Published 29 Oct 2026 · by Un Mate Kosova
What you need
- Yerba mate (a 500 g pack is a good start)
- A mate gourd or cup — natural calabaza, ceramic or insulated steel
- A bombilla, the metal straw with a filter
- A thermos or kettle with hot water — not boiling, around 70–80 °C
Step 1: Fill the gourd
Fill the gourd about two thirds full with yerba. Cover the opening with your palm, turn the gourd upside down and shake gently. The fine dust rises to the top and the coarser leaf stays where it should, which keeps the bombilla from clogging.
Tilt the gourd back to about 45° so the yerba forms a slope on one side, leaving a hollow on the other.
Step 2: Add a little cold water
Pour a small splash of cool water into the hollow and let the leaf absorb it for a minute. This protects the yerba from the heat and releases less bitterness.
Step 3: Insert the bombilla
Put the bombilla into the wet hollow with your thumb over the top so no leaf blocks it. Press it to the bottom, against the wall of the slope. Once it is in place, do not move it around.
Step 4: Pour hot water
Pour hot water — never boiling — into the same hollow, next to the bombilla, and leave the slope dry. Water that is too hot burns the leaf and makes the mate harsh. Around 70–80 °C is ideal.
Step 5: Drink and refill
Sip slowly and finish the water in the gourd. The first cup is the strongest; add more hot water in the same spot and it keeps going for many refills until the taste fades. A good session lasts well over a thermos of water.
Common beginner mistakes
- Using boiling water — the most common reason mate tastes burnt.
- Stirring the bombilla — it clogs the filter.
- Skipping the cold-water step — the first sip is harsher.
- Not rinsing the gourd and bombilla afterwards — leaf residue turns musty.
Caring for a natural gourd
A calabaza needs to be cured before its first use: fill it with used yerba and warm water, leave it for a day, then scrape out the inside and rinse. Ceramic and steel cups do not need curing.
Quick answers
- What temperature should the water be for mate?
- Between 70 and 80 °C. Boiling water burns the leaf and makes mate bitter.
- How many times can I refill a gourd?
- A well-filled gourd gives many refills — often a full thermos — until the water comes out pale and tasteless.