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Hario ChaCha Kyusu Zen vs Maru: Which Glass Teapot?

Two clear glass Japanese teapots side by side on a wooden table, one tapered with a wider mouth and one rounder with a round lid knob

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Short answer: Choose the Hario ChaCha Kyusu Zen if you want a wider mouth and Hario’s tapered pour design; choose Maru if you want the rounder everyday kyusu, a lower price at the same 450 mL size, or a 700 mL option. At 450 mL, Zen (CHZ-45-T) is $28.50 at Hario USA and about 120 mm across the mouth; Maru (CHJMN-45T) is $23.50 with a 94 mm mouth. Both are heatproof glass pots with lids made in Japan and stainless strainers made in China, and both are microwave and dishwasher safe if you remove the strainer first.

How we compare: every spec and price in this article comes from Hario’s official pages (starting with Hario USA’s ChaCha Kyusu “Zen” page and Hario USA’s ChaCha Kyusu “Maru” page, plus Hario Japan / HARIO NETSHOP), all listed under Sources below. We don’t run hands-on tests. Where we quote what Japanese buyers and blogs said, we say so. Last updated: November 2026.

Check price: Zen 300 mL (CHZ-30T)
Check price: Zen 450 mL (CHZ-45T)
Check price: Maru 300 mL (CHJMN-30T)
Check price: Maru 450 mL (CHJMN-45T)

Hario’s ChaCha Kyusu line is a clear heatproof-glass take on the Japanese kyusu (急須), the everyday teapot for loose-leaf tea. Zen (禅) and Maru (丸, “round”) share the same materials and care rules, but they are different shapes: Zen is the tapered, wider-mouth pourer; Maru is the rounder, more compact pot that also comes in a larger 700 mL size. This guide is a shape and design comparison. For Maru sizes alone, see our Hario ChaCha Kyusu Maru 300 vs 450 vs 700 article.

Quick Comparison Table (450 mL head-to-head)

Spec Zen 450 mL Maru 450 mL
Model numbers CHZ-45-T / HR-CHZ-45T CHJMN-45T / HR-CHJMN-45T
Japanese name 茶茶急須 禅 茶茶急須 丸
Hario USA price $28.50 $23.50
Practical capacity 450 mL (15.2 oz) 450 mL (15.2 oz)
Brim-full capacity (HARIO NETSHOP) Not listed on the Zen page we checked 520 mL (17.6 oz)
Size (W × D × H) 168 × 120 × 100 mm (6.6 × 4.7 × 3.9 in) 155 × 118 × 95 mm (6.1 × 4.6 × 3.7 in)
Mouth / opening About 120 mm (4.7 in) 94 mm / Φ94 mm (3.7 in)
Weight with box (official JP) About 400 g (14.1 oz) About 300 g (10.6 oz)
Shape highlight (Hario USA) Tapered design for easy pouring; wide open mesh basket Modern round look; large metal strainer; round knob lid (JP/global copy)
Size lineup 300 mL and 450 mL 300 mL, 450 mL, and 700 mL
Pot and lid Heatproof borosilicate glass, made in Japan Same
Strainer Stainless steel, made in China Same
Care (Hario USA) Hot water, microwave, dishwasher OK; remove strainer before microwave; not for oven, IH, or open fire Same
Japan price (tax incl., HARIO NETSHOP) ¥2,530 ¥2,750

U.S. prices, capacities, materials and care from Hario USA (hario-usa.com), checked November 3, 2026, when Zen 300/450 and Maru 300/450/700 were all listed as available. Mouth diameters, Japan weights with box, Zen sizes, and Japan prices from HARIO NETSHOP / Hario Japan (shop.hariocorp.co.jp and hario.com). Inch and ounce conversions are ours. Maru brim-full figures are from HARIO NETSHOP; Zen’s NETSHOP page listed practical capacity only.

Full size lineup

Model Capacity Hario USA Size (W × D × H) Mouth Weight w/ box (JP)
Zen CHZ-30-T 300 mL $25.50 156 × 110 × 90 mm About 110 mm About 300 g
Zen CHZ-45-T 450 mL $28.50 168 × 120 × 100 mm About 120 mm About 400 g
Maru CHJMN-30T 300 mL (brim 320 mL) $21.50 143 × 98 × 98 mm 94 mm About 300 g
Maru CHJMN-45T 450 mL (brim 520 mL) $23.50 155 × 118 × 95 mm 94 mm About 300 g
Maru CHJMN-70T 700 mL (brim 750 mL) $25.50 173 × 132 × 108 mm 107 mm About 400 g

Same sources as the table above. Maru brim-full capacities from HARIO NETSHOP product pages.

Key differences at a glance

  • Shape: Zen = tapered pour design; Maru = round modern kyusu with a round lid knob in Hario’s Japan/global copy.
  • Mouth at 450 mL: Zen about 120 mm vs Maru 94 mm (Zen is clearly the wider opening).
  • Footprint at 450 mL: Zen 168 × 120 × 100 mm vs Maru 155 × 118 × 95 mm.
  • Price at 450 mL (Hario USA): Zen $28.50 vs Maru $23.50 ($5 less for Maru).
  • Sizes: Zen 300/450 mL only; Maru 300/450/700 mL.
  • Same on both: heatproof glass pot and lid (Japan), stainless strainer (China), hot water / microwave / dishwasher OK with strainer removed for microwave; not for oven, IH, or open fire.

