Cork, wood, felt, or ceramic? Discover which coasters suit your table, glasses, and pans — and which size is most practical for home.
The best coasters are the ones that match your table, your use and your taste: cork or felt for everyday use under mugs and glasses, wood or ceramic for a solid base, and a larger size for teapots and dishes. Whoever first considers what usually sits on the table almost always chooses well.
Take Marloes, who bought a beautiful oak dining table last year. Soon after, a white ring appeared on the top from a cup of tea she set down while the phone rang. A small piece of cork would have prevented that. In this article you’ll read how to choose: which material, which size and which timing, so your table still looks as good in five years as it does today.
Why coasters do more than just decorate
Coasters protect your tabletop from heat, moisture and scratches, and they also make a set table look neat right away. That last point is a pleasant bonus, but protection is the main reason.
Each table material reacts differently to heat and moisture. For wooden tables, TMC Wonen recommends coasters or a heat-protective mat under hot cups, pans and oven dishes, because heat can cause white marks or discoloration. With a linoleum tabletop, caution is even more important: according to Eijerkamp Wonen that material is sensitive to heat and moisture, and coasters help prevent contact with high temperatures. Even an HPL top, which looks tough, is advised by the same source to have hot items placed on coasters.
The rings from cold glasses deserve attention too. Condensation can over time sink into the top, especially with an oiled or lacquered surface. Practical tips on maintaining dining tables, including coasters for glasses and hot items, can be found in this care article about dining tables.
Which material suits which use
The material determines how well a coaster absorbs moisture, how much heat it can withstand and how it feels under your glass. This is the quick comparison:
Material
Strong in
Note
Cork
Grip, heat from mugs, affordable
May discolor with a lot of moisture
Wood
Warm look, sturdy, heat-resistant
Can absorb rings from wet glasses
Felt
Soft, sound-dampening, available in many colors
Absorbs liquid, needs replacing more often
Ceramic and stone
Absorbs condensation, neat and understated
May scratch soft wood
Laminate on cork
Water-repellent, great freedom in design
Not intended for hot pans
Cork: the all-rounder for everyday use
Cork is light, grippy and keeps a cup stable. It insulates well against the heat of a coffee mug and doesn’t slip easily. For a family that sits at the table every day, cork is often the wisest base.
Wood and felt: warm and soft
Wooden coasters suit a natural interior and are quite heat-resistant. Felt is softer and mutes the sound of a glass being placed on the table, but absorbs liquid. Therefore see felt mainly as a coaster for dry or lukewarm cups and as a playful splash of color.
Ceramic and stone: calm and absorbent
Ceramic and stone catch condensation and keep looking neat. The downside is the weight and the hard bottom: put something soft underneath on a delicate tabletop or choose a model with cork on the back.
Laminate on cork: freedom in design
This is the combination that shows the image to best effect. The top is matte laminated and therefore easy to wipe clean, the cork underneath provides grip. That’s why you’ll find the greatest variety of artworks, animals, flowers and landscapes here.
The right size: from mug to teapot
Size determines whether a coaster truly protects or just looks good, and for most households the ideal size is around ten centimeters square or round. That's big enough for a mug or glass and small enough to fit several on an ordinary dining table.
Use as a rule of thumb:
Small coasters (about 8 to 10 cm): espresso cups, tea glasses, small wine glasses.
Medium coasters (about 10 to 12 cm): mugs, beer glasses, water carafes with a narrow base.
Large coasters or placemats: teapots, jugs, wine bottles, serving dishes and pans.
Also pay attention to the rim. A glass with a wide base needs a coaster that extends beyond it on all sides, otherwise condensation will still drip down the side. A sturdy thickness of half a centimeter also makes a coaster easy to grab and quickly remove from the table.
Pan trivets and glass coasters are not the same
A coaster for a glass protects against moisture, a trivet for a pan mainly needs to resist heat, and those two requirements rarely coincide. If you want to cover a set table with a hot oven dish, look for thicker wood, cork, stone or silicone. For cups and glasses a thin, removable model is sufficient.
So keep two kinds at home: a set of six or eight for daily use and a few sturdy pieces you only bring out when something hot goes on the table. That prevents accidentally placing a nice laminated coaster under a pan. You’ll notice the difference especially on sensitive tabletops. TMC Wonen warns that heat can cause white marks or discoloration on a wooden table, and Eijerkamp Wonen names linoleum as sensitive to heat and moisture. Putting an oven dish straight from the oven onto such a surface is exactly the moment that sturdy trivet is for. A thin glass coaster with laminate over cork is not meant for that, even if it fits in size. So place a hot pan on a large, thick trivet that extends beyond it on all sides, and reserve the small coasters for drinks.
