Drink coasters are a small part of the dining experience, but their importance should not be overlooked. There are a few benefits to using a drink coaster over just placing a drink on the table:
- Coasters protect your furniture (table) from the cup. This can help prevent scratches and warping due to condensation.
- Certain coasters can be used to cover the lid of your cup, protecting it from debris and insects.
- Coasters can also protect a table surface from hot drinks, which may otherwise cause damage to the table.
Once you start using drink coasters, you won’t want to go back. So it’s equally as important to make sure that you pick the right drink coaster.
If it’s low quality, the coaster may not adequately protect your table. Some materials also don’t work well for cups, causing them to tip over easily and create a big mess. Others do not absorb water, meaning that the condensation run-off could leak onto the table over time. And those that do absorb water must be cleaned or they run the risk of developing mildew.
Others may work well but not fit into your dining aesthetic. Too large, and it looks like a dining buffet of cups rather than a useful accessory. Too small, and the coaster could struggle with holding bigger cups.
Finally, most coasters are not good for the environment. They consume precious natural resources (wood for example) or are made from materials like rubber, plastic, and so on.
So when we discovered an eco-friendly, viable alternative to the usual drink coasters, we got excited. Dorai Home products are always of high quality and utilize their own unique material that often blows competitors out of the water.
But can the same be said for their drink coasters? That’s what we aim to find out. We’ll be reviewing the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set to see if they live up to the hype.
Without further delay, let’s jump right in!
*Note – There may be affiliate links within this review. A product purchased through these links may earn us a commission. Affiliate links will not affect the price of the product. The use of affiliate links will never impact the truthfulness of a review.
Dorai River Rock Coaster Set – Comprehensive Review
First, let us provide a brief overview of the product.
Dorai River Rock Coaster Set – The Basics
The Dorai River Rock Coaster Set is a collection of stones designed to have their own unique carving and design pattern. The stones look as though they’ve been plucked right from an oceanic beach, smoothed by years of waves rocking against them.
It’s a modern, eco-conscious look that will fit into any modern or outdoor-themed dining area.
You get 4 stone coasters in this set, all of which pair well with any beverage of your choice. While they are not identical to one another, the stones provide a bit more individuality and personality than a cloned set would.
The dimensions for each stone coaster is as follows:
- Length: 4 inches
- Width: 4 inches
- Height: 1/3 inch
At the time of writing, the price for this coaster set is $29.00.
How Is It Eco-Friendly?
Like other Dorai Home products, the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set is made from diatomaceous earth (otherwise known as the grass of the sea). This is a 100% naturally-occurring material made from the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms.
Harvesting this material has a very low impact on aquatic environments, and manufacturing/production doesn’t pump toxins or greenhouse gases into the environment, unlike plastic.
Diatomaceous earth is a viable, even preferred alternative to plastic, rubber, cotton, or wool when used for surfaces that are often exposed to liquids. This is because diatomaceous earth has a few key advantages over the other options:
- It evaporates liquid very quickly – unlike plastic or rubber.
- It does not grow mold easily – unlike cotton or wool.
- It is naturally anti-microbial due to its physical properties (binds microbes in the liquid and dries them out) – unlike other materials that have to rely on harmful chemical treatments to do the safe.
- It does not need to be cleaned outside of certain stains, which can be treated easily with common household materials.
- It does not need to be washed – just prop it up and let it dry out.
- It lasts a very long time. As long as it doesn’t break, it will continue to work for years on end.
The lack of chemical treatment, the fact that it does not need to be washed (conserving resources), and the fact that it lasts a long time (high-value reusability) make it a superior eco-friendly material. It’s no wonder why diatomaceous earth is the material of choice for the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set.
Pros
| PROS |
| – Evaporates liquid very quickly. – Material is sturdy and smooth. – The size is large, but not too large. – The coasters are eco-chic and look great in any dining area. |
Alright, so let’s get into what makes the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set a solid investment.
As we said before, the coaster set is made from diatomaceous earth (DE). Liquids dry from the surface of DE quickly, sometimes within just seconds. For a coaster, this is a great thing to have.
You won’t have to worry about a pool of liquid forming as the base of a simple rock coaster, and you also won’t have to deal with cardboard coasters soaking up liquid and slowly degrading over the course of your meal.
The material itself is sturdy and very smooth. These are sanded stones that feature unique designs on each one, giving them a pretty visual flair that can elevate any dining occasion.
If you wanted to assign a stone for each person, it’s also very easy to keep track of which stone belongs to which person.
The coasters themselves are large enough to fit just about a variety of cup sizes, whether big or small. You won’t be able to fit kegs or large bottles on it, but any common drinking cup will have enough space.
While you are afforded some extra space with these coasters, they are not too large as to be bulky.
What we like most about the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set is how they handle condensation. The fact that it evaporates water quickly gives it a sorely-needed benefit: it won’t stick to your glasses.
Other coasters have a nasty habit of binding to your cup due to the collected moisture from condensation, meaning you have to physically remove the coaster from your cup every time you want to drink.
This is not a problem for these coasters, which we absolutely love!
Cons
| CONS |
| – Somewhat difficult to pick up and move. – No buffer between coaster and surface. – Can stain with colored liquids and wines. |
Now, let’s address some of the cons regarding the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set.
The stones themselves can sometimes be difficult to pick up and move. This is because the stones are rather flat and sanded down, which doesn’t give you much to work with in terms of grip. There are no rubber grip assistors or chiseled grooves for your fingers to grip onto; it’s just all stone.
And since it’s all stone, you should be careful about where you place the stones. These stones work best when used on a table cover or some sort of dining mat. If they are placed on materials like glass without any sort of buffer, then you run the risk of scratching your table.
Finally, colored drinks and wines may stain these coasters. This won’t affect their performance, but stained coasters can be rather unsightly. Thankfully, stains can be removed with a cleaning agent like bleach if the stain is addressed within a reasonable timeframe.
It’s also important to note that while DE is very good at evaporating liquid, it can only do so when it’s not saturated with it. It’s difficult to saturate, but it’s still possible. If it’s saturated, then it can still grow mold, albeit at a MUCH slower rate than other materials.
This is easy to solve, though. Just prop your coasters up against a wall until they return to their original color. After that, they are ready to be used again.
Conclusion
So, is the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set worth the buy?
We say yes. This is worth the buy if high-quality coasters are your thing.
If we had to give it a number, we would give it a 9.0 out of 10.
If you are just looking for an inexpensive, one-time-use coaster set, then this probably isn’t for you. But for people who are interested in eco-friendly practices and value a high-quality, long-lasting coaster set, then you won’t do any better than the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set.
We aren’t the only ones who think so, either:
When it comes to coaster sets, it’s easy to get lost in the choices and end up with something subpar. People tend to dismiss the importance of a great coaster set because it isn’t at the forefront of the dining experience.
But with the Dorai River Rock Coaster Set, we think that you’ll find a new appreciation for coasters. They can turn a good dining experience into a great one, all while being eco-friendly and sustainable. If that sounds like a good deal to you, then check them out by following the link below.
Wrap Up
Hey, you made it to the end! Thanks for reading our entire review!
As always, let’s continue to strive toward a greener, better way of living!