This is a highly recommended column about what people in the food industry are currently obsessed with: eating, drinking and shopping.
There’s a ring-shaped stain on my wooden coffee table that bothers me. Okay, it doesn’t bother me, but if I got something in my eye while I was sitting on the couch, it would definitely bother me. This circle of stains is from before I rode the roller coaster. More accurately, it left its mark before I rode the Graf Lanz roller coaster.
Coasters are often beautiful, but they don’t serve their original purpose. Condensation easily collects on their surface, and in the worst case, it can drip directly onto the surface you’re trying to protect. More often than not, they lose their shape due to moisture and fade over time. But that’s not the case with Graf Lantz coasters.
The Los Angeles-based textile company makes coasters out of merino wool felt. This special material not only prevents moisture from getting onto your table, but it also creates the perfect absorption and evaporation cycle. (Yes, I’m talking about the coaster’s absorption and evaporation cycle.) The felt is said to absorb up to 30% of the water in your favorite drink, and because the water quickly soaks into the coaster, it still feels dry to the touch.
At the same time, through a natural process called wicking, water is continually drawn out through the tiny air gaps between the felt fibers, eventually evaporating completely as steam. I didn’t make this up, I promise. If you’re interested, more detailed instructions can be found on the company’s website, but for now, I want to thank you for joining me for this science lesson.
All the fancy words and manufacturing techniques aside, I can personally attest that these coasters are truly practical. I’ve had these coasters for a few years now, and they look as good as the day I bought them. What’s more, they come in a variety of shapes and beautiful colors, both bright and neutral, so you can mix and match to create an ombre coaster set. I have a set of square gray ombre coasters in my living room, and I recently gifted my mom four round jewel-toned coasters.
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