The table surface itself also makes a difference. Answers to questions about table care and using coasters and placemats with different table materials can be found on the Table du Sud customer service page.
A set that matches your interior and the occasion
Coasters are the smallest interior details on the table, and precisely because of that they finish a set table. A set in muted tones suits a calm living room, while a playful print brightens the coffee table.
Think about the moments when they’ll be used most:
Sunday coffee or tea: six matching designs give the tablecloth a festive touch.
Dinner with friends: six different designs make each glass a little conversation starter.
Holidays: a Christmas table immediately feels warm with a seasonal motif.
Gift: a set with a theme that suits the recipient, for example cats, flowers or paintings.
A good coaster lasts a long time if you wipe it occasionally and don't leave it soaking in water. Wipe laminated examples after use with a slightly damp cloth and let them air dry. Cork and wood require dry use: do not put them in the dishwasher.
The same applies to the table itself. Clean an HPL top, according to Eijerkamp Wonen, with a warm, damp cloth, and with linoleum remove spilled liquid immediately. A coaster catches the first drops but doesn't replace a quick wipe.
A few smart habits help with that:
Store coasters in a fixed spot, for example in a small tray on the table or in a nearby drawer.
Place a coaster under each glass and mug before you pour, not after.
After a year, check whether the cork or felt still lies flat and replace worn pieces.
A set of six with small illustrations for every day
If you're looking for a practical and cheerful set, consider the Francien's Cat Coasters 6 pieces. The six coasters are large enough for a mug, glass, teapot or wine bottle. The matte laminated top has a full-color print and the cork bottom prevents the coaster from slipping. You get six different designs in one set, so everyone at the table has their own coaster. With six different designs, everyone at the table has their own coaster. The matte laminated top can be easily wiped clean after a spilled drop with a slightly damp cloth. The size is roomy enough for a teapot.
For those who love cats more than just on coasters, the cat calendar fits the same atmosphere in the home.
Combine coasters with your calendar and planner
A table ready for the whole year often starts with a few small, coherent choices. If you pick a theme for your coasters, you can repeat that theme in the wall calendar or the desk planner. An art lover puts up an art calendar, a cat fan chooses the cat theme, and the living room becomes one whole.
At Kalenderwinkel.nl you’ll find, besides coasters, a wide and unique range of calendars, calendar holders, agendas and stationery. If you mainly want to make the choice on the wall, find inspiration in the cities collection. For those who prefer an agenda on their lap or desk, there is, for example, the Moomin agenda 2027 or the Tile Wisdoms agenda 2027.
Hanging a calendar for 2027 and putting out a new set of coasters also works nicely together. The new year then begins with a table and a wall that both feel new.
Common choices you may regret later
Most disappointments with coasters come from a few predictable choices. Too-small examples let the rim of a mug hang over the table. Too-thin material simply transmits the heat from a teapot. And a set that’s only pretty but not grippy will slide away at the first touch.
So check before you buy whether the coaster fits what you’ll put on it, whether the bottom is grippy, and whether the material can handle the temperature you intend. Those are three questions that take five seconds and prevent years of annoyance.
If you prefer to choose coasters by set rather than by piece, you can immediately see whether the designs tell a single story together. A set with different designs, like those inspired by Frida Kahlo or M.C. Escher, gives each guest their own favorite.
An extra tip for those who host many guests
If you regularly have guests at the table, it’s wise to buy two sets of coasters instead of one. That way you can use one set while the other is still drying, and you’ll always have enough for a larger gathering. A set of six covers an average family, but eight to twelve coasters keeps a birthday or Christmas dinner manageable. With coffee, tea and a soft drink at the same time, almost everyone quickly has multiple cups, and coasters run out fast. So when setting the table, place a coaster at each plate and put the spare ones in a bowl on the sideboard so guests can take a new one themselves when they have a second drink.
A handy arrangement is one set in neutral tones for everyday use and one set with a striking pattern for special days. That way the pretty set stays pretty, and a festive table really feels festive. Also keep the festive set dry and stored separately, for example in the original packaging or a drawer, so the edges stay neat and the cork doesn’t stick to itself.
