Choose a plain matcha powder if you want to control the portion and sweetness: Clearspring positions its premium grade for both drinks and baking, while Clearspring and JING Tea position their ceremonial products primarily for a cup whisked with water. A flavoured blend makes more sense if you want a sweet, milk-based drink, but check its ingredients and caffeine per serving rather than treating it as interchangeable with 100% matcha.
How you make your morning drink matters more than the grade name alone: plain powders and flavoured blends call for different ingredient and preparation checks.
A plain powder lets you measure your own portion and choose whether to add anything else. Clearspring and JING Tea both describe ceremonial-grade products for drinking this way; their flavour descriptions are the brands’ own.
If you usually add dairy or plant milk, decide whether you want unsweetened matcha or a blend with sweetness already included. Check the ingredient list before assuming two latte-friendly powders contain the same amount of matcha.
Check caffeine against the stated serving size, especially if matcha is one of several caffeinated drinks in your day. The NHS advises a limit of 200mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy from all sources, including drinks, chocolate and some supplements.
Start with the drink you intend to make, then compare ingredients, preparation instructions and serving sizes on the exact product.
Choose it when: You want an unsweetened powder for drinks and occasional recipes; Clearspring positions its premium grade for both drinking and baking.
Bear in mind: You measure and whisk each portion, and Clearspring’s description of how its grades taste is a brand assessment, not an independent comparison.
Choose it when: Your usual drink is matcha whisked with water and you want to explore the plain-cup profile described by Clearspring or JING Tea.
Bear in mind: A ceremonial label alone does not establish how a product will taste to you or make it necessary for a milk-based drink.
Choose it when: You deliberately want a sweet matcha drink, particularly one prepared with milk.
Bear in mind: The PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha listed by Waitrose contains coconut sugar, flavourings and 30% ceremonial-grade matcha, rather than 100% matcha.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink style | Check whether the powder is intended for whisking with water, mixing with milk or using in recipes. Treat makers’ flavour descriptions as their own assessments. | I usually drink matcha plain, so the way the powder is meant to be prepared matters more to me than a grade name on its own. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredient list and, for a blend, its stated matcha percentage and sugar information. Clearspring lists 100% matcha for its plain premium and ceremonial products; Waitrose lists coconut sugar and 30% matcha for PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha. | For a latte, I want to decide for myself whether to add sweetness or buy a blend that already contains it. |
| Preparation | Compare the dose with the liquid and method stated for that product. Clearspring gives 1g with 30ml hot water; JING Tea specifies 1.5g per 160ml cup with 70°C water. | My morning break is short, so I want preparation instructions that fit the time and equipment I have. |
| Caffeine | Check the amount and its serving basis on the exact product. Clearspring estimates approximately 32mg per 1g of its matcha; Waitrose lists 43mg per 5g serving for PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha. | If I also have coffee or tea, I want to count matcha as part of my caffeine intake rather than assume it is caffeine-free. |
| Pack and portion | Check pack weight alongside the maker’s dose guidance: Clearspring gives a 1g preparation amount, while JING Tea uses 1.5g per cup. Compare like formulations before using pack size to judge how long one will last. | I want a pack size that fits how often I make matcha, without treating a sweetened blend and a plain powder as equivalent portions. |
A flavoured drink powder can have a different ingredient mix from a plain powder. For example, Waitrose lists PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha as 30% ceremonial-grade matcha, with coconut sugar and natural flavourings; Clearspring lists matcha as the sole ingredient in its plain powders.
Read the ingredient list and matcha percentage. Choose a flavoured blend because you want its added flavour and sweetness, not because its matcha content can be assumed from the name.
Different preparation instructions change how many cups a pack makes. Clearspring gives a 1g preparation amount, whereas JING Tea specifies 1.5g per 160ml cup.
Use the instructions for the product you are considering when comparing pack sizes, and keep plain powders separate from sweetened blends in that comparison.
Matcha contributes caffeine. Clearspring estimates approximately 32mg per 1g of its powder, while Waitrose lists 43mg per 5g serving for PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha; those figures use different products and serving bases.
Check your portion and account for other caffeine sources. For pregnancy, the NHS advises no more than 200mg of caffeine a day from all sources.
Ingredients and directions can change. This matters particularly when a flavoured blend contains ingredients beyond matcha or when you rely on specific storage instructions.
Check the current pack for ingredients, allergens, caffeine information, the best-before date and storage directions before using it.
These examples show how particular product lines differ; a brand’s grade or flavour description is not a substitute for checking the product you buy.
Clearspring lists both premium-grade and ceremonial-grade organic Japanese matcha as plain powders.
JING Tea presents its 30g organic ceremonial matcha as a plain, water-whisked tea made from a single Okumidori cultivar.
The PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha listed by Waitrose is a flavoured blend with directions for a milk-based drink.
These options cover plain powder for a whisked cup, a vanilla blend and a powder described for lattes and recipes. Check each product’s own ingredient and preparation details rather than applying one product’s serving figures to another.
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For a plain whisked cup, the listing describes 100% organic matcha in a 30g airtight tin and gives a 1g serving. It states approximately 34mg caffeine per 1g and instructs you to sift the powder, then refrigerate the airtight tin after opening.
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For a sweet vanilla drink mixed with milk or water, this 75g tin is listed as a blend containing coconut sugar, coconut milk and natural flavour. The listing gives 1.1g sugars per 2.5g serving. If matcha proportion or caffeine per serving matters to you, check the current pack for those figures; do not apply figures from a different PerfectTed product.
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For someone seeking a plain powder, the ingredients are listed as 100% organic matcha in a 30g pack. Check the grade on the pack if it affects your choice: the product descriptions differ between premium and ceremonial. Follow the pack’s serving and caffeine information rather than borrowing a dose from another matcha.
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For lattes or recipes, the product description identifies this as culinary-grade powder in a 100g tin. Check the pack’s ingredients and serving instructions if its formulation or the amount used per drink affects your choice.
If you mostly whisk matcha with water, a ceremonial product may suit the plain-cup style described by Clearspring and JING Tea, though their flavour descriptions are their own assessments. Clearspring positions its premium powder for both drinking and baking, making that product worth considering if you also use matcha in recipes.
Not necessarily. Waitrose lists PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha as a blend containing coconut sugar, natural flavourings and 30% ceremonial-grade matcha, whereas Clearspring lists matcha as the only ingredient in its plain powders. Check the exact product label, since different vanilla products need not share the same formulation.
Follow the instructions for your particular powder rather than using one dose for every matcha. Clearspring gives 1g with 30ml hot water for its premium powder; JING Tea specifies 1.5g for a 160ml cup with 70°C water. The PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha listed by Waitrose is directed towards a drink made with 200ml milk.
Use the directions on the exact tin. The OMGTea Organic Matcha AAA+ listing instructs you to refrigerate its airtight tin after opening, while Waitrose says to keep its listed PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha sealed in a cool, dry place. Those are product-specific instructions, not a single rule for all matcha.
Yes. The NHS advises no more than 200mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy from all sources, so include matcha alongside coffee, tea, cola, chocolate and relevant supplements. Check the amount for your exact product and serving: Clearspring estimates approximately 32mg per 1g of its matcha, while Waitrose lists 43mg per 5g serving for PerfectTed Vanilla Bean Matcha.