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What is a chaban (tea table)?
A chaban is the small "wet table" at the heart of gongfu tea brewing — a tray or low table that catches every drop you spill on purpose. In gongfu cha you rinse the leaves, warm the cups, pour hot water over the teapot to keep it hot, and discard the first flash infusions. A chaban (also called a tea tray, tea boat or gongfu tea table; theetafel in Dutch) collects all that runoff, so you can pour freely instead of brewing over the kitchen sink.
Why gongfu brewing needs a wet table
Western brewing is dry: one pot, one cup, no mess. Gongfu brewing is deliberately generous with water, and the tray is what makes that generosity practical. It also sets the stage — in Chinese tea culture laying out the chaban is a quiet signal that you are ready to receive guests, the same gesture of hospitality as putting the kettle on. A well-chosen tray keeps the table dry, the teaware organised and the session unhurried.
Bamboo, wood, stone or composite?
Bamboo is the classic: light, warm to the touch and affordable, though it wants to be dried after each session. Wood looks richer and lasts for years with the same simple care. Stone and ceramic trays are the heavyweights — stable, dramatic, immune to water, but not something you move around casually; our wood-fired Dehua tray belongs to this family. Composite trays are the modern workhorse: dense, waterproof and easy to wipe clean, which is why many daily drinkers end up choosing them. Weight tells the story — a 16 cm bamboo tray weighs under 400 g, while a 38 cm composite table approaches 4.5 kg.
How does the water drain?
There are three approaches. Reservoir trays hide a tank under the slatted top: water collects inside and you empty it after the session — simple and cable-free. Drain-hose tables channel water through a fitted tube into a bucket below, best for long sessions with many guests. Dry-brewing trays (the minimalist gan pao style) are nearly flat plates for a tidier technique that uses only a splash of water — compact, elegant and increasingly popular for solo tea at a desk.
What size tea table do you need?
| Setting | Tray size | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Solo / desk tea | 16 cm round or square | Gaiwan, one cup, a tea pet |
| Two or three drinkers | 30–38 cm | Teapot, pitcher, several cups |
| Full tea table | up to 60 cm | Complete gongfu setup with guests |
Care is undemanding: empty the reservoir, rinse with warm water, wipe and let bamboo or wood dry in the open air, away from radiators. No soap needed — tea itself is the only thing your tray ever touches.
We stock chabans from pocket-size rounds to full gongfu tables, in bamboo, wood, composite and ceramic. See them set for tea in person — and taste before you buy at the Moychay tea club — Rozengracht 92H, Amsterdam.
