom of my cup?
No matter how much you whisk, matcha doesn’t dissolve 100% into water the way salt or sugar does. From the lowest to highest quality grade matcha, matcha powder simply doesn’t dissolve in water– and it shouldn't!
Is it normal for my matcha to settle? Short answer, yes!
Matcha powder is made from grinding tencha (young green tea) leaves, so it will not entirely dissolve like crystalized concentrates. And because matcha powder is so finely stone-ground, it actually contains an electrostatic energy, which makes it actually try to stick and clump to each other.
In other words, when you whisk your matcha, the tiny teeny bits of green tea leaves are actually suspended in your water – not fully dissolved in it.
That’s why it’s so important to sift and take other steps when making matcha.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to reduce clumps and sure-fast tips to use to guarantee you will have a balanced, smooth, and frothy matcha tea drinking experience.
8 Tips for helping avoid matcha settling at the bottom of your cup or clumping
Sift your matcha using a matcha sieve. This will help remove the lumps and reduce the electrostatic charge of your matcha so you don’t end up with clumps or lumps of matcha on the sides or bottom of your cup. If you haven’t already, purchasing and using a matcha tea sieve (sifter/furui) is essential for making a smooth cup of matcha.
Make sure you have a good matcha to water ratio. A common mistake when making matcha is adding too much – which can also result in grainy, clump matcha. This not only results in a poor matcha experience, but also a waste of matcha! Usually 1-2 chasaku scoops (or 1-1.5 teaspoon) of matcha for every half cup of water is a safe ratio to stick to. We recommend experimenting to find your preference – and remember, less is always more and you can always taste it and add more matcha later!
Use steaming hot water around 70°C or 158°F. Whether you are preparing a hot or cold cup of matcha or an iced matcha latte, it is always best to still heat up your water to being steaming hot (not boiling!) when whisking your matcha. This will help your matcha suspend for a longer period of time, making it take longer to settle at the bottom of your cup or bowl.
Whisk until you have a layer of small bubbles. Why is my matcha clumping? You may be forgetting the important step of enthusiastic whisking! When you whisk or blend your matcha well, this is when you help create the suspension of the tiny green tea particles in your water. If you don't whisk your matcha, it will likely be clumpy and lead to wasted matcha.
If you are using a traditional bamboo whisk, be sure to whisk for as long as you need until you see a layer of small bubbles forming at the surface. Create a zig-zag like pattern. Alternatively, using an electric whisk can be time efficient and do the trick in 20-30 seconds.
Choose the right whisking equipment. It’s important to choose the right whisking equipment when making your matcha. Don’t rely on just a traditional metal spoon or whisk you’d use for scrambling eggs. Opt for a high-quality bamboo whisk or an electric whisk without metal. The better quality your whisk and layer of small bubbles you form, the longer it will take for your matcha particles to settle at the bottom of your cup or bowl. A bamboo whisk is best paired with a bowl or wide cup, but if you are using a tall cup to make your matcha – opt for an electric bamboo-style whisker.
Use high-quality matcha powder. If you regularly drink matcha, then you likely know – just like coffee – not all matcha is the same. There is high-quality matcha and low quality matcha. Lower-grade matcha is not ground as finely as high-quality varieties, and just won’t blend as well.
Combine your matcha latte ingredients separately. When making a matcha latte, be sure to whisk together your matcha to your steaming hot water first. Then in a separate cup or bowl, you can warm up your milk and whisk in your sweetener of choice. From here, you can then
Then add your matcha tea to your sweetened milk or vice-versa – depending on which is the larger glass and has the room to combine!
If you drink matcha slow, keep an electric whisk or spoon handy. Why does my matcha keep sinking? Maybe you are slow matcha sipping enthusiastic! If you tend to drink your matcha slowly — some matcha powder will inevitably settle to the bottom. Have a tea spoon or whisk on hand to give it a quick stir up while you slowly sip and enjoy—or maybe you savor the extra flavor-packed last sip of matcha powder that comes when there is more at the bottom of your cup!
The bottom line | Enjoy your matcha tea matcha more using these tips!
By following these tips, you can achieve frothy and full-bodied matcha tea and enjoy all the amazing health benefits of matcha without clumps or too much matcha sediment settling at the bottom of your cup or bowl.
Interested in knowing more tips to become a matcha master? Check out our article on all the do’s and dont’s of matcha about storage, preparation, recycling tins, and more!
I hope you find these tips helpful for preparing your matcha tea! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us on instagram.
References:
Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H., & Janda, K. (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010085
Sakurai, K., Shen, C., Ezaki, Y., Inamura, N., Fukushima, Y., Masuoka, N., & Hisatsune, T. (2020). Effects of Matcha Green Tea Powder on Cognitive Functions of Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals. Nutrients, 12(12), 3639. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12123639
Sokary, S., Al-Asmakh, M., Zakaria, Z., & Bawadi, H. (2022). The therapeutic potential of matcha tea: A critical review on human and animal studies. Current research in food science, 6, 100396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crfs.2022.11.015
