They're to prevent condensation from pooling on the table itself. This can warp or otherwise mess up a wooden surface. On other materials it can just leave ugly rings that you have to clean off.
this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025
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Also to prevent hot drinks effecting the surface finish of said table via temperature effects etc.
Question, my table's wood edge is warped from my fore arm sweat. Wtf can i do beside replacing everything
Not a lot. You could try planing the edges to make it look even, but that would also mean having to stain/treat the wood after. Trying to get it to match would be a challenge.
Arm coasters.
Plane or sand it smooth and refinish it. Probably you would need to strip and refinish the whole thing to blend it in but that is an advantage to wooden furniture.
Wear sleeves
Not in 98% humidity 33°C weather
you don't have to wear the rest of the shirt, just the sleeves. respect the wood
Condensation. if wooden tables get exposed to it over time it ruins the wood/leaves stains
This is true for cold liquids. Coasters are also good for hot liquids in a cup. These can also damage a surface.
Theoretically if you had a room temperature drink in a cup you would not need a coaster.
In addition to the condensation, I have also used coasters for under hot drinks like coffee as they can discolor or even deform some surfaces.
If all you drink is room temp liquids you don't need coasters.
I upvoted this quicker than I’ve upvoted anything in a while. Well done.
What's the movie/short story called again?
Arrival
The short story version is called Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
I bet it says "eat a dick" or something
They are to prevent condensation from damaging the surface beneath them.
You have to respect the wood.
I respect wood. I revere wood. I’m considerate of wood.
It depends on the humidity of where you're at. On a warm day in Houston, for example, it's not at all uncommon for water to condense on the outside glass of a cold drink, run down, and eventually damage the wooden table it's sitting on. A coaster will help prevent that damage.
Additionally to what else was said, I've seen them used in beergardens to cover the drink to prevent bugs from drowning themselves in your drink. I guess then the coasters don't serve to protect the table anymore.
That's the possibly apocryphal origin story of Spanish tapas, too: a slice of bread to cover the wine glass between sips (hence the name "tapa," which means a "cover"), then a few things to dress up that slice of bread, maybe a piece of meat or cheese. So traditionally a single tapa is served for each glass of wine you order.
I didn't even think about the German word, which is Bierdeckel - literally beer cover. Well the boring word for it would be Untersetzer, which is the substantive of "to place underneath".
Ever have your coaster stick to your glass or cup. Follow this trick! Shake some salt on the coaster. It will never stick!
Got it. So what's the order. Lick coaster drink shot of tequila bite lime? Or bite lime, drink tequila shot then lick coaster.
Bite coaster, pour tequila in sink, add lime to taste.
pour tequila in sink
Nurrr. Had some raicilla here and it was definitely not sink-bait. I hate tequila, but this was insane.
Every mother always insists in using coasters and makes sure to explain to you a millions times why is that and will burn the house down if they find a cup mark.
"Listen honey, mommy raised you pretty much on her own because the patriarchy normalized men not contributing to the nurture of their family, and now mommy is one ring stain away from a total mental breakdown complete with arson, okay?"
Nah, they're so your wine bottles can coast on tables.
Seriously, that's what they started as.
Using them to protect tables came later
Works best with an air hockey table.
Is there another kind of table?