1. Shape and Pour

Hario USA’s Zen page leads with pour: “The ‘Zen’ Tea Pot features a tapered design for easy pouring, and its wide open mesh basket allows for tea leaves to move and extract freely.” The Japan NETSHOP description matches that focus—smooth pouring to the last drop, with a tapered spout (テーバー形状).

Maru’s Hario USA copy stresses a modern look, heatproof glass, and a large metal strainer that lets leaves expand. Hario Japan’s 茶茶急須 丸 page adds that you can enjoy the color of the tea through the glass, that the strainer is large so leaves can open, and that the lid knob is a round shape that is easy to hold. Global Maru product copy likewise highlights the round knob lid for comfortable handling.

So on paper, Zen is the pour-and-wide-basket shape; Maru is the round everyday kyusu with the round lid knob. Both are clear glass, so tea color is visible on either pot.

2. Strainer and Mouth Size

Both use a removable stainless-steel strainer made in China and a heatproof glass pot and lid made in Japan. The practical difference buyers care about is how wide the mouth is when you add leaves or wash the inside.

  • Zen: mouth about 110 mm (300 mL) and 120 mm (450 mL), per HARIO NETSHOP.
  • Maru: mouth 94 mm on 300 mL and 450 mL, and 107 mm on 700 mL, per Hario Japan.

At the shared 450 mL size, Zen’s opening is about 26 mm (1.0 in) wider than Maru’s—our subtraction from Hario’s figures. That lines up with Japanese buying guides that treat Zen as the wider-mouth ChaCha option and Maru (or Maru AYAORI) as the more compact round pot.

3. Sizes and Prices

Zen stops at 450 mL. Maru continues to 700 mL, which matters if you brew for two or more people or chill a larger batch. At Hario USA on November 3, 2026:

  • Zen: $25.50 (300 mL) / $28.50 (450 mL)
  • Maru: $21.50 (300 mL) / $23.50 (450 mL) / $25.50 (700 mL)

Maru 450 mL is $5 cheaper than Zen 450 mL on Hario USA. Maru 700 mL costs the same $25.50 as Zen’s smaller 300 mL. On HARIO NETSHOP (tax included), Zen listed at ¥2,200 / ¥2,530 and Maru at ¥2,750 / ¥2,750 / ¥3,300—so in Japan the Zen listing was cheaper than Maru at matching sizes when we checked, even though Zen was marked out of stock there that day.

Maru 700 mL (CHJMN-70T) is the only size above 450 mL in this pair. For a Maru-only size pick, use the linked Maru size article rather than this shape guide.

4. Care and Safety

Hario USA lists the same care line for Zen and Maru:

  • Safe for hot water, microwave, and dishwasher
  • Remove the strainer before microwaving
  • Not safe for oven, IH stove, or open fire

Hario Japan’s Maru page likewise marks microwave and dishwasher use and says to take the strainer off before microwaving. Treat both as pour-over / steep teapots, not stovetop kettles.

Who Should Buy Which?

Choose ChaCha Kyusu Zen (CHZ-30-T / CHZ-45-T) if you:

  • Want Hario’s tapered pour design and a wider mouth (about 110–120 mm)
  • Prefer the wider open mesh basket Hario highlights for leaf movement
  • Are fine with a 300 mL or 450 mL max (no 700 mL Zen)
  • Will pay about $5 more than Maru at 450 mL on Hario USA

Choose ChaCha Kyusu Maru (CHJMN-30T / 45T / 70T) if you:

  • Want the rounder, more compact silhouette and round lid knob
  • Want the lower Hario USA price at 300 or 450 mL
  • Need the 700 mL size
  • Prefer the 94 mm mouth on the everyday sizes (still wide enough for many people to wash, but narrower than Zen)
Check price: Zen 300 mL (CHZ-30T)
Check price: Zen 450 mL (CHZ-45T)
Check price: Maru 300 mL (CHJMN-30T)
Check price: Maru 450 mL (CHJMN-45T)

A View from Japan

In Japan these are sold as 茶茶急須 禅 and 茶茶急須 丸. HARIO NETSHOP’s Zen page describes a heatproof-glass kyusu for enjoying Japanese tea in a stylish way, a large strainer that follows the glass shape so leaves extract well, and a tapered spout aimed at smooth pouring to the last drop. Hario Japan’s Maru page emphasizes seeing the tea’s color, a large strainer so leaves can open, and a round lid knob that is easy to hold. Both lines are presented as suitable across Japanese tea, Chinese tea, black tea, and herbal tea in NETSHOP Maru marketing copy.

