I’m not from America, obviously, but some of my family are. I’ve noticed on tv and in movies Americans refer to having ‘cream’ in their coffee. I’m so confused about what this means and I don’t know why, but I just think about it often and really want to know the answer. I asked my American family once, and they could’nt really explain what they mean, they were just as confused with me not understanding.
We use milk in coffee in my country. Either Skim (low fat) or Full Cream (full fat) milk. It’s frothed using steam to create lattes or cappuccino. Or warmed for flat whites. Or people have no milk, and just have black coffee.
So, what does it mean, in America, when people ask “do you want cream” in your coffee? Do they mean milk, or cream? If it’s cream, like the dessert kind that you whip, I’m assuming it can’t be frothed then? To us, “cream” is different to milk. Cream is whipped, it’s what you top a scone with or serve with desserts. It’s not put in coffee. Is ‘cream’ something different in America? Or do you literally put cream in coffee. Or is it a word for something else?
Yes, I know this is a ridiculous thing to get so interested in, but I really really want to know.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
When Americans say they want ‘cream’ in their coffee, what the heck does that mean?
r/Advice
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Cream is a heavier milk. Some call it cream or half and half.
Google cream for coffee?
You already know what it means….
I always thought they meant single cream (ie not whipped up). You can get little pots of “coffee cream” in cafes which look like single cream but is possibly half/ half with sugar in it …. am U.K. so US food and beverages do seem different. Glad you asked as I’m now curious!
Some people like cream in their coffee in U.K. rather than milk, is a good way to calorie/ energy load (when someone is underweight / struggling to keep weight on / low appetite in old age for example) or a luxury in after meal coffee if not having pudding.. in our restaurant years ago we’d pour a bit of single cream in, same as we’d top with for Irish coffees.
It is a great question to ask as I wouldn’t have understood they meant blue top full fat milk or frothed up full fat milk, or some actual special coffee creamer but actual cream!! Doh me!
These days it means more tariffs, but historically usually half and half (it’s a milk and cream blend you really only find commonly in the US)
In Canada half and half is 10% fat, table cream is 18% and whipping is 35%.
If they emphatically state cream then I’m assuming that means 18%.
I am also interested in the answer. Is it simply the cream that is separated from raw milk in the milk production process? I always thought Americans used creamer, and that is some weird powder? Please elaborate.
Cum
I saw this in costco US
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/starbucks-liquid-coffee-creamer%2c-caramel%2c-58-fl-oz.product.100435366.html
Cream is the fatty bit in raw milk that comes to the top when you leave it and it separates (or centrifuged). It’s an emulsion of milkfat in water. So half and half would probably refer to hald cream half milk?
Where I am from we say cafe crème to a normal black coffee with a little splash of cream.
It means putting cream in your coffee, but for many, including me, I’ve used cream, milk, Half ‘n Half, Evaporated Milk, even a powdered version such as Coffee Mate or Cremora at one time or another to offset a slight bitter taste, depending on what I have. Then…a sprinkle of salt, which has not one thing to do with creaming your coffee.
They generally have a bottle of processed liquid “cream”(if you can call it that) Full of junk flavours, additives &/ sweeteners. Tastes delicious but probably rots your insides.
Making a post on Reddit when Google exists is a wild choice.
Are you familiar at all with the cow milking process? When fresh milk comes from the cow, it’s actually not like the milk you buy at the store. It is a mixture of milk and milk fats. The milk like you know it settles at the bottom, while the fattier cream rises to the top. It’s this cream that is used to make butter, ice cream, etc. Coffee creamer, when not fake oil stuff, is what you call “full fat” milk with some of that cream fat that comes off the top. So even your “full fat” milk isn’t really the full fat that comes out of the cow.
People can use full fat milk, 1%, 2%, half and half, heavy cream, or coffee cream which is highly sweetened, often flavored, cream that goes in your coffee. Its basis is in creme but not typically usable for other purposes like milk or real cream is. It’s primarily or only used for coffee. ✌🏽
I’m in Sweden. Starbucks over here literally put whipped cream in their coffee so I’ve always assumed that Americans use cream instead of milk.
When milk is first collected it will separate into layers with the fattier parts on top. The top is cream.
it’s not different from the cream you would whip.
Half n half is cream/ milk mixed which is USUALLY what someone means for coffee.
I’m not American but when I lived there I was also surprised. It’s like fat milk or like liquid whipped cream more or less. It’s not just plain milk as we use in my country too. So in my experience there, people get a cup full of only coffee and then pour a little bit of cream on it.
I remember pouring a shit ton of cream because I like my coffee with like 70% milk 30% coffee and all I could think was that using 70% cream sure was crazy because it had to have a lot of fat and I was drinking it like water.
Typically 1/2 and 1/2. Any other meaning would be specified (milk, etc).
Half and half
In North America, when people say milk, they usually mean the plain liquid from cows (or alternatives like oat, soy, etc.) with varying fat percentages such as skim (0%), 1%, 2%, or whole (about 3.25%). It is the everyday drink and what you pour on cereal.
Cream is milk with much higher fat content. It is separated from milk and sold in types like:
It’s what floats to the top of unhomogenized (fresh) milk. It has a higher fat content than processed homogenized milk does.
You’re Australian aren’t you haha.
I’m also Australian and I feel this way about them calling jam ‘jelly’.
Pretty much any dairy products including that dairy-infested “non dairy creamer”, can be considered “cream into the coffee”
Although some do use Plant-based options for this,
Of course like MANY USA residents; I view “cream in the coffee” as RUINING the coffee, as in it messes up the texture and taste,,
I prefer fresh excellent quality light to medium roasted coffee that is properly brewed , served hot and Black, then sweetened with Coconut Sugar or Honey,
Of course some folks in various parts of Earth including parts of USA literally brew their coffee with Milk instead of water, boil their oatmeal in milk instead of water,,😢🫣😢😢🤢☠️🤮🤮🤮🥵🤢😢😡☠️☠️☠️🤮😢😢😢😢🫣😢🫣😢🫣😢🤢🤮🤮🤮☠️☠️☠️🤢😢😡🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣😢😢😢😢😢😢😢🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣
Unfortunately there are different types. 35% cream which is heavy cream (the kind you add sugar to and whip to top a dessert), half and half, and coffee cream. Generally “cream” in coffee is 35%.
The Code of Federal Regulations requires that cream has at least 18% milkfat.
It’s heavy whipping cream and milk basically. Half n half.
Only commenting to add clarity since creamer tends to get conflated with your question on cream. Generally we like sweet coffee drinks so there are combinations that may help it make sense. We generally like our coffees creamy (texture and smoothness) and sweet (flavor). The basic options are:
Cream (your question- this is half and half) and sugar
Creamer – essentially a combination of number one of a creamy substance (they can be dairy or non dairy and a flavor made of sugar or syrup). Creamer can be liquid or powder
Milk & syrup – typical vanilla latte type drink with your choice of milk or nut milk variety with a sryup for flavor. Some can be just milk and frothed/steam milk etc like you mentioned for your coffees. I just assume we probably use more syrups in ours because we like sweets
When I say cream, I mean actual cream. Not milk. Half-in-half is also normal. Most Americans do not put milk in their coffee. They use cream, half-in-half, or some sort of flavored creamer. If you’re using milk, it’s usually steamed milk for a latte or similar espresso drink.
They mean half and half. They’ll ask for something specific if it’s otherwise.