The Irrefutable Case for Coasters—Specifically, These Merino Wool Felt Coasters
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I always do my best to be a generous, thoughtful host. If you're over, I’ll offer you water, a beer refill, a margarita topper, whatever it is we’re drinking. But if somewhere along the way, whether you’ve just sat down or we’re already four beers deep, you even come close to putting your drink down on my glass coffee table without a coaster underneath, “Bllhaghiwihwaitwaitwaitcoaster!” is along the lines of what might come out of my mouth to stop you in your tracks. Even if I’m drunk. Even if I’m in the other room. Even if you’re just going to pick your drink up in one second. Because an evening with your friends lasts just that—an evening. But a cup ring stain? That shit lasts forever.
I wasn’t always this way, but I can’t pinpoint exactly when I turned into a crazy coaster person. It certainly didn’t come from my parents, who have been placing cups and mugs full of condensation-prone beverages down freely on their solid teak, handmade-in-Bali kitchen table without a care in the world since I gained consciousness. It might have come from my boyfriend, whose wooden, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams outlet find coffee table was the only viable eating and drinking surface in his last apartment. It probably can to some degree be attributed to the significant increase in my time spent eating and drinking at home since the pandemic began. Maybe it’s because I’m a Virgo.
Regardless, I’m all in on coasters now. There’s a stack on the coffee table, a stack on the kitchen table, and a stack on my desk, too. There isn’t a surface left in this home that you might reasonably place a cup down on without coming face to face with a bunch of coasters first. And that’s the only way, in my opinion, a home should be. Why? Because cup ring stains are for frat house tables. Cup ring stains are for people who don’t think about the longevity of their furniture. It doesn’t have to be expensive stuff—my desk is an Amazon find, with legs that unfold and snap into place. But I still want it to look nice!
What I have learned is that not all coasters are made equal. First, they can’t be so nice or so expensive that you’re nervous to put a beverage down on them. That defeats the purpose. I’ve also learned that certain materials just simply do not absorb moisture well. Like wood. Wooden coasters look nice, but if your drink is super cold, you’ll end up with a puddle of water on the coaster, which leads to a mess every time you pick your drink up. Sometimes I find myself placing a paper towel on top of a wooden coaster, which also feels like it defeats the purpose. Same story with anything in the hard plastic family. We're looking for absorbency, not additional mess.
So I’m partial to Graf Lantz’s merino wool felt coasters, which look great and absorb moisture miraculously well, too. Actually, it isn’t a miracle at all. According to the website, wool is the most hydrophilic—a word I’ve just googled and means "attracted to water molecules"—of all natural fibers. So scientifically speaking, they’re the most absorbent coasters on the market. They also come in every color imaginable, and are minimalist, durable, and stain-resistant. Plus, Graf Lantz makes matching trivets and placemats, too. It is as if a light blanket of merino wool felt snow has fallen on my kitchen, and my surfaces are all the more spotless for it.
As I write this, am I beginning to worry that I’m aging into someone who will one day wrap their couches in plastic? Funny you might ask that, yes. But for now, all I ask is that you grab a coaster before you put down your beer, please.
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