Gear & Setup
The gourd, the bombilla, and the starter kit — everything you brew mate with.
3 guides · a guided path
The brief
Great mate is half the leaf and half the kit. These roundups cover the gear you actually drink with — the gourd that seasons over time, the bombilla that filters every sip, and the starter kit that gets a newcomer set up in one go.
Start here · Buyer's Guide
The Best Yerba Mate Gourd (2026): Calabash vs Stainless
The gourd is the cup of the mate ritual. The real choice is traditional calabash — which must be cured and babied — versus foolproof stainless that needs no curing and goes in the dishwasher.
Read it9 min
- 02
Buyer's Guide
The Best Bombilla (2026): The Yerba Mate Straw, Ranked
A bombilla is the filtered metal straw that makes the gourd ritual work. The right one — a spring-filter — handles even fine, powdery yerba without clogging, and comes apart to clean.
8 min - 03
Buyer's Guide
The Best Yerba Mate Starter Kit (2026): Everything to Begin
A good starter kit gets you a gourd, a bombilla, and yerba in one box — no curing, no guesswork. Here's the kit we recommend, plus how to build your own if you'd rather.
8 min
Keep exploring
Yerba Mate 101
Start here — what yerba mate is, how it's made, and how to drink it well.
Best Yerba Mate
Our tasted, ranked picks — by style, origin, and our signature lens: stems, smoke, and strength.
Yerba Mate, Compared
How yerba mate stacks up against the other things people reach for — and against itself.
Yerba Mate, Honestly
The preparation and caffeine questions everyone asks, answered straight.