Awhile back on Steepster, someone recommended a pu’er breaking tray. I’ve seen them all over Ebay and some online tea shops, but I was unsure if it was worth the $15 to $25 for one. I mean, its just a coaster looking thing.
After some messy pu’er pickings, ripped up pu’er wrappers and Teal “pu’er pick” Owl stabbing me a few times by accident, I decided to keep my eye out for one at a decent price. I considered trying to find something with a similar shape and having my husband saw off the edge.
With my last Mandala Tea order, I snagged their bamboo pu’er breaking tray. I have also seen trays for sale that have a thin drawer underneath to store a cake – a handy set up if you drink the same cake everyday.
The Pu’er Breaking Tray has a nice, bamboo feel to it.
I love the inscription in the middle that is lightly engraved in the middle.
The surface is really smooth, enough to be a skating rink for the Tea Owls. Here is the tray with a 100 gram cake.
And here is the tray with a 250 gram cake.
Very spiffy! Teal “Pu’er Pick” Owl used the edge of the tray to hold the cake in place – no accidental stabbings here! Of course, my first prying off some pu’er was a projectile, so the tray didn’t help for that. Mmmmm, projectile pu’er. I’d drink that.
What made this tray really handy was getting the tea out. The corner of the tray made pouring the dry leaf into a vessel super handy. I didn’t waste a single leaf! I could see this tray being great for inspecting your loose leaf tea or repackaging it.
I don’t think a Pu’er Breaking Tray an immediate purchase, but a handy tool to have if you drink from a lot of pu’er cakes. The tray makes for great presentation if you are serving tea to others.
Bonus: Teal “Pu’er Pick” Owl summons his inner Canuck!
