Hoobar Bamboo Kungfu Tea Tray Table

The key is keeping it dry. After every session, lift the bamboo top off, empty the water from the plastic tray, and wipe everything down. Don't leave standing water in the collection tray — that's where tea stains and mildew start. Reviewers note the underside of the bamboo is particularly prone to mildew stains over time. Periodically applying food-safe oil to the bamboo helps seal it against moisture. Some owners prop the bamboo top up slightly when not in use to allow air circulation underneath.

For this Hoobar tray, you'll want to keep it to the essentials — it's sized for small gongfu sets. A typical setup would be a gaiwan or small teapot, two to three tasting cups, and maybe a fairness pitcher (cha hai). Some people add tea tongs or a tea pick. Reviewers confirm it fits a pot, cups, and gaiwan comfortably, but don't try to load it up with a full ceremony's worth of accessories. It's built for compact, personal sessions rather than elaborate spreads.

Yes, it's a solid match for portable or travel gongfu sets. Its compact size makes it manageable to move around, and it pairs well with small travel tea sets that include a mini pot and a couple of cups. Reviewers who use it with travel sets find the size appropriate. It's not something you'd toss in a backpack, but for moving between rooms or bringing to an office, it works well.

Absolutely — reviewers specifically call out that it works well as a permanent countertop display for a tea set when you're not actively brewing. The bamboo has an attractive appearance, and the compact size makes it a natural fit for a kitchen counter or shelf. Just arrange your teapot and cups on it, and it looks like an intentional decorative setup rather than just a utility tray.

The design is straightforward: the bamboo top sits over a melamine/plastic collection tray. When you pour water over your teaware during brewing, it flows through the grooves carved into the bamboo surface and drains into the tray below. Reviewers note the drainage system on this Hoobar tray is functional but simple — it has fewer drainage slats than some higher-end trays. After your session, you just lift the bamboo top and empty the collected water. The system works well for personal sessions, though you'll want to empty it promptly to prevent tea staining the plastic tray.

A gongfu tea tray serves as your brewing station during traditional Chinese gongfu tea sessions. It catches all the water you pour over your teapot, gaiwan, and cups during rinsing and brewing — which is a lot, since gongfu brewing involves repeatedly washing vessels with hot water. This Hoobar tray has a bamboo top with drainage grooves that funnel water into a plastic collection tray underneath, so your table stays dry and protected from heat. When you're not brewing, it also doubles as a display piece for your tea set.

A tea tray protects your furniture from hot water, spills, and tea stains during brewing. For gongfu-style brewing specifically, you're pouring hot water over and around your teaware constantly — rinsing cups, warming the pot, discarding wash steeps. Without a tray, you'd soak your table. This Hoobar tray catches all that runoff through drainage grooves and stores it in the bottom tray. Reviewers also appreciate that it works as a permanent countertop display for their tea sets even when they're not actively brewing.

Set up your gaiwan or small teapot in the center of the tray with your tasting cups around it. Pour hot water over the gaiwan to warm it — the water runs right off into the tray. Add your tea leaves, do a quick rinse steep (pour it out over the cups to warm them), then brew your actual infusions. This Hoobar tray is sized appropriately for a small gongfu set — a pot or gaiwan plus a few cups — making it ideal for personal sessions with one or two people. It's compact enough for a countertop but not large enough for bigger group setups.