When you're picking a matcha for a weekend brew, look at two things: harvest and origin. That's it. Harvest time tells you about flavor and color. Origin tells you about quality—Uji, Japan is the gold standard, but other regions can be good too.

Now, grind fineness matters, but not as much as you'd think. A fine grind gives that smooth, creamy texture, but once it's fine enough, you won't notice the difference. So don't obsess over micron numbers. Instead, look for a 'stone-milled' label—not because it's inherently better, but because it's a sign the producer cares about traditional methods.