What makes a good matcha gift? A guide for every budget

Give them everything they need for the first bowl, because matcha needs a few tools most kitchens do not have. A chasen (bamboo whisk) builds the foam, a chashaku (bamboo scoop) measures the powder, and a fine sifter breaks up the clumps first.

The Tasting Gift Box has all three tools and two 30g tins from Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, boxed with our ribbon. Choose Hikari and Shōgun to taste smooth against bold, or pair one with Hōjicha for the evening. It is £89 to £94, depending on the teas.

For a smaller budget, the Starter Kit has the same three tools and a 30g tin of Hikari, our sweetest and most forgiving matcha, for £51.50.

Give them a tea they would not buy for themselves. Okumidori is a single-cultivar matcha from a family farm in Yame, Fukuoka: very nutty, with a toasted sesame finish and no bitterness. It is £35 for 30g.

To set it beside our two Uji matchas, the Hikari, Shōgun and Okumidori Set has all three 30g tins for £76.50. For someone who drinks matcha every day, a 100g tin of their usual tea is about 33 bowls at 3g a bowl: Hikari 100g is £78 and Shōgun 100g is £75.

Yes, for anyone who already has a whisk, because a wide bowl leaves room to whisk properly. Our bowls are made in Kyoto by T. Nishikawa & Co., Inc., a century-old maker of Kiyomizu Ware. Each piece is hand-formed, hand-glazed, and hand-painted.

That also means colour and size vary from bowl to bowl, so the one that arrives will differ a little from the photo. There are five glazes, from £70 for Kyoto Blue to £105 for Red Earth.

The Ritual Gift Box. It holds a hand-formed Kyoto bowl, a bamboo whisk, a bamboo scoop, a fine sifter and a 30g tin of Hikari, Shōgun or Hōjicha, in a cardboard gift box printed with our mark. You choose the bowl and the tea, and the price follows: £132 to £172.

Choose hōjicha. It is roasted tencha: toasty, mellow and gently sweet, and lower in caffeine than matcha. The Hikari & Hōjicha Set pairs it with our bright Uji matcha for £46, one for the morning and one for the evening. Hōjicha on its own is £23 for 30g.

Send a gift card. Choose any amount from £25 to £200, in steps of £5, and add their details when you buy. It is sent to them by email on the day you pick, so it still arrives after the last posting date.

Order by Friday 11 December for Christmas delivery in the UK. For the US, Canada, Australia, the rest of the world and the EU, order by Monday 30 November. Orders leave us within 48 hours, and UK delivery is free on orders of £25 or more. After those dates, a gift card by email is the safe choice.