Do you use coffee creamer–like coffee mate?
If so, you probably already know, it’s a non-dairy creamer, there’s no “cream” in it at all. So, how do they get it, well, creamy?
Not to ruin your morning cup of joe, but coffee creamer is basically one of those “better living through chemistry” experiments. Original Coffee Mate creamer has water, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil {would you ever just pour oil into your coffee?}, sodium caseinate, dipostassium phosphate, mono- and diglycerides, sodium aluminosilicate, artificial flavor and carrageenan. I don’t know about you, but I can’t even pronounce half of those! In fact, I’m pretty sure that there is not ONE thing in there we should be consuming, yet the stuff flies off the shelves.
What do you think, do you use it and turn a blind eye to the ingredients {no judgement, I do that will a lot of stuff, if we are being honest}? Or does it gross you out?
~Mavis
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Elena says
I wont touch the stuff. I do poor regular old half and half into my coffee. I try to stick to the no artificial whatever rule. Now you are going to tell me they put crapity crap in that too…
Cecily says
I don’t care for the taste or texture of non dairy creamer (I prefer whole milk) but my DH likes it. BTW, sodium caseinate is a protein found in milk. In the amounts most people use in their coffee I don’t think non-dairy creamer is harmful.
T. Wimes says
I used to use it because that’s what we had at work. Now I can’t stand the stuff. I only buy organic half and half. It’s soooo good.
Jaime B says
Haven’t used it in years. We use Organic half and half….
Challice says
I need a cream. I need it to be dairy free. I dislike Coffeemate creamer… but I dislike black coffee even more. Sigh. It’s my one weakness.
Kerry says
Have you tried coconut creamer? I’ve seen it at Whole Foods and Nugget stores here in CA. It was the best non-dairy, flavored creamer. I tried to convert but went back to 1/2 cup half-n-half in about 10 oz. strong coffee that has been brewed with ground cinnamon.
Dana says
I always wondered if it were watered down glue….
Jenny says
I can put coffee mate in my coffee and drink it with no problem
but what grosses me out is the thought of drinking milk.
Why do people drink milk at all ?
We are mammals. We’re supposed to be weaned after we start eating solid foods.
Do people realize where milk comes from ?
Have they ever looked at a cow or goat and thought about the baby bovines that are killed
so that the mother supplies the fluid to humans ?.
Heather says
I am not a milk drinker.. I use it occasionally when cooking… I am not condoning the treatment that most animals who are used in food production are subjected to… It’s wrong and disgusting…. BUT I have lived on farms my whole life.. Raised cows, goats, sheep and horses, not to mention dogs cats, mice, ferrets etc. etc. etc… I do have to say that a female cow or goat “freshens” after they have given birth, and as long as said animal continues to be milked on a regular twice-daily routine,( even after the baby is weaned) that she will continue to produce milk… DUH
Not every cow or goat that is producing milk has had their baby slaughtered simply to provide milk for you.
DUH twice…
education is an amazing thing.. One should try it.
Lisa says
Heather! Your “DUHs” are extremely rude! Didn’t Mavis notice them, or realize there were directed at another poster? Education is amazing. Your farm animal experiences are not what happens on a large dairy farm.
#1 DUH – on dairy farms a cow is bred again about days or weeks after giving birth. Milk production drops off after a bit less than a year of milking, and dairies don’t let it go that long.
#2 DUH – Most calves born to dairy cows are NOT needed after their births, and are indeed slaughtered. But, first, they are kept in small enclosures until they are “veal” age. A lot of people will guess that the “farmers” keep the males for future breeding, but dairies (I am not talking about a family with a dairy cow or two) do not have a physical bull on the premises, they order frozen sperm and use artificial insemination. They don’t keep the female calves either. Their business is milk, not raising calves to adult hood.
Other than that… I don’t like coffee (not since I was pregnant with my youngest, and the smell made me sick), but I always hated creamer anyway. I have nothing against “artificial” ingredients as a rule. If I like the food I eat it! I like real cheese, but my dog needs sticky cheese to stick together when I give him his pills, so he eats Kraft Singles (which I notice Mavis eats!), and it does melt into nice grilled sandwiches!
Michele says
Whether you drink milk or not, you probably consume milk on a daily bases. Milk is in almost everything processed that we eat. Its in all breads, frozen food meals. Everything you eat out at a restaurant. Obviously cheese, sour cream, and yogurt are made from milk. So unless your a vegan, dont say GROSS to drink milk, because more than likely you consume milk products even if you dont drink it from a carton.
Danielle says
I tried to make my own, but it ended up tasting gross. So I switched back to Coffee-Mate, but now I buy the “Natural Bliss” kind. I don’t know if its any healthier, but it just gives my coffee that oomph factor I’ve missed!
Ashley says
I use brown sugar and vanilla almond/soy milk in my coffee. I do prefer it with creamer, but I only buy it as a ‘treat’ every now and then. I’m a diet coke drinker so I figure I get my fair share of chemicals already, I don’t need them in my coffee.
