18.5 cm long13 cm large
3.5 cm high
200 grams
The mesh of this mini tray is made of hard dried grass or very thin bamboo.
It will fit 1 small teapot and 1 or 2 small cups. I chose it, because I can use it on a Cha Bu with just a teapot. It keeps the Cha Bu dry and still lets me see the colors of the tea cloth. It's also a good proportion for a small teapot. It makes it stand out better than on a big tray.
If you like them big instead, see this interesting review at Multiple Infusions.
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19 comments:
Thanks for correcting me, guys. I have made the change and deleted your comments as a consequence.
I love the tray, Stephane. It has a very unique look to it. I think many of us want smaller trays, but they seem more difficult to find than their larger counterparts. Thanks for offering one.
Bonjour Stéphane,
Toujours très intéressant de lire tes explorations. Belle photos, beau set-up!
Au plaisir de se recroiser à Taipei
Hugo
Camellia
Where did you get it? It's so cute, I want one.
Just send me an e-mail to get my prices, if you want one.
Are you still selling these trays? I would like to purchase one.
I still have 2 available. Please send me an e-mail at:
stephane_erler@yahoo.com
It is one of the most useful tea accessory I own. Thx Stephane.
When I'm home, there is most of the time a teapot on it brewing tea. I've been hesitating for a long time buying a bigger tea tray, because my little Parisian flat do not let me store a bigger one, and this one, with its little size and his very simple shape is also very nice.
I love it! Thanks for offering it. :)
What kind of product or method do you suggest for "sealing" the tray? I picked one up locally and there seems to be a leak. As well they will not take it back as they are closing sadly.
Bonjour Stéphane,
A propos de ces plateaux, j'ai une question à te poser :
Il y a ceux qui préparent leur thé avec ce genre de plateau et d'autre qui utilisent un plateau simple en bois (comme un plateau de cantine, sans réceptacle pour l'eau) mais par contre avec un bateau à thé pour la théière et un bol à eau usé (que l'on utilise pas avec le plateau que tu vends)
Quelle technique préfères-tu ? Pourquoi ces différences ?
Merci à toi
Julien
Julien,
Ce plateau est si petit qu'on peut s'en servir comme bateau pour la theiere!
Avec un plateau creux dessous, on receuille facilement l'eau qui goutte un peu partout durant la preparation du the. Il convient donc mieux aux preparations du the plus grossieres. On n'a pas trop besoin de faire attention a l'eau qu'on renverse et l'on peut y aller plus franchement.
Par contre, si on a juste un bateau a the pour recueillir l'eau qui arrose la theiere, alors on doit faire plus attention comment on verse l'eau dans les tasses pour ne pas avoir trop d'eau partout. Cela demande plus de precision et d'attention, de concentration.
Tu auras remarque que j'utilise des Cha Bu, des nappes absorbantes qui permettent d'absorber un peu d'eau. Cela m'oblige donc a un peu plus de concentration pour minimiser cela, mais sans me distraire au point d'essuyer mon plateau a tout instant.
De plus, je trouve que j'ai plus de liberte creatrice dans le Cha Xi ainsi qu'avec un grand plateau en bambou.
I also have a tea tray with a hole in it. Although the one I ordered from Stephane holds water perfectly. I was wondering if anyone has discovered something to seal the tray that doesn't have a really strong smell to it?
To update, I have since found that silicone caulking works well to seal leaky wooden boxes, and with minimal smell.
However, I can no longer vouch for this small bamboo tea tray that Stephane offers. Although quite beautiful, I found the quality of materials and construction to be substandard. I purchased mine at the beginning of the year, yet it has already become totally useless.
When I first received my wooden tray it had no problems except a warped lid. But after a few weeks the box began to leak slightly from one of it's corners. I sealed the hole, but then larger cracks appeared in some of the joints of the box. I ended up sealing the box all the way around with silicone. This seemed to make it hold water, but totally ruined it's aesthetic. Then, after not using the box for a couple weeks, I found that the base of the tray had developed a huge crack right down the middle. The box is now officially useless.
I realize that bamboo boxes have a tendency to leak. I also realize that such boxes are subject to cracking when they become dry. However, I have other bamboo trays that are twice this size, and half the price, and they have not failed to the same degree that this one has.
Overall, I think this is a fine looking box, but it has unfortunately been an ongoing source of frustration for me, and is definitely not worth the money I paid.
Dear John-Paul,
Thank you very much for the feedback you provided on this bamboo tea tray. I'm sorry about the leak in your tray. For a handmade accessory made of bamboo, this defect can happen. I had asked you for a picture of the defect tray so that I can show it to the maker and give him some clues on how to improve his work. As soon as I receive your picture, I will send you a replacement, as this seems to be the best solution. I hope that you be satisfied with this.
Hello Stephane,
Thank you, that is very generous of you. And I think it would be great if the manufacturer could improve the construction of this item. I will send you a picture as soon as possible. Originally, the gaps in the some of the joints I mentioned were too small to be picked up with the camera I have. However, with the most recent crack, I will have no problem showing you what I mean, as it is very large.
I also wanted to say that after reading it again, I feel my last post was a bit harsh. It would seem that my genuine disappointment at the time had gotten the better of me. I should never have said that the tray was 'useless'. Nothing is useless of course, and I will definitely find something to do with it. All I meant to say was this it no longer holds water.
I'll get back to you with that picture soon.
Take care
I just received the replacement tray that you sent me. Thank you Stephane! I just wanted to report that the box holds water perfectly. This makes me happy because it's a very useful and beautiful box.
As a side note, when I first poured hot water into the box, I heard a distinct 'pop' sound. This occurred eventhough the water was being poured very slowly, and over the outside of a teapot that sat on top. Fortunately i did not find any cracks or leaks in the box. However, this made me realize that it might be a good idea to first pour a little bit of room temperature water into the box to temper the hot water used during tea preparation. This might help to reduce the chance of damaging the box. Also be sure to avoid storing this item near dry heat sources.
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