Whether or not a coaster should be absorbent is a moot point. The main point of a coaster is to keep from getting rings on the furniture, and AOL CDs work just fine. If you're a sloppy drinker, even an absorbent coaster won't help much. If the drink is cold and the glass is frosty, an absorbent coaster would be better. Either that, or don't set it down on furniture where it will make rings(e.g., our coffee table has a sheet of glass on top).

Don Firth