Carrie says
I love the taste of Coffeemate Peppermint Mocha. I tried making my own with milk, cocoa powder, and peppermint extract but it was nasty tasting. Half and half just doesn’t do it for me, neither does plain milk. Any suggestions would be great to hear!
Tessa says
Funny you should post this. I just got done making some half and half out of the heavy cream and whole milk in my fridge. Local cows make yummy coffee cream!
Erica says
I’ve been making many healthier choices lately. Trying to wean my family off of processed foods, junk, etc. I’m currently turning a blind eye to my creamer. I love the taste of International Delight; HATE milk in my coffee. Tried making my own creamer but it doesn’t work for me, I’d rather stop drinking coffee altogether. Maybe one day I’ll start experimenting again but for now the creamer stays.
Diana says
I’ve been practically addicted to the International Delight/Coffee Mate liquid flavored creamers since the early 1990s. I’d have a generous pour of it into my coffee first thing in the morning, and then with every cup of coffee, all day. I even kept a supply of creamer at the office so I wouldn’t have to go without while at work. Then last year I faced the fact that this was my last remaining unhealthy vice, and I had to make a break from it. Milk was an already-tried and failed option. Although I consume a lot of milk, in coffee I think it is yuck. But I did come up with a substitute that would get me through my first cup of the morning, after which I’m fine with black coffee. My morning drink is now a mocha, with heated milk as its base, instant coffee, sugar, and naturally-processed cacao powder mixed in. It is delicious to me, and satisfies whatever I was getting from the artificial creamer. And better yet, after one cup, I’m good, and not wanting more. So for my next cup I switch over to black coffee.
Great topic!
cydira says
i drink the International Delight creamer on a somewhat regular basis. currently, it seems to be less expensive then the cream or half and half. i’m still doing some shopping around to determine if switching to soy milk would be an economical option. (when i was pregnant, i had to go lactose free for a while and discovered that it was good in my tea and coffee.) a lot of the stuff that they use in non-dairy creamer is relatively harmless.
i make a point of not using the sugar free versions of the non-dairy creamers because i can’t stomach aspertame and related products. they literally will make my stomach ache. while i recognize the high fructose corn syrup isn’t terribly good for me, i have cut out pretty much all other sources of that from my diet so i have a very low amount of it on a regular basis. it is funny that you mention oil because part of the components of milk are fats, which is another way to describe oil. while they are different fats from what you get from plants, they are still oil that you are putting into your coffee.
that carreegan stuff, if i recall it correctly, is used to color munster cheese. i do know, however, that it comes from seaweed. it’s a weird little product that makes stuff gel in the correct circumstances. apparently it’s marketed as a vegan alternative to gelatin. i think that the other stuff are possibly designed to increase the shelf life of the product and prevent it from separating. i’m not 100% sure, though. i’ve forgotten a lot of the material i learned in the health and nutrition classes i took years ago at college.
Em says
A-and it’s flammable!
suzanne hissung says
Lol, my HH pours MCT oil into his coffee every morning that and a spoonful of butter, stevia than gives a quick whirl with a hand stick blender. It’s called bullet proof coffee and it’s very popular at the moment. Whatever makes him happy and I confess he’s quite athletic looking for his age and his Dr. keeps telling him to keep doing what he’s doing. I admit it is tasty too.
Charles Sifers says
Hard to find something more healthy than good old dairy. I realize that its is fashionable to pay a lot of money for something that tastes like milk…but isn’t, but I’ve never been about fashion.
Sorry to break it to folks, but animals are raised for food. Cattle that are bred to produce milk, do not make good beef, so veal it is. If you don’t like it, don’t buy veal, but don’t go getting all faux moral on those that do.
For all those poor souls who have convinced themselves that they are “lactose intolerant”, the plain and simple fact is that since you have quit drinking milk, you let the natural flora that live in your digestive system die, so you have a hard time digesting milk. If these people simply started eating yogurt with live cultures, then their ability to digest lactose would return.
BTW, lactobacillus and their friends acetobacter are involved in digesting lots of other things, so your health will improve over all.
But hey, what am I thinking? You can’t be trendy unless you’re feeding yourself and your kids soy. Never mind that humans should never ingest unfermented soy for any reason.
It’s cool right?
Ashley says
You’re right. You’ve convinced me to drop my soy/almond milk and make myself sick on a daily basis by drinking regular milk. After all, feeling like garbage is cool, right?
Do what’s right for you, but stop judging other people (and flat out insinuating that they’re idiots) and chill out.
Rene says
Why ruin delicious shade grown organic coffee with laboratory cream? I use cream right from a farm. (Some cream has carrageen added as well and it is hard on the digestive system.) I have also used coconut cream. No soy, no way.
Denise says
Yay for half n half! The long list of ingredients in creamer turned me off a long time ago. If I must have my coffee sweetened, I just go for straight sugar syrup or caramel.
Watch out, don’t get “fat-free” half and half. It’s full of sugar and fake ingredients.
