Chasen Kazuho

INITIATION:
Before first use, let it sit in tap water for a few minutes (about 10 minutes).
Let it soak in warm water (for about a minute) before every use to protect the tines from breaking.

HOW TO WHISK MATCHA:
- Place the tea bowl on a non-slippery surface, and hold it on the side with your left hand (if right-handed).
- Hold the chasen close to the end of the handle. Your thumb should be aligned with the knot on it.
- Start moving the chasen in a "W" pattern, up and down, speeding up as much as possible until it is foamy enough.
- To create great foam, the temperature of the water is crucial: about 85 °C (185 °F) is the best.
- Attention! Always whisk close to the surface, and make sure not to rub the chasen to the bottom of the bowl because that might damage the tips of the tines.
- While whisking, keep your body relaxed, moving only your wrists.
- Finish the whisking with a clockwise spiral motion from the middle of the bowl to the sides. This motion is practical (gives the foam a beautiful finish) and also symbolic (it is the image of infinity).

CLEANING:
Rinse it carefully under running water. If necessary, gently remove any leftover matcha powder from the whisk.
Do not soak the whisk in water.
Do not use dishwasher, dryer, or dish soap!

STORAGE:
Store it in a place with good ventilation and humidity not lower than 50%, preferably on a Kusenaoshi (whisk stand). If you don’t have a stand, keep it looking upwards. This way, the tines might “close up” and straighten out, but that can be fixed. Make it wet under running water and gently unfold the tines with your fingers. Never do this with a dry whisk as it would break.
Bamboo is a sensitive material. If the whisk is stored away in a too-warm or too-dry place, it might crack.

LIFESPAN:
The lifespan of a chasen depends on how it is handled and how frequently it is used. As soon as the tips of the tines start to break off, we recommend purchasing a new one.