Tray

For other uses, seeTray (disambiguation).

Brass tray inlaid with silver, Egypt or Syria, 19th century

Atrayis a shallow platform designed for the carrying of items. It can be fashioned from numerous materials, includingsilver,brass,sheetiron,paperboard,wood,melamine,andmolded pulp.Trays range in cost from inexpensive molded pulp trays which aredisposableand inexpensive melamine trays used in cafeterias, to mid-priced wooden trays used in a home, to expensive silver trays used in luxury hotels. Some examples have raised galleries, handles, and short feet for support.

Trays are flat, but with raised edges to stop things from sliding off them. They are made in a range of shapes but are commonly found in oval orrectangularforms, sometimes with cutout or attachedhandleswith which to carry them.

A more elaborate device is the tray table, which is designed to accommodate a tray, or to serve as a tray itself. There are two primary kinds of tray tables. TheTV tray tableis typically a small table, which may have legs that fold to allow it to be carried like a tray. The airplane tray table is a tray built into the back of anairline seat,which folds down so that the person sitting in the seat behind the one containing the table can use it as a surface from which to eat meals served on the airplane.

Examples

Waiter with waitperson service tray inVienna,Austria.

• Abutler's trayoften has a gallery, or deeper surround, handles on the long sides to facilitate carrying (usually cut into the surround), and a portable stand with folding legs. It is used for the service of drinks and generally serves as a convenient side table.
• Acafeteria trayis used for carrying items in acafeteria.It is typically made ofplasticorfiberglass.Acompartment trayormess trayis a cafeteria tray designed to be used directly, without dishes - it incorporates shallow compartments in which different types of food are placed.
• Acargo tray,the rear of aute,used to hold goods.
• Amolded pulp trayis a disposable (or recyclable) tray provided by fast food restaurants, coffee shops and movie theaters. The tray is designed to hold fourdisposable cups.
• Surgical traysare used to carrysurgical instruments,are rectangular and made ofstainless steelto resist the heat ofsterilizationwithoutcorrosion.
• Seed traysare used for propagating vegetables and flowers and other plants fromseed.They are also used for takingplant cuttings.The trays for seedling production are made of expanded polystyrene or polythene. They come in many sizes; the most common are the Danish and the European sized trays. Seed trays can also be stacked in seed tray racks to take up less space.
• Adarkroom tray,also known asprint developing tray,is used inphotography.
• Adental impression trayis a receptacle or device that is used to carry impression material to the mouth, confine the material in apposition to the surfaces to be recorded, and control the impression material while it sets to form the impression.
• Abaking trayoroven trayis used to cook a variety of foods in an oven, including vegetables and meats such as whole chickens. It allows food to be very exposed to the hot air inside the oven whilst preventing any fats of liquids from falling onto the oven floor. See alsoSheet pan.
• Food packaging trays
  • Afoam trayis used by the supermarkets and by the fruit shops to package meat and small fruits, vegetables and mushrooms. Patents for this product exist since 1966.
  • Aluminium foil take-out food trayused by the supermarkets for packaging processed food.
  • Thin plastic traysused for both packaging shelf food and for take-out food
• Acoin trayis used to store or collect coins.They are used in banks, restaurants, shops, casinos, and for coin collecting.

Image gallery

• 
  Plastic tray
• 
  A seed tray used in horticulture for sowing and taking plant cuttings and growingplugs
• 
  Pasztecik szczecińskion a small paper tray, withbarszczin a beaker,Poland
• 
  Molded pulp drink tray
• 
  Brass plate circa 1920.
• 
  Sheet metal baking tray

See also

• Germination
• Gastronorm,a European standard for food tray sizes
• Lazy Susan,a rotating tray, usually circular, placed on top of a table to aid in moving food on a large table or countertop.
• Phan (tray)
• Safetray
• Salver,a diminutive tray commonly used for lighter and smaller servings
• Serving cart
• Thali
• TV tray table

External links

• Media related totraysat Wikimedia Commons
• The dictionary definition oftrayat Wiktionary