How we test, choose, and write about our products
Every product on this site sits on our own counter for at least 30 days before we list it. This page explains exactly how that works — what we test, what we reject, who writes the descriptions, and how we handle reviews and returns.
Product selection
We carry around 50 products. We could carry 500 — vendors offer us new SKUs every week. We don't, because we test everything ourselves first.
- 30-day kitchen trial. Every product candidate gets used in our home kitchen in Newport Beach for at least 30 days. Matcha whisks get whisked daily. Drying mats hold actual wet dishes. Cutting boards take real knife edges. If something fails the test — it doesn't ship.
- Original-photography rule. We do not use vendor stock photography on our PDPs. Every product is photographed in our own kitchen on our own counter, in natural light. The marble countertop you see is ours.
- Material verification. For our matcha sets we verify origin (Nami yame matcha is from Yame, Japan; Sencha Naturals is USDA organic). For our diatomaceous stone mats we verify there is no chemical coating. For our titanium boards we verify the alloy.
Who writes our descriptions
Lisa writes all of them. Lisa founded Strabella in 2023 and has been making matcha at home for 12 years. The "from a kitchen in Newport Beach" voice you hear on the product pages is hers. We do not use AI to generate product descriptions. We do use AI to help with translation and to draft early outlines for blog posts, but every published word is reviewed and rewritten by a human before it goes live.
Customer reviews
We use a third-party reviews platform to collect verified reviews from real customers. We do not edit, filter, or moderate reviews based on rating. We do not pay for reviews. We do reply publicly to negative reviews when we have something to say or fix.
Returns and refunds
30-day return window on unused products in original packaging. We pay return shipping if the product is defective. Otherwise return shipping is the customer's. Refunds processed within 5 business days of receiving the return. Full policy at /policies/refund-policy.
Corrections policy
If we get something wrong on a product page or a blog post — wrong dimensions, wrong material, wrong date — we fix it within 24 hours of being notified, and we add a "Corrected on [date]" note at the bottom of the page. Email lisa@strabella.org with corrections.
Editorial independence
We do not accept payment for product placement in our blog content. We do not run sponsored posts. The only commercial element in our blog content is internal links to our own products, which we mark visually with a small "Strabella" tag where they appear in editorial context.
Why this page exists
Because trust matters more than reach. If you are reading this, you are probably trying to figure out whether we are a real brand or a dropshipper. We are real. Our address is 624 Danube Way, Costa Mesa CA 92626. Our phone is +1 310 465 3253. Our email is lisa@strabella.org. Lisa answers it personally.
Updated 2026-05-15. Page maintained by Lisa, Founder.