How Much Matcha Should You Use? Ratios for Usucha, Koicha & Lattes
Sep 30, 2026
If you want consistent matcha, measure the matcha and water before changing anything else. A few grams can make a very large difference because matcha is consumed as the whole powdered leaf rather than infused and removed.
There is no single universal recipe, but Japanese tea houses give useful starting points.
Quick ratio guide
| Style | Matcha | Water | Starting temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usucha | 1.5–2 g | 60–70 ml | about 75–80°C |
| Koicha | about 4 g | about 30 ml | about 80°C |
| Matcha latte base | about 3 g | about 90 ml | about 80°C |
These are starting points, not laws. Your matcha, water, bowl and taste preference can justify small changes.
How much matcha for usucha?
Ippodo recommends 2 g matcha to 60 ml water for its basic usucha.
Marukyu Koyamaen recommends approximately 1.5 g to 70 ml water.
Those two respected producers already show why recipes should be treated as ranges rather than one sacred number.
Why grams are better than teaspoons
A teaspoon is convenient, but matcha can settle, compact or mound differently.
A chashaku is even less useful as a universal measuring device because scoop size and how heavily you load it can vary. Ippodo describes 2 g as about one level teaspoon or roughly 1.5 heaped tea ladles, while Marukyu Koyamaen describes about 1.5 g as two chashaku scoops.
If you care about repeatability, use a small digital scale.
What happens if you use too little matcha?
The tea may taste watery, thin or dominated by hot water rather than tea aroma.
It may still foam, so foam is not a reliable measure of whether the ratio is correct.
What happens if you use too much?
The matcha becomes thicker, more intense and more sensitive to bitterness or astringency.
That is not inherently wrong—koicha deliberately uses a high concentration—but the tea must be smooth enough to support it.
How much matcha for koicha?
Ippodo’s basic koicha uses 4 g matcha with 30 ml water.
That is roughly four times the matcha-to-water concentration of a typical usucha.
Do not whisk koicha hard in search of foam. Mix it slowly until the powder and water become smooth and glossy.
How much matcha for a latte?
Ippodo’s matcha-latte recipe uses 3 g matcha with 90 ml hot water at 80°C, then adds milk or soy milk.
For a stronger café-style latte, you can use less water for the initial matcha base or increase the matcha slightly. For a lighter drink, add more milk rather than drowning a small amount of matcha in too much water before mixing.
Should iced matcha use a different ratio?
Usually yes, because ice dilutes the drink as it melts.
A practical approach is to prepare the matcha slightly stronger than your hot version, then pour over ice. If making an iced latte, prepare a concentrated matcha base first and add cold milk afterward.
How much water is too much?
If you use 250–300 ml of water with only 1–2 g matcha, you are no longer close to standard usucha concentration.
That may still be a pleasant long drink, but it will taste much lighter and be harder to whisk into a fine texture.
Does hotter water mean you should use less matcha?
Not necessarily. Temperature and ratio solve different problems.
Hotter water tends to emphasize bitterness and aroma extraction, while concentration changes how much tea material is present. If the tea tastes too harsh, lowering the water temperature may work better than simply reducing the matcha.
A practical adjustment sequence
- Start with 2 g matcha and 60 ml water.
- If it tastes too strong, first try 70 ml water.
- If it tastes harsh rather than simply strong, try slightly cooler water.
- If it tastes weak, increase matcha by about 0.5 g before radically changing everything else.
- Keep notes until you find the combination you prefer.
How many bowls from a 20 g tin?
At 2 g per usucha, about 10 bowls.
At 4 g per koicha, about 5 bowls.
At 3 g per latte, about 6 servings with a little left over.
This is also useful when comparing prices: cost per gram is often more meaningful than the price of the tin.
The simplest starting point
Usucha: 2 g / 60 ml. Koicha: 4 g / 30 ml. Latte base: 3 g / 90 ml.
Then adjust deliberately rather than guessing.
To understand the two traditional styles, read Usucha vs Koicha. If your preparation still tastes wrong, see Why Does My Matcha Taste Bitter, Grassy or Fishy?.