Julie says
I confess I love a flavored creamer in my coffee. I’ve tried plain half and half and sugar, but I still prefer the flavored stuff.
Tammy says
It totally grosses me out! I usually drink my coffee black. Sometimes I add a splash of milk and/or some sugar. Rarely, I will buy cream – but even some brands of “cream” have extra ingredients, so I have to read the labels to make sure I’m getting just cream and not cream with several additional ingredients. Bleh.
Patty says
I drink organic Half n Half and love it. Would not drink artificial “creamer” ever. I have been eating clean for the last 2 years. Buy my beef, chicken and pork from a local farmer, and try to buy organic veggies as much as possible during the winter, grow veggies in the summer. I don’t eat processed foods and cannot tell you the last fast food meal that my family had. You are what you eat and the increased diabetes, obesity, heart disease etc has to be due to the current diet that most American’s eat. Do yourself a big favor and start replacing the chemicals you eat with real food.
Lori H says
I’ve been making my own creamer for about 6 months now – half & half, sweetened condensed milk & vanilla. It did take a little getting used to because it isn’t as thick as the store bought creamer, but we love it now. Sometimes I will add a couple drops of flavored Stevia (chocolate is yummy!) to mix it up a bit.
Deanna says
I stopped buying coffee mate about a year ago because of the ingredients. I try to only buy things that I can pronounce, or whole food items. (not to be confused with the store!) I use evaporated milk or half and half in my coffee. However… I do still purchase the peppermint mocha creamer during the holidays.
Sarah Ninneman says
I use organic hazelnut coconut milk creamer … its is not badly priced! I paid $2.99 at whole foods… and i can read everything that is in it! i too was using the “Natural Bliss” coffeemate creamer… thought all the ingredients were legit… until i found out what the “other natural flavors” can be (ie. the juice from a beavers anal gland) SO needless to say i drink WAY to much coffee not to care what i am adding to it 🙂 and i have also had the organic valley soy french vanilla coffee creamer which is also delish! but the organic hazelnut coconut milk creamer only has 4 grams of sugar per serving…
Jessica says
Black coffee for me. I eliminated cream all together. Going over to decaf too so I can get off of the stimulant caffeine. In all honesty I need to completely switch to green tea. But black decaf will be here for a while
Sylvia says
I use Carnation instant nonfat dry milk. I’m sure there are some things in it that we should not be drinking but it has much less than the man made creamers.
Trish B says
I’ve been trying to avoid trans fats so I stopped using creamer and use cream instead.
Holly says
Organic Hazelnut half & half for me. So good 🙂
Judy Simkins says
VERY VEGAN for me – non-dairy creamer,no matter the brand, seems to contain milk products cleaverly referred to by some fancy name we don’t understand. Most milk doesn’t come from those happy ‘California’ cows & by using milk products in any way we contribute to their suffering. Agreed – adults were not meant to drink milk no matter what the ads say. SILK brand offers delicious choices for our coffee. I almost HAVE to love coffee – I live in SEATTLE! Bottom Line – Read labels & know what’s going in your body!
Mary says
OK – so – is it half-in-half? I guess there isn’t a make-yourself coffee creamer?
Barbara says
The stuff is nasty, and every time I had some (I have never bought it myself) it was because it was all that was available, and I always had the worst heartburn of my life from it. Now, if that’s all that’s offered, I decline altogether. I love real cream. The stuff that is NOT ultra-pasteurized, though, because that process removes ALL the flavor. My mom used to buy it from a local farmer and it wasn’t pasteurized at all, and it was a thick as mayonnaise. You had to spoon it out of a jar. I’d give a lot to be able to buy cream like that again. About 4 years ago I gave up coffee because it just doesn’t taste good without real cream. Well, worse than that; it tastes really awful to me. I drink a good brand of English Breakfast tea now. I really miss good coffee with real cream, though. There is no cream sold anymore that isn’t ultra-pasteurized that I can find. What a shame!
Charity says
Wow, I’m slowly working on changing what we eat, and I will spend a few dollars more for something with better ingredients, but I personally, can’t handle any of the sugar substitutes on the market (Stevia, Truvia, etc). I limit myself to one regular soda a day if I’m going to drink one, but after a lifetime of being raised on processed foods, it does take time to retrain tastebuds, and habits. I own a farm and will be eating pastured poultry and pork for the first time in my life. We will be getting a dairy cow and having fresh milk to make our own butter, cream, and feeding whey to our pigs to supplement their diet. We follow principles of permaculture, and all of our animals enjoy healthy living, to provide healthier food options for people that partake (meat, dairy, eggs). I realize this life isn’t for everyone, and I DO know that not all animals are treated humanely, but don’t generalize and assume all farmers are the same.
As for the topic at hand…If I give up soda altogether, I must have coffee. And I’ll be sticking with coffeemate until I find something that is a healthier option that doesn’t upset my tummy (stevia and soy).
Thanks Mavis!
Susan says
I make my creamer using sweetened condensed milk, milk and vanilla. BTW I make my own sweetened condensed milk also. It tastes just like the creamer you can buy.