Cuzen Matcha Maker – a tiny stone mill that grinds fresh matcha at the push of a button

Making matcha the proper way involves a bamboo whisk, a sifter, a special bowl and a wrist motion I can only describe as “angry zigzag”. Doing that at 7 a.m. is a big ask. Most people skip it and buy an overpriced café latte instead.

The Cuzen Matcha Maker is a countertop machine that grinds whole tea leaves into fresh matcha and whisks it into water for you. Pour in leaves, add water, press start. That’s it.

It’s basically a coffee grinder for tea, and it looks like something from a Japanese design museum. I want one on my counter for the looks alone.

What is the Cuzen Matcha Maker?

Cuzen was started by two friends, Eijiro Tsukada and Oki Hatta, who wanted fresh matcha without the ceremony. Their idea: matcha powder goes stale like pre-ground coffee, so grind it fresh from leaves instead. The machine made TIME’s Best Inventions list in 2020 and was a CES 2020 Innovation Awards honoree.

The facts, from Cuzen:

• A ceramic mill grinds shade-grown tencha leaves to under 20 micrometers. Cuzen says it uses pressure similar to a traditional 130-pound granite mill.
• Three strengths, using 1, 1.5 or 2 grams of matcha per shot
• A magnetic whisk spins in the cup to mix the powder with water
• A grind-only mode makes about 1.5 g of powder in roughly 3 minutes, for baking or hand-whisking
• The hopper holds one 20-gram leaf packet
• 13.4 x 8.7 x 4.7 inches, 4.6 lbs, with a one-year warranty

How does it work?

Fill the hopper with Cuzen’s leaves and the whisking cup with water up to the line. Press the strength button, press start, and the mill drops fresh powder into the cup while the magnetic whisk spins. A beep means your matcha shot is ready. Drink it straight, pour it over ice, or top it with milk for a latte.

A tester at Reviewed watched the water slowly turn deep green over about a minute. She went from matcha hater to daily drinker, and visitors kept asking “what’s that?” about the machine on her counter.

The good and the not-so-good

What I like:

• Fresh-ground matcha with zero whisking skills. Reviewed called it very easy to use, even for a beginner.
• Grind-only mode for matcha cookies, cakes and the traditional way.
• Cuzen says a shot costs about a dollar with its leaf refills. Cheaper than the café, if you drink it daily.
• It’s a conversation piece. Most people have never seen one.

What could be better:

• It only takes Cuzen’s leaves. The maker says other leaves hold too much moisture for the mill. So you’re locked into their refills.
• It doesn’t heat water. No hot water spout and no milk frother, which Reviewed missed for the price.
• The cup is small, so it makes one shot at a time. Some Amazon buyers wanted bigger batches.
• Reliability is mixed. A few buyers on Amazon report a mill or magnetic whisk that stopped working, while others use theirs daily without trouble.

Who is the Cuzen Matcha Maker for?

Daily matcha drinkers who are tired of clumpy powder or café prices, and design lovers who want the most interesting object in the kitchen. It’s a great splurge gift for the matcha person in your life.

If you drink matcha once a month, skip it. A bamboo whisk and a tin of good powder cost a fraction. And you’ll still need a kettle for hot drinks: something like the Smeg retro electric kettle would look great next to it.

Where can I buy the Cuzen Matcha Maker?

Cuzen sells the Matcha Maker Starter Kit on Amazon in white and in matte black (Sumi Black). It was about 300 bucks at the time of writing (October 2026), with three small sample packets of leaves in the box. Cuzen’s own shop showed it as sold out when I checked, so Amazon is the easy route. Refill leaves are on Amazon too.

For more gifts for people who love to cook and drink, see our kitchen gadget gifts.