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DavidsTea’s Mini Matcha Maker

Mini Matcha Maker by DavidsTea
Tritan Plastic / 8oz (235mL)
$15.00

First Impressions

I got my Mini Matcha Maker sometime last year (this design is called “Spring Leaves” and is no longer available on the DavidsTea website as it was a seasonal design) – and I actually got it on sale (the price I mentioned above is the regular price for a Mini Matcha Maker if it’s not on sale/clearance due to a seasonal design).

The overall idea of the Mini Matcha Maker is to make it easy to make matcha at home or on the go, and to essentially make what they call “matcha shots” – which is perfect if you’re the type to mix your matcha with something else. For instance, lots of people will put matcha into smoothies or milkshakes, mix it up with sparkling water, lemonade or just mix up that matcha powder and then dilute it with more water because they don’t like it that strong (everyone has a preference, right?).

There are a few components to the Mini Matcha Maker – you have the lid (with the pressure release button), the body (double-walled), the shaker part (see below: the piece with the ball) and then another piece with a mesh (that the shaker part screws onto, and it screws onto the body).

Preparation

I washed all the pieces with warm soapy water and then allowed to air dry. The Mini Matcha Maker is not dishwasher or microwave friendly (there is metal, and it is double-walled).

First Use

Assembling the Mini Matcha Maker is fairly straight forward. The nice part about the Mini Matcha Maker is the ease of use – I utilized the metal mesh of the piece that holds onto the shaker to use to sift the powder as I poured it into the Mini Matcha Maker. Then I poured water (heated to the recommended temperature) to the line, followed by screwing the lid on and holding it (without my finger on the button!) to shake it up. Because the matcha gets sifted through the mesh, I find it doesn’t clump and it shakes up pretty easily. You’re done whenever you’re happy with the way it’s been mixed or with the level of froth (or both), and (aiming away from your face) then hit the button the release the pressure. Once that’s done, just unscrew the lid and pour the matcha into the drink of your choice, over ice, etc.

Clean up is pretty easy (in my opinion) as I just do it in a sink with some warm soapy water and then just rinse everything well. As it’s not dishwasher friendly, my Mini Matcha Maker either lives in the cupboard or on the dish rack when its not in use.

My Overall Impression

I loved DavidsTea’s Mini Matcha Maker. I think it’s definitely a fun way to make matcha without the traditional use of a bowl with bamboo whisk. That said, if you’re really attached to a more traditional matcha preparation method, the Mini Matcha Maker won’t be for you. However, for those are more about the end product and ease of preparation, the Mini Matcha Maker is quite the modern option when it comes to preparing some matcha for a mixed drink. If you’re looking for a method to make matcha for at the office purposes and drink a lot of it, the larger Matcha Maker might be an option for you. I certain enjoy this little device, it’s fun and easy to use (and clean!).

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Dessert by Deb’s Salted Caramel Pancakes

Salted Caramel Pancakes by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$16.00 for 75g

First Impressions

Salted Caramel Pancakes came as part of my Dessert by Deb Subscription Box. This black tea blend came in a metallic pouch with a clear window and a label across the front. The tea is visible through the clear window, and it reminds me visually a lot like a genmaicha because of the presence of the popped rice.

The aroma of Salted Caramel Pancakes is a strong blend of the brown sugar and maple notes, with hints of the popped rice in the background. Salted Caramel Pancakes consists of organic: black tea, caramel, popped rice, Canadian maple, brown sugar, and honeybush. The glisten from the brown sugar makes it an attractive black tea blend, with the light glitter of the sugar under the light.

Preparation

No instructions were found on the sample packaging, but I was able to find the information from the Dessert by Deb website. Dessert by Deb recommends Salted Caramel Pancakes in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes and recommended drinking it straight or as a latte.

First Taste

Salted Caramel Pancakes steeps to a lovely golden orange. The aroma remarkably reminds me of salted caramel with the popped rice lends itself to a popcorn flavour that lingers in the background. The tea itself has a thickened mouthfeel, with the flavour of salted caramel, maple, and brown sugar dominating the flavour, with the popcorn in the background. It has a nice flavour that also does well with a touch of evaporated milk. I didn’t feel like it needed some sweetener because of the presence of the brown sugar, maple, and caramel.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Salted Caramel Pancakes, but found the flavour not to be as enjoyable as the initial steep. A subsequent steep didn’t have the same level of sweetness, because it was dissolved into the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I  liked Dessert by Deb’s Salted Caramel Pancakes. It has a nice flavour profile, which does well with a black tea base. The flavour of salted caramel comes through well, although I get more flavour of popcorn than pancakes – it does still make for a good cup of tea that does well to be mixed with some evaporated milk, and I would hazard a guess that it would make for an excellent tea latte as well.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

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Masters Teas’ Huang Shan Mao Feng

Huang Shan Mao Feng by Masters Teas
Green Tea / Straight
$17.00USD for 1.5oz

Masters Teas has provided me with Huang Shan Mao Feng for the purposes of writing an honest review.

First Impressions

Never one to shy around from trying a green tea, I was happy to receive this in the mail from Masters Teas. It came in a sealed, resealable bag with some information across the front. Huang Shan Mao Feng is described as being a premium green ta with “plenty of fuzzy tea buds”. I didn’t see too much fuzziness in the bag, but the leaves are a bright vibrant green with such vein definition, that I can forgive them for that.

The leaves are beautiful and have a light floral yet fruity aroma to it. It just seems really delicate when I shake some out into my tea pot, the leaves are long and take up quite a bit of room, and has a nice sweetness to the smell. Huang Shan Mao Feng is from Anhui, China – presumably from Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain) and was harvested in April 2021, so what a treat it is to steep it in July of the same year.

Preparation

Masters Teas recommends steeping Huang Shan Mao Feng in 170°F (77°C) water for 2-3 minutes. I followed steeping instructions for my initial steep.

First Taste

Huang Shan Mao Feng steeps to a pale yellow. The aroma is grassy and floral, the tea itself is smooth with a sweet floral flavour throughout. It has a nice lychee flavour – sweet, floral, fruity. It has a great mouthfeel to it – smoothness, sweet, fruity flavours. It’s a very light tea, sweet and some notes that remind me of snap peas – it makes for a nice vegetal flavour profile.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Huang Shan Mao Feng a total of five times (six steeps total), adding an additional 30 seconds for each subsequent steep. The floral sweet flavour became more intense with each steep, peaking at the second resteep. The leaves open up quite a bit, and become more light green – it reminds me a lot of a spring grass colour. The colour of the tea becomes a deeper golden yellow in colour as the flavour becomes stronger.

My Overall Impression

I loved Masters Teas’ Huang Shan Mao Feng. This single origin green tea is a treat from start to finish, with a nice aroma in the dry leaf, a great flavour, and resteeps well. It does make for a nice cup of tea, it steeps beautifully and it’s lovely to see the leaves as they open with each steep. The lightness in flavour makes for a cup of tea that could pair nicely with a dessert or savoury dish.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.