Tray

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

A tray is a shallow platform designed for

the carrying of items. It can be fashioned
from numerous materials, including silver,
brass, sheet iron, paperboard, wood,
melamine, and molded pulp. Trays range in
cost from inexpensive molded pulp trays
which are disposable, to 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 or rectangular
forms, sometimes with cutout or attached
handles with which to carry them.
Examples

Waiter with waitperson service tray in Vienna, Austria.

A butler's tray often 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.
A cafeteria tray is used for carrying
items in a cafeteria. It is typically made
of plastic or fiberglass. A compartment
tray or mess tray is a cafeteria tray
designed to be used directly, without
dishes - it incorporates shallow
compartments in which different types
of food are placed.
A molded pulp tray is a disposable (or
recyclable) tray provided by fast food
restaurants, coffee shops and movie
theaters. The tray is designed to hold
four disposable cups.
Surgical trays are used to carry surgical
instruments, are rectangular and made
of stainless steel to resist the heat of
sterilization without corrosion.
Seed trays are used for propagating
vegetables and flowers and other plants
from seed.[1] They are also used for
taking plant 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.
A darkroom tray, also known as print
developing tray, is used in photography.
A dental impression tray is 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.
A baking tray or oven tray is 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 also
Sheet pan.
Food packaging trays
 A foam tray is 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.[2]
Aluminium foil take-out food tray
used by the supermarkets for
packaging processed food.
Thin plastic trays used for both
packaging shelf food and for take-
out food

Image gallery
Plastic A seed Pasztecik
tray tray used szczeciń
in ski on a
horticultu small
re for paper
sowing tray, with
and barszcz
taking in a
plant beaker,
cuttings Poland
and
growing
 plugs

Molded Brass
pulp plate
drink tray circa
1920.

See also
Germination
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
Coin tray

References
1. Use of seed trays
2. Method of packaging fresh meat - US
3397068 A , google.com
External links
Media related to trays at Wikimedia
Commons
The dictionary definition of tray at
Wiktionary

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