Coffee and espresso drinks are quite common in Japan, but green tea will always have a special place in Japanese hearts, as evidenced by the availability of green tea flavored doughnuts, ice bars, beer and even curry. Now, Sharp has announced a new machine for home use that makes perfect matcha (green tea made from powdered tea leaves). They are calling it the Healsio Ocha-presso (or Healthy-o Tea-presso, if you prefer).
The Ocha-presso mills whole tea leaves, boils water and blends it together all in one machine. It was modeled on home espresso machines, but designed to reflect the essential parts of the tea ceremony (represented in the graphic below).
▼ No need to get dressed up in a kimono to operate—PJs will do!
The cylinder on the right is the mill, where you can make fresh matcha powder and add it to the chamber at the left. The water tank is at the top and is fed into the chamber at the left after boiling. Finally, the powder and water are blended together to make the perfect cup of tea.
Of course, you are not restricted to green tea. You can use any kind you like from black tea to houjicha to chai or even herbal tea to make a cup of tea unlike that which you’re used to. You can even add steamed milk directly to the mixer to make a custom tea latte.
For those who like to experiment in the kitchen, Sharp also suggests using the powdered tea in food. Matcha-flavored sweet breads and chocolates are popular in Japan, and the Ocha-presso makes it that much easier to whip up some tea-flavored sweets. They have even cooked up some recipes that use powdered tea, including pasta, gratin, cake, salad dressing and cheese dip in addition to drinks.
▼ Sweet, savory, hot or cold, they’ve got a recipe for you!
If you’re still not convinced, Sharp’s website also has some information about why matcha-style tea is better for you than brewed tea. A cup of strong matcha made with the Ocha-presso has 1.9 times the catechin found in a regular cup of green tea. Catechin, a type of antioxidant, is known for health benefits such as regulating blood sugar and having antimicrobial effects.
▼ Note that it takes 2.3g of tea leaves for a brewed cup, but only .4g for matcha. Healthy and economical!
▼ It also contains much more chlorophyll and dietary fiber, since you’re ingesting the entire leaf.
Twitter users responded to the announcement.
“Just as expected from Sharp… This is very like them.”
“For better or for worse, this is so typically Japanese.”
“Hey, that’s good!”
“I want to use it in my shop (in France)…”
“Secretly, green tea is becoming more and more popular in Europe, so this will probably sell well with the upper-middle class.”
“If you think ‘Why would you make tea in the Healsio?!’ it looks like they’ve changed the branding a bit.”
Sharp used to make a steam oven called the Healsio, so the last commenter’s confusion is warranted. In 2012, they released a Healsio rice cooker, so it seems that Healsio is expanding into a full line of kitchen appliances.
The Ocha-presso will come in two different colors and includes a measuring spoon and brush to clean the mill. Sharp has not announced the price yet, but presumably it will be more affordable than an oven.
To see the Ocha-presso in action, check out this video. The announcer sounds seriously thrilled about it!
Source/images: Sharp, Sharp Twitter
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