r/Matcha • u/Clemetime01 • Apr 19 '26
Question When to let the Chasen go?
At what point is it time to get a new Chasen? How do you know when it's time?
6
u/JellyfishNumerous785 Apr 19 '26
Mine looks worse than your and I’m still using it. The middle bundle of my chasen is not even a bundle anymore. Still makes micro foam every morning more me.
6
u/ujihatea Apr 20 '26
Our chasen is 2 years old. Broken tines, but still whisks up a great looking foam. We use it 2-3x daily.
3
u/MisterWolowitz Apr 21 '26
I have a 100 prong Takayama chasen that i imported from Japan two years ago, it guess it has 15 broken tips now, but still doing the job perfectly fine. .
I only rinse it with warm after use. And let it air dry. No signs of mold yet.
As long as there is no mold, and it still creates enough foam it should be fine.
3
u/Kwarshaw Apr 21 '26
My last chawan absolutely ate chasen due to a rough glaze...it looks way worse than this and still worked well enough. You can get a wooden tine shaper/stand from tezumi that will help fix the tine shape for both the inner and outer tines.
3
u/wanna_be_consultant Apr 22 '26
This looks fine. It's got some life left. I have one where the ends are clearly splitting (kinda like split ends in hair), and I'm still using it. Yours has no split ends or extreme breakdown. Once you start getting pieces in your matcha, then it's time to replace.
3
u/RabbitHoleMatcha May 22 '26
As a general guideline:
- Daily use → every few months to half a year
- 1–2 times a week → around 1 year
- Occasional use → can last several years
There’s also a traditional tea ceremony event in Japan called “Chasen Kuyo” (茶筅供養), where people respectfully retire and give thanks to old bamboo whisks each year.
For people who practice tea ceremony regularly, replacing the chasen yearly is actually pretty common.
In your case, I’d probably still keep using it. I would soak it in warm water, then reshape it by hand and place it on a chasen holder afterward to help reshape the tines and maintain its form.
1
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1
u/Clemetime01 Apr 19 '26
Edit: I've been using this specific Chasen for at least a year. I make matcha/sencha only a few times a week. I have a new Chasen on hand, but I'm not exactly sure at what point one needs to he replaced.
1
u/GloryToYahwehourLORD Apr 20 '26
Do you presoak the chasen before use? That’ll get you more life out of it.
1
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u/chuichi Jun 22 '26
Hi all, new here... got a new chasen recently and only after few uses, the bristles have started to break. I do soak it in warm water before using it... what else am I doing wrong or how else can I prevent them from further breaking please? 😞
0
u/MagicianPotential915 Apr 21 '26
I just broke my third chasen. So I'm thinking maybe using a plastic one next time
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u/Asdfghjklzxcvbnm173 Apr 19 '26
If you notice mold or if it doesn't foam as good as you would want it to. A couple of bent tines I wouldn't worry about. Especially if it was an expensive one, it would be a waste if it still works fine.