An Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Right Serving Trays

One of the most elegant and convenient ways of serving food to visitors is piling it high on serving trays. Whether you're serving up turkey on Christmas Day or hosting a casual brunch for a few friends, you want to make sure you're using the right serving tray. A useful serving tray is one that gives you a nice platform for carrying everything from glasses to hors d'oeuvres to the main course meals. It’s community dining at its finest; food on a tray being ushered in for the gazing pleasure of hungry onlookers. With so many different designs and materials available, you’re bound to find a serving tray to suit your needs. Here are some things to consider and tips you can use when choosing a tray.

Size, shape and colour

Your individual taste and intended usage will determine your serving tray’s size, shape, and colour. If you go with a solid colour scheme like gold, black, white, brown, clear, or cream: it’ll be easier to adorn the tray in different ways for every season, for any reason.

As far as shape is concerned - if you're thinking modern styling, you should go for more squarish forms. If you're going for a more homely look, you might want to try rounder forms.

What is the best colour? When in doubt, go with white or a neutral colour. It simply increases versatility.

Is bigger always better? Not always. The tray size should correspond to the size of the party and the amount of food being served – you don’t want people thinking you have under catered because you served a small amount of food on a giant tray!

Use

The first question you should ask yourself is, "How will I be using my serving tray?" Do you want to use your tray every day or only on special occasions? Will you be transporting food and drinks from room to room on your tray? If so, you'll need a serving tray with easy-to-grab handles and a large enough flat surface to hold your cups and plates. Each tray has its differentiating characteristics and advantages, so it's important to know where and how you'll use your trays, what you'll be using them for, and who will be using them.

Material

Another important consideration before selecting a serving tray is the material - this is important not only for its usefulness but also for its style and pricing.

The material of a serving tray should reflect the functional requirements and the décor of the place where you’ll use it. If you prefer natural and sustainable materials, a serving tray made of wood or bamboo is a good choice.

Serving trays are offered in a wide variety of materials. Here are some of the most common:

• Plastic 
• Ceramic
• Wood 
• Melamine
• Metal
• Marble
• Rattan
  
  

Metal trays are ideal for serving food and beverages since they are attractive, robust, and easy to clean. The same is true for melamine but it may fade with regular washing, especially in the dishwasher. Plastic is a good lightweight alternative that is perfect for outside and poolside use.

Trays made from acacia or mango wood are becoming increasingly popular as they are attractive, durable and an environmentally sustainable choice.

For a touch of formality, ceramic serving platters are elegant and come in a multitude of shapes, colours designs and styles. While ceramic tends to be a bit heavier than many other options, it is easy to clean and doesn’t absorb liquids, so you can serve just about anything on it without damaging the surface.

Features

When researching the many varieties of serving trays, consider the extra features you might want your tray to come with. For instance, you may require a serving tray with a lid for outdoor occasions, or you may prefer a serving tray with handles to make carrying simple. Serving trays with elevated sides are highly useful since they keep items from toppling over or spilling over the edge.

Trays with handles are also more convenient because they are more portable than those without handles, which are typically to display food or décor items.