If you are like me, you love adding cream to your coffee. The cream adds another layer of richness to the coffee to make it perfect.
But a question often asked is how much cream should you use in coffee? When it comes to how much cream to use in your coffee, there are a lot of possibilities, as we all have different tastes. But, as a rule of thumb, the typical serving is 15-30 mL, or three teaspoons, of cream per cup.
Read further to discover how coffee creamer, cream, and sugar can affect the flavor of the coffee.
Just What Is Coffee Creamer?
A dairy or a non-dairy product, coffee creamer, is an alternative to either cream or milk in coffee. The typical coffee creamer ingredients are cream, milk, sugar, and different flavorings. Also, non-dairy-based creamers made from soy, coconut, or almond milk are on the market.
Coffee Mate, Carnation, International Delight, and Nestle are popular coffee cream brands. Also, Bailey’s Coffee Creamer is non-alcoholic. The popular non-dairy creamer brands are Silk, Coconut Cloud, Laird, and Chobani.
What Are the Types of Coffee Creamers?
Many different coffee cream types are available today. So it may be helpful to know their differences before adding them to coffee.
Half cream and half milk creamer
Half-and-half coffee is a creamer for those who want milk’s sweetness in their coffee. Add cream at the end rather than at the beginning of your coffee to ensure you get the most out of your coffee. It’s also a good choice if you’re looking for an alternative to full-fat milk, since it has fewer calories.
Whipped cream
This dairy creamer is made by whipping milk to form stiff peaks. Whipped cream is often added to pies, cakes, and other desserts. Adding more milk to whipped cream creates a dense texture and richer cream. The whipped cream product becomes heavy cream.
These cream types, whipped and heavy cream, are not usually added to coffee. Whipped cream is the lighter of the two, while heavy cream, due to the added milk, weighs more and is heavier.
Interesting Fact: Whipped cream was first made in the 1600s and whipped up with a branch.
Light cream
Known as table cream, light cream has less fat than whipping cream. Light cream is created by adding milk to heavy cream to lighten the creamy texture. Although it is often added to coffee, it is not used on desserts as the cream will not whip into stiff peaks.
Heavy cream
When you need that shot of extra riches in your coffee, reach for the heavy cream. Adding the extra milk with higher butterfat gives your coffee a sweeter, richer taste.
Instant creamer
Another option for adding creamer to your coffee when in a hurry is non-dairy instant creamer. Instant creamer is a powder to replace other dairy creamers with high-butter fat. It is made of vegetable oil, water, sugar, and some preservatives and additives.
Interesting Fact: You may have thrown instant creamer powder on a fire to make it flare up as a kid.
Non-dairy creamers
Some creamers are non-dairy and made as a vegan alternative to dairy-based creamers. These creamers add sweetness to your coffee without any dairy issues. Non-dairy creamers are usually made of almond, soy, or coconut milk.
They typically do not contain any, or very little, sugar or milk. Also, some non-dairy creamers are lactose-free and perfect for lactose-sensitive coffee drinkers.
Liquid Creamers or Powdered Creamers for Coffee?
There should be more clarity about dairy-based or powdered creamers for your coffee. Hopefully, these key points help to clear things up:
- A rule of thumb is one tablespoon of powdered creamer equals about four ounces of liquid creamer.
- Some coffee drinkers like creamy lumps, while others prefer a smooth texture and no dairy products.
- Adding low-fat or skim milk adds a little fat to your coffee.
Different Types of Milk for Creamers
When deciding what coffee creamer tastes best for you, there are many choices to choose from. A big part of the best creamer for your tastes may be the type of milk used. Read further to discover the milk that delivers the best creamer taste.
Interesting Fact: Most milk consumed in Western countries comes from cows. In Europe and Mediterranean countries, from goats and sheep. Milk is produced from water buffalo in Asia and camels in the Middle East.
Milk from animals
Most milk consumed in Western countries comes from cows, sheep, and goats. Dairy, or cow’s milk, is delivered in various strengths, from creamy, rich milk fat to more healthy skim milk.
Milk from plants
Increasingly used as a coffee creamer, plant-based milk is becoming more popular. Plant-based milk may be suitable for those who are lactose intolerant and is a vegan’s dream.
But first, check the label and make sure it is “plant-based” on the label and doesn’t contain animal products. The most popular plant-based milk is coconut, oat, almond, and rice.
Interesting Fact: Plant milk has an event called “World Plant Milk Day,” celebrated on August 22 yearly. The event was created in response to the annual “World Milk Day.”
