An apparatus for heating beverages is disclosed. The apparatus includes a base and a container for holding liquids. The base has a heater plate that is heated by one or more heater elements attached to the heater plate. A power source in the base provides electricity to the heater elements. The base is removably attachable to the container. The container has an inner cup that sits inside a chassis. The inner cup is made of metal and has an open top for receiving liquid, a circumferential wall, and a closed bottom. The chassis has an open top for receiving a liquid, a circumferential wall, and an open bottom. When the container is attached to the base, the closed bottom of the inner cup is configured to contact the heater plate and receive heat from the heater plate.

Different liquid containing vessels with integrated coasters are provided. The liquid containing vessels have an upper portion, channel, base, and integrated coaster. The upper portion retains some amount of liquid. The channel is disposed beneath the upper portion and above the above the base. The channel is formed from a central stem connecting the upper portion to the base and a cavity that surrounds the stem for some radius that is less than a radius of the upper portion or base. Disposed in the channel is the integrated coaster. The integrated coaster is a trapping element that in some embodiments is a solid porous ring of an adsorptive or absorptive material. Condensation forming about the outer surface of the upper portion drips downwards towards the channel. The channel redirects the condensation to the trapping element where it is removed by the adsorptive or absorptive materials.

Different liquid containing vessels with integrated coasters are provided. The liquid containing vessels have an upper portion, channel, base, and integrated coaster. The upper portion retains some amount of liquid. The channel is disposed beneath the upper portion and above the above the base. The channel is formed from a central stem connecting the upper portion to the base and a cavity that surrounds the stem for some radius that is less than a radius of the upper portion or base. Disposed in the channel is the integrated coaster. The integrated coaster is a trapping element that in some embodiments is a solid porous ring of an adsorptive or absorptive material. Condensation forming about the outer surface of the upper portion drips downwards towards the channel. The channel redirects the condensation to the trapping element where it is removed by the adsorptive or absorptive materials.

Spaced-apart elongate ribs formed on a floor of an upper surface of a coaster have sidewalls that each have a concave curved surface extending upward from the floor, and a convex curved surface extending upward from an upper end of the concave curved surface to a top of the rib. A radius of the concave curved surface is larger than a height of the rib. A lower surface of the coaster has spaced-apart nibs having surfaces formed as surfaces of rotation, each of which downwardly extends from a general lower surface of the coaster body to a bottom of the nib. A sidewall of the nib has a concave curved surface that extends downwardly from the general surface, and a convex curved surface that extends downwardly from a lower end of the concave curved surface to the bottom of the nib. A radius of the concaved curved surface of the nib sidewall is greater than a height of the nib. The avoidance of crevasses, corners and channels in the coaster makes the coaster easier to keep clean.

Spaced-apart elongate ribs formed on a floor of an upper surface of a coaster have sidewalls that each have a concave curved surface extending upward from the floor, and a convex curved surface extending upward from an upper end of the concave curved surface to a top of the rib. A radius of the concave curved surface is larger than a height of the rib. A lower surface of the coaster has spaced-apart nibs having surfaces formed as surfaces of rotation, each of which downwardly extends from a general lower surface of the coaster body to a bottom of the nib. A sidewall of the nib has a concave curved surface that extends downwardly from the general surface, and a convex curved surface that extends downwardly from a lower end of the concave curved surface to the bottom of the nib. A radius of the concaved curved surface of the nib sidewall is greater than a height of the nib. The avoidance of crevasses, corners and channels in the coaster makes the coaster easier to keep clean.

A convertible LED table tray comprising a central compartment, wherein the central compartment further comprises a upper deck; a drawer movable relatively in and out the central compartment; a first side compartment connected to the central compartment; a second side compartment opposed to the first side compartment connected to the central compartment; at least one light-emitting diode light on the upper deck; a charger plates; and a means for holding the charger plates on the upper deck of the central compartment.

An improved tableware stand with a cylindrical base providing vertical elevation of an adapter for use to receive and retain tableware, the cylindrical base including a circumferential sidewall adapted for receiving a removable, reversable tableware adapter which securely engages the food service item with misaligned receiving structure. The receiving structure includes a plurality of concentric channels for securely receiving and retaining different sized, dimensioned, configured, or shaped food service items while providing a substantially planar platform elevated from an underlying support surface.

An improved tableware stand with a cylindrical base providing vertical elevation of an adapter for use to receive and retain tableware, the cylindrical base including a circumferential sidewall adapted for receiving a removable, reversable tableware adapter which securely engages the food service item with misaligned receiving structure. The receiving structure includes a plurality of concentric channels for securely receiving and retaining different sized, dimensioned, configured, or shaped food service items while providing a substantially planar platform elevated from an underlying support surface.

A coaster for illuminating a liquid receptacle is disclosed. The coaster includes a light and a pressure-sensitive switch for activating the light when the receptacle is placed on the coaster so as to illuminate the receptacle and its contents. A disc battery is sandwiched between strips of a flexible circuit board so that compression of the strips against the battery causes a completion of the circuit to turn the light on.

A drink coaster configured to be converted into a stand. The drink coaster includes a flat sheet of material including a first preferential fold line extending across the flat sheet of material between a first panel of the flat sheet of material and a second panel of the flat sheet of material, and a second preferential fold line extending across the flat sheet of material between the second panel of the flat sheet of material and a third panel of the flat sheet of material. The flat sheet of material is configured to be folded along the first preferential fold line and along the second preferential fold line to convert the drink coaster into a stand for an electronic device.