Ippodo vs Kettl — what's the actual difference?
Ippodo is a single Uji producer, founded 1717, selling its own 8-blend catalog direct — 7 of those 8 through its US store, ships from a US warehouse in 3-5 days. Kettl is an importer and roaster founded 2012 across Brooklyn, Fukuoka, and Los Angeles, sourcing 26 blends from farms across Uji, Yame, Nishio, and Kagoshima. Ippodo sells one house's style; Kettl sells a curated spread of other houses' output. That difference — depth versus breadth — decides more of this comparison than price does.
Which is cheaper at the entry tier?
Ippodo Sayaka ($0.70/g, via Ippodo's Japan store — its US store doesn't carry Sayaka) scores umami 7, bitterness 3, body 6. Kettl Hakusan ($1.13/g) scores higher on both counts that matter — umami 8, body 8 — for 61% more per gram. Sayaka wins on price; Hakusan wins on score. If you want the absolute floor, Ippodo Wakaki is $0.55/g, but it's deliberately bitter (7) — a training matcha, not an entry recommendation.
Which is the better value in the $1.50-$2/g range?
Ippodo Seiun, $1.68/g: umami 9, bitterness 2, sweetness 8, body 8. Nothing in Kettl's catalog matches that profile below $3/g. Kettl's closest equivalent — Shirakawa Asahi — doesn't show up until $4.50/g, and even then only adds one point of body for $2.82/g more. In this range, Ippodo wins outright; there's no Kettl blend that competes on scores at a comparable price.
So which should you actually buy?
If you're buying one everyday tin and want the best score-per-dollar: Ippodo Seiun. If you want to explore beyond Uji-style — Yame's fuller body, Kagoshima's brighter grassiness, single-cultivar releases Ippodo doesn't carry at all — Kettl's breadth is the whole point, and its premium tier (Shirakawa Gokou, Shirakawa Asahi) reaches scores Ippodo's catalog doesn't have an equivalent for above Kanza. Buy Ippodo for the best price-to-score ratio. Buy Kettl if you've already worked through Ippodo's ladder and want origins it doesn't sell.