Item Japan (HARIO official)
Japanese names 茶茶急須 禅 (Zen) / 茶茶急須 丸 (Maru)
What the names mean 禅 = Zen (tapered pour focus in Hario’s copy); 丸 = Maru / “round”
NETSHOP prices (tax incl.) Zen 300 mL ¥2,200; Zen 450 mL ¥2,530; Maru 300/450 mL ¥2,750; Maru 700 mL ¥3,300
Zen mouth (NETSHOP) 300 mL: 110 mm; 450 mL: 120 mm
Maru mouth (hario.com) 300/450 mL: 94 mm; 700 mL: 107 mm
Materials Glass pot and lid: heatproof glass (HARIO Glass® on JP Maru page); strainer: stainless steel
Made in Pot and lid: Japan; strainer: China
Microwave / dishwasher Yes for both lines; remove the strainer before microwaving

Japanese names, sizes, mouths, weights and NETSHOP prices from HARIO official pages, checked November 3, 2026. Prices include Japanese consumption tax. Zen was listed but out of stock on NETSHOP that day; Maru sizes were in stock.

Japanese reviewers often pick by mouth width, pour, and whether the clear glass helps them judge strength. On HARIO NETSHOP, Zen averages 4.0 stars from four reviews: buyers like the large strainer and how well leaves steep, the pour from the non-flared bottom, and dishwasher use; one preferred Zen’s shape even though the round Maru was cheaper; another warned that the loose glass lid can jam diagonally between the spout and handle while washing. Maru 450 mL on NETSHOP averages about 4.4 stars from seven reviews: buyers praise clear color, smooth pouring without drips, easy washing of the round interior, and everyday use for one or two people, while reminding others that glass can break if handled roughly. A Japanese lifestyle blog that steeped Maru 450 mL praised the pour and fine mesh for keeping leaves out of the cup, and noted microwave reheating with the strainer removed. A Japanese buying guide comparing Zen 450 mL with Maru AYAORI treated Zen as the wider-mouth (120 mm) stainless-strainer pick and noted Zen’s larger shelf footprint (168 mm wide). (Third-party reviews, not our own testing.)

Hario ChaCha Kyusu Zen vs Maru: Frequently Asked Questions

Should I buy the Hario ChaCha Kyusu Zen or Maru?

Buy Zen if you want the wider mouth and Hario’s tapered pour spout (CHZ-30-T / CHZ-45-T). Buy Maru if you want the rounder, more compact silhouette, the round lid knob Hario highlights, a lower Hario USA price at the same 450 mL size ($23.50 vs $28.50), or the 700 mL size that Zen does not offer. Both use heatproof Japanese glass and a stainless strainer with the same care rules.

What is the main design difference between Zen and Maru?

Hario USA describes Zen as a tapered design for easy pouring with a wide open mesh basket. Maru is described as a modern glass pot with a large metal strainer; Hario’s Japan and global Maru pages also call out a round knob on the lid that is easy to hold. At 450 mL, Zen is wider and taller (168 × 120 × 100 mm) with about a 120 mm mouth; Maru is 155 × 118 × 95 mm with a 94 mm mouth.

Which size should I buy?

For either shape, 450 mL is the everyday middle size (about 15 oz). Zen only comes in 300 mL and 450 mL. Maru adds a 700 mL size for larger batches. For a Maru-only size breakdown, see our separate Maru size guide linked below.

Are Hario ChaCha Kyusu Zen and Maru microwave and dishwasher safe?

Yes. Hario USA lists both as safe for hot water, microwave, and dishwasher, and says to remove the strainer before microwaving. Both are not safe for oven, IH stove, or open fire.

Where are they made?

For both Zen and Maru, Hario USA and Hario Japan list the glass pot and lid as made in Japan and the stainless strainer as made in China.

How much do they cost at Hario USA?

Checked November 3, 2026: Zen 300 mL $25.50, Zen 450 mL $28.50; Maru 300 mL $21.50, Maru 450 mL $23.50, Maru 700 mL $25.50. All five variants were listed as available. Amazon prices can differ—use the Check price buttons.

Is the Hario ChaCha Kyusu Zen still sold in Japan?

Yes. HARIO NETSHOP lists 茶茶急須 禅 (CHZ-30T / CHZ-45T) at ¥2,200 and ¥2,530 tax included. When we checked on November 3, 2026, both Zen sizes showed as out of stock on NETSHOP, while Hario USA still listed both as available. Maru sizes were in stock on NETSHOP.

Check current listings

Amazon search results for “Hario ChaCha Kyusu” often mix Zen, Maru, Maru AYAORI (resin strainer), ChaCha Kaku (角), Clear Tea Pot (FNC), Jumping Leaf, and other Hario teapots. Check the model number before you buy: CHZ-30T / CHZ-45T for Zen, CHJMN-30T / CHJMN-45T / CHJMN-70T for Maru.

Check price: Zen 300 mL (CHZ-30T)
Check price: Zen 450 mL (CHZ-45T)
Check price: Maru 300 mL (CHJMN-30T)
Check price: Maru 450 mL (CHJMN-45T)

Also listed: Maru 700 mL (CHJMN-70T).

Sources

Specs and prices checked November 3, 2026. We found no U.S. CPSC recalls for Hario ChaCha Kyusu teapots when we checked (an unrelated Kikkerland teapot-with-stand recall appears in general teapot searches). Prices and availability change, so check the current listing before buying.

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