How to Make Matcha at Home: Save Money as a Student

I’m sure you’ve noticed that matcha has become the new favourite drink all over Downtown Toronto, with every cafe adding it to their menu. Some may say it’s an acquired taste but if you’re like me, a student who really loves it, here’s some information that you might find handy.

Most matcha drinks in Toronto will run you about $8 – $11 each, which can add up quickly, especially if you’re a student trying to save for tuition, housing, a car, etc. Instead, you can invest in the tools and ingredients to make it at home.

You can buy a matcha set anywhere from $30 – $70 and it will last you a long time so long as you take care of it.

Then you can pick up a matcha powder from my list below, such as the Wu Wei 50g option for $25, which can make you about 16 matcha lattes (50g ÷ 3g per latte = 16 lattes). If you spent that same $25 on matcha lattes out at cafes, you could only get 3 drinks at the most.

So if you’re a big fan of matcha and also a student trying to make life as affordable as possible, maybe try out matcha making at home. It’s a fun hobby that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

To show you exactly how simple it is, I’ve put together a full tutorial below walking through the whole process step by step: getting the water temperature right, sifting the powder so it doesn’t clump, the ratio I use, and the wrist technique for whisking it into that frothy, café-style finish. Watch the video, and you’ll be making your own matcha lattes at home in no time.

If you’re looking to treat yourself, check out our list of the best matcha cafes for Toronto students.

Where to Buy Matcha Tools in Toronto

1. Matcha Sets – including: bowl, scoop, whisk, whisk holder

I bought my personal set from Etsy which was $57 dollars and hand painted from New Zealand. Etsy has a ton of really stunning options that are often on sale and have free shipping. Buying from Etsy is also great because you’re supporting small businesses.

You can buy a cheaper matcha set on Amazon for an average of $35 which is great if you’re on a budget. You just have to be aware that it might not be the best quality.

A Toronto shop that I’ve seen a couple times on social media is Sanko which is a Japanese specialty store. It has been operating since 1968 and sells Japanese groceries and tableware, including matcha products. If you want to go in person and pick out matcha ceramics from Japan then check out Sanko.

2. Mini strainer/sift

You can buy one for a couple dollars from Dollarama or Amazon.

Where to Buy Matcha Powder in Toronto: 5 Options

1. Wu Wei Coffee

📍 44 Kensington Ave 🚇 streetcar at Spadina and Queen St W

Origin: Shizuoka, Japan
Size: 50g
Price: $25
$0.50 per gram

This is the second matcha powder that I have tried. It’s the same matcha powder that Wu Wei uses in all their drinks, and the second cheapest per gram from this list. I find it to be very good, but the bag is less convenient compared to a tin.

2. Matcha Matcha

📍 294 Dundas St W 🚇 St. Patrick Station
📍 407 Church St 🚇 College Station

Origin: Kyoto, Japan
Size: 30g
Price: $33
$1.1 per gram

Matcha Matcha has the most expensive matcha powder per gram from this list, coming in at just over a dollar. It is the only one that is said to be from Kyoto with “notes of vanilla and stone fruit” and grown from a single cultivar.

3. Isle of Coffee – Niju

📍 745 Queen St E 🚇 501 Queen streetcar (nearest subway: Broadview Station)
📍 380A Eglinton Ave W 🚇 Eglinton West Station

Origin: Shizuoka and Kagoshima, Japan
Size: 40g
Price: $34
$0.85 per gram

Isle of Coffee’s Niju matcha is quite common and can be found in multiple Toronto cafes – it’s the first matcha powder I purchased. I thought it was very good quality and I appreciated it being in a jar rather than a bag.

4. The Bloom Cafe

📍 596 Yonge St 🚇 Wellesley Station
📍 180 Dundas St W 🚇 St. Patrick Station
📍 255 Beverley St 🚇 St. Patrick Station

Origin: Japan
Size: 85g
Price: $38
$0.45 per gram

Bloom Café’s matcha powder comes in as the cheapest per gram from this list. It is a finely ground powder from Tencha, which is green tea leaves that are grown under cover to avoid direct sunlight – this creates a rich umami taste.

5. Icha Tea

📍 235 Spadina Ave Unit 4 🚇 St. Patrick Station
📍 996 Queen St W 🚇 501 Queen streetcar

Matcha Seiei
Origin: Shizuoka, Japan
Size: 50g
Price: $36
$0.72 per gram

Matcha Qing
Origin: Zhejiang, China
Size: 50g
Price: $30
$0.60 per gram

Icha Tea sells 6 kinds of matcha powder, plus hojicha powder, the widest range out of all these cafes. Specifically their own brand carries one matcha powder from China, “Matcha Qing” and “Matcha Seiei” from Japan. The price per gram is also not the worst.