First, we checked the basics. The water. That's the usual suspect. Matcha is delicate. If your water is boiling, you're literally cooking the leaves. The chlorophyll breaks down, and you get a dull, brownish-green. We started with water straight off the boil—bad move. The matcha turned a sad, pale yellow.

Next, we looked at the whisking. If you're using a spoon or a fork, or even a whisk but in a circular motion, you're not getting the aeration that brings out the bright green. The powder needs to be suspended evenly, not clumped at the bottom. We tried a lazy whisk, and sure enough, the color was patchy and pale.

Then we considered the bowl. A shallow, wide bowl is ideal. If you're using a narrow mug, the powder doesn't disperse well. We tried a deep mug, and the color was off. Also, sifting the powder can help. Lumps don't dissolve, they just sit there, making the brew look uneven.

Finally, we looked at storage. If the tin has been open for a while or exposed to light, the matcha oxidizes. That dulls the color. We tested a fresh tin versus one that had been sitting on the shelf for a month—the difference was obvious. The older one was noticeably paler.