Fast Food Hack: Plastic Lids Are Really Just Coasters in Disguise

I always wondered about those tiny bumps on plastic lids. They irked me every time I was about to punch my straw through and into my mix of 7-Up and Coke. Turns out, they’re there for a reason, which is to turn your lid into a coaster in case you’re at Burger King and don’t want to stain their lux plastic tables.

Check out the photo below:

fast food lid

As you can see, the bottom of the cup fits perfectly in the lid’s ridge and the bumps keep it in place.

Upon learning about this nifty hack, I ran over to the Subway down the street and tried it for myself. Alas! The particular cups at this location were void of the three bumps shown in the original photo. Still, the ridge made a snug fit for my drink, and even though the bottom of the lid ironically got by desk wet (don’t run with soda, kids!), I thoroughly enjoyed my sugar rush anyway. Although I don’t see myself doing this on the reg (they have real-life coasters for that), it’s a fun hack to try if you want to feel faux bougie while snacking on chicken nuggets.

photo (1)

lid hack

Some have commented that the bumps are there for stacking purposes and prevent the lids from sticking together during storage. Boom, you just got two FYI’s at once.

H/T Buzzfeed + PicThx Reddit

More content

Eating Out
George Lucas’ Long-Awaited Museum Is Getting Its Own Skywalker-Inspired Restaurant
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is set to open on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park, and…
,
Eating Out
Domino’s Launches A Detroit-Style Pizza That Looks Like An Actual Domino
Domino’s has spent more than 60 years putting its name on pizza boxes. Somehow, it took until 2026 to put an actual domino inside one.…
,
InnovationProducts
Someone Invented A Beer Glass That Punishes You For Forgetting To Drink Water
We’ve all heard the responsible drinking advice before: Have some water between beers. Pace yourself. Hydrate. All sensible suggestions that become considerably easier to forget…
,
Burger
We Deliver!

Enter your email address below and we'll deliver our top stories straight to your inbox