Product Information:
Where To Buy: Dragon Tea House
Product Description:
High grade handmade gongfu tea serving tray made with Sandalwood. Sandalwood is a fragrant wood from which an oil is derived for use in foods and cosmetics. The oil has been used widely in traditional Asian medicine and had been official in the United States at the turn of the century. Today, the oil finds little medicinal use but its widespread use as a popular fragrance continues. When pouring hot water on the tray, you could smell noticeable fragrance from it!
Chinese Gongfu style tea requires pouring away the water used to warm the teapot, tea brewer and cups, and the first rinse of the leaves is also discarded. Slatted trays with a water collection basin makes it easier to serve the tea. Preheat and rinse your cups and teapot using the interior of the tray to catch the waste water. Water then drains through the holes in the top, flowing down into the main part of the tray below. After your teatime, simply remove the cover and clean the interior easily.
This tray is suitable for Gongfu-style tea service for 4-6 people using Gongfu teaware.
Note: The depicted tea cups and accessories are shown for illustration purposes only. They must be purchased separately.
The tray is made with natural wood material, wood grain is different from one to another, you will not get exactly the same grain as pictured.
Learn more about this tea ware here.
Product Review:
Thanks to Dragon Tea House I absolutely adore this Large Grape Sandalwood Tea Table! I wanted one so badly but I was so particular as to what I wanted. Since this is not a small purchase in my household I was very selective in the tea tray I selected because it will be the only one I ever have, aside from the fact I really don’t see the need for more than one tea tray. Then again, they are so beautiful if I had a big home I would probably be prone to collecting them. Regardless, this is the tea tray I wanted and my hubby got it for me for Christmas. Good hubby.
I particularly like the size of this tray which is 48 by 33.5CM. I am sure there are even larger ones but this seems to be on the larger end of the spectrum from those I had scoped out. The detail and artwork in this tray are amazing! Also I love Sandalwood so when I considered the combined beauty and wood of this tray I knew it was the one for me. My tray is slightly lighter than the one pictured and I have included photos of my own personal tray here in the review.
My tray arrived very well packaged layered in bubble wrap and Styrofoam. There is not a nick or scratch on it. Its a solid piece and weighs heavy enough that it feels of high quality but on the other hand is not too heavy to move from place to place for use. It is also glossier than it looks in the photo provided from the website. The plastic basin is also of good quality and does not look as though it will crack or wear out anytime soon.
Tea Trays are of course a personal thing, everyone wants one that reflects their own taste and personality. One thing I can say about Dragon Tea House is that they have a really wide selection. One of the largest I have found.
My tray came with three tags which I can’t read although I wish I could. There is an artist mark on the tray as well but again I can’t read it. I did notice when I was looking around at tea trays that some of the artist marks looked better than others. What I mean is that some are really engraved into the table whereas others looked to be like they were stamped in. I would say that to me that makes a difference. The artist signature on my tray is indeed engraved. Now of course not everyone cares about the artistry in their tea tray, sometimes we are looking only for function but in my case I really wanted a piece that makes a statement and this tray certainly does that in my opinion.
When I had finished my selection of possible tea trays I would want, it came down to three trays, and all three happened to be from Dragon Tea House! Granted there were some pretty trays from other places but Dragon really does have one of the best selections out there, and are of excellent quality, so if you are in the market for a tea tray you should really check them out!
My Photos:
PRODUCT REVIEW: Ceramic Tea Tray from Tea Forté
Where to Buy: Tea Forté
Company Description:
Tea Forte’s set of ceramic tea trays offer a dramatic and festive presentation for serving our Silken Tea Infusers. Return infusers to these trays after brewing to catch the drips. Each gift box contains two trays. An ideal accompaniment to any size of our tea package options.
Product Review:
As I’ve professed before, I am not a big fan of gadgets, especially when it comes to tea. Tea, in my opinion, is best enjoyed when kept simple.
That being said, I have to admit that these ceramic tea trays from Tea Forté are REALLY cool! Not only do they provide a great service (keeping tea preparation area neat and tidy), they make using tea sachets fun and stylish. Even as someone who loves my loose leaf tea – I can still really appreciate this nifty little tool.
Imagine having tea with a friend… this simple yet effective little tray helps eliminate that awkward moment when you don’t know what to do with your tea bag. This is a moment that most tea drinkers have experienced… You don’t want to put it on the table – it will ruin the table or stain the tablecloth! You don’t want to use your napkin – that will render your napkin useless. And you don’t want to put it on your saucer – because it will result in a messy, gauche saucer. Having one of these cute, inexpensive tea trays 
(they’re just $6.00 for a package of two trays) gives you a place to put your tea bag while adding a sense of elegance to your tea table.
What I think I like most about these little trays is that they can suit just about any type of style desired. They are minimalistic, and yet, they can be whimsical, cute, charming, elegant and even somewhat masculine, if you want them to be.
