bamboo... cost RM158 from Legends of Tea..

plastic tray is the best rm10-rm20

that price can buy stone carved tray jor. bamboo tray if exceed RM 70 is very liok sui already.

wahh.. didnt know bout the pricing.. but it does look good la.. anyway buy d just enjoy using it lo.. haha.. thanks for your info btw.. gotta check around prices next time..

bamboo is cheap stuff. wood is more expensive than bamboo. so the price of wood tray depending on the quality and carving, can range from 40 bucks our money to 20000 bucks our money.

bamboo usually no carvings or not much carvings. and most is printed material . it can last, it's quite lghtweight and durable and definitely a good for value. simple and exquisite. the cheapest among the range as well hence the good for value and money budget thing comes into play.

wood usually basic structure and the type of wood will determine the cost. the normal standard ones are encasted in plaster or dense cement and then layered with wood. these are the cheap types. the actual carved from an entire piece of tree is damn bloody expensive. but one can see the grain and the wear and tear and from the wear and tear can appreciate the fine quality of the wood.
the most expensive ones are carved from 1 unit to form 1 tray. these are done without treatment process and varnish or shelleck. so a person can genuinely know that this is actual wood from dunno what tree and no preservatives or paint was used to cover the beauty.

marble and stones are the most expensive of all. pure jade chinese tea tray is super the expensive. prices of these are determined by the type of stone used, whether it was carved from 1 piece of stone or adjoined together with multiple pieces. the cheaper ones are made using multiple stone casts and compressed and glued and treated to become 1 tray.
they are also expensive because they sorta last a lifetime and therefore the sales wont be ongoing as often as bamboo or wood. hence the price is slightly higher due to the rigidity and toughness and extensive shelve life.


i have all 3. the bamboo tray i put in my garden. cheap. under RM 40 bought from selayang mall. the wood i have is also not the expensive type. under RM 80. this i use inside my home to serve small guests.
then on my tea table i also bought a pure granite slab. this one cost me about rm3800. quite big and damn bloody heavy. roughly about 2 1/2 feet long and 2 feet wide and 2.5 inches high. carved with standard power tools for the drainage and containment section.

the hand carved i saw, same granite almost similar size slightly bigger will cost about 9000 bucks man. then the pure jade i saw last time in guangzhou is a winning piece. that one selling for about RM 5.5 mil.
the carving damn smooth. almost flawless and the stork bird they carve also is like extreme fine works of art. fuiyoh see price also i run liao.

i use plastic only..it's portable
i got 1 big 1 small. can store more water than the wood and bamboo type. it's soft will not break the pot and cup. not hot. very disposable

This post has been edited by kuekwee: Dec 4 2012, 11:43 AM

thank you very much for the insight into tea trays.. u must be very experience in tea drinking.. haha.. for me im still noobie but kinda enjoying it.. almost everyday very eager to go back and have a session with my set.. one question i would like to know..

how do u take care of a tea pot.. i invested in one and wanna know what are the "dos and donts".. just in case.. also what kinda water u guys use to wash it.. im afraid to use tap water as it may contain clorin.. pls share knowledge pls..

clay tea pot or ceramic pot ? or fine china ? or treated porcelain ?

usually people who drink pu-erh dun wash their pots. reason being it retains the smell and texture and something something. i just think its bloody unhygenic to do so. can die 1.

for clay based, i usually scrub clean clean using unscented detergent. i use a soft brush mainly used for baby bottle and then i use the liquid cleanser unscented for babies mia. sometimes i go pureen, sometimes i use pigeon. both also bout the same but pureen cheaper.




if porcelain and fine china i will use the liquid cleanser without brush. must make sure surface is flawless and smooth. so i use my hands to rub instead.

i know some pro in xiamen area who clean using de-ionised water. de-ionised water boiled up to 98 degrees and then add a bit of salt and then just pour throughout the pot.

anyway tap water is safe. the chlorine ppm is very low in malaysia. boil liao all cleared away. if worry then use carbon filter to remove the rest.

tab water overnight lo (i do that to my fish), for more serious my uncle went fetch water from waterfall. well i just use tab water. teapot just make sure u don't break it or clean with soap/detergent. Rinse with warm water or hot water, a bit of stain no problem one, look more season . Some time i dun even clean it cos i brew same tea with same pot.

fetch water from waterfall and well is very hardcore liao.

not everyday, i think my uncle do it fortnightly.

i stay pj area so the nearest waterfdall should be about 3 days drive from my place gua

cheras got la no need 3 days...3 hour is it?

cheras waterfall dirty, whole malaysia waterfall also dirty , need 3 days go up thailand there get clean water from waterfall lol

so u just leave the leaves inside as well.. wouldnt it come out some funny smell.. later next time u brew tea come out that funny smell.. haha..

so far no funny smell...cos it's same tea anyway

dad is in China now... sms-ing me whether wan to buy tea set onot.. hmm.. i wonder whether it is cheaper there... anyone knows?

buy there cheaper than buy here. alot of better and nicer designs.

Last 2 days plan to buy a tea pot for my dad, coz he likes chinese tea... but its too too expensive! one tea pot RM200+++.

a good teapot actually will cost more than 200. Look this way, Say teapot cost 365 = 1 day rm 1, but teapot can last forever if it's taken good care. Compare with tea, after you consume it gone and you need to restock. Concluasion, even a teapot cost u 2000 but it's one time payment. It follow you for the rest of your life.