Questions about Valeja

The Valeja Sadekauha is a sauna ladle that rains water onto the stove. There is a small air hole in the handle. While your thumb covers it, the water stays in the cup. Lift your thumb and the water falls through the rain lid onto the stones as a beautiful rain.

An air channel runs inside the shaft from the handle to the cup, and the rain comes from a rain lid machined from aluminium. The parts are made in Finland, and every ladle is assembled and inspected by hand. An ordinary ladle pours the water onto the stove. Valeja releases it as rain that you control with your thumb.

In Finland. The metal parts are made by Finnish machine shops, and the ladles are assembled, inspected and packed in Jyväskylä. Valeja is made by Oy Ansraatio Ab. Read our story

1. Dip the ladle into the bucket. It fills in about 4.5 seconds.
2. Cover the air hole in the handle with your thumb and lift the ladle, keeping it level.
3. Hold it above the stove and lift your thumb. The water rains onto the stones for about seven seconds.

You can stop the rain at any time by covering the air hole again.

That is how it works. The water stays in the cup because no air can get in. When all the holes in the rain lid are at the same height, they hold the water in place. If the ladle tilts, air enters through the highest holes and water runs from the lowest. Keep the ladle level and the rain starts only when you lift your thumb.

The Sadekauha holds 3 dl (0.3 l), the Mestari and Pitkä Mestari 5 dl (0.5 l). The water is not poured all at once. It rains onto the stove for about seven seconds, so the löyly rises more evenly and does not sting the way a single splash does.

An ordinary sauna bucket works. It needs to be deep enough for the cup to go fully under water.

Yes, with electric and wood-burning stoves. What matters is the distance from the benches to the stove. Choose the size of the ladle accordingly.

The size decides how far from your thumb the rain lands.

• Sadekauha, 51 cm: rain 28 cm away. For a stove right next to the benches.
• Mestari, 75 cm: rain 34 cm away. For a stove in front of the benches and fuller löyly.
• Pitkä Mestari, 95 cm: rain 55 cm away. For a stove further away, as in many Finnish home and garden saunas.

The Sadekauha suits every hand. The Mestari and Pitkä Mestari are larger and heavier to use, so they suit you best when you need a longer reach or fuller löyly.

The lengths are the overall length of each ladle. Compare the ladles

The cup and the handle are the same, and both hold 5 dl. The Pitkä Mestari is 20 cm longer, so the rain lands further away, 55 cm from your thumb. The longer shaft feels heavier in the hand.

The cup and the shaft are stainless steel, powder coated matte black. The handle is Finnish birch. The Anela rain lid is machined from aluminium and anodised. The seals are TPU and silicone.

No. The Anela rain lid is machined from aluminium and anodised. The small lid has 23 precise holes and the large one 42, and they make the rain.

Yes. Steel, aluminium and birch were chosen for the heat and humidity of the sauna. The birch handle feels warm in the hand, even in hot löyly.

The rain lid comes off without tools. Rinse it with water now and then and press it back in place. If limescale builds up in the holes, soak the lid in a mild vinegar solution.

Yes. It comes off and changes without tools. The Anela rain lid comes in two sizes: small for the Sadekauha and large for the Mestari and the Pitkä Mestari. Rain lids

Orders placed before 12:00 (Finnish time) usually ship the same day. If the product page shows a next-batch date, your order ships by that date at the latest. Delivery typically takes 1–3 working days in Finland and 4–10 working days elsewhere in the EU. Shipping is free on orders over €100. Shipping policy

Yes. Every product can be returned free of charge within 30 days. The exception is individually engraved ladles, as they are made just for you. Let us know first at support@valeja.eu and we will send you a return label and instructions. Refund policy

Valeja has a five-year warranty. It covers manufacturing and material defects in normal use, but not normal wear or misuse.

If your ladle needs servicing, contact us.