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Cream, Fluid, Light (Coffee Cream Or Table Cream)
Light cream, also called coffee cream or table cream, is a pourable dairy liquid with 18-30% milkfat and a density of 1.014 g/ml, placing it between half-and-half and whipping cream in richness. One US cup weighs approximately 240 g and a tablespoon about 15.0 g. It is the classic pour-over cream for coffee and tea, and it enriches soups, custards, and cream sauces without making them as heavy as those prepared with heavy whipping cream.
What is Cream, Fluid, Light (Coffee Cream Or Table Cream)?
Light cream, also called coffee cream or table cream, is a pourable dairy liquid with 18-30% milkfat and a density of 1.014 g/ml, placing it between half-and-half and whipping cream in richness. One US cup weighs approximately 240 g and a tablespoon about 15.0 g. It is the classic pour-over cream for coffee and tea, and it enriches soups, custards, and cream sauces without making them as heavy as those prepared with heavy whipping cream.
Liquids are not interchangeable with water in weight terms. Density changes with fat, sugar, and dissolved solids, so the same cup can convert above or below water-based assumptions. Use these density-based gram values when scaling sauces, drinks, and dressings.
Chef note:Chefs scale sauces by weight because density shifts quietly change flavor balance.
Quick convert
- US cup = 236.588 mL
- 1 tbsp = 14.787 mL
- 1 tsp = 4.929 mL
Kitchen Conversion Chart
Cups, tbsp, tsp, mL and oz — all in one printable reference for oils, liquids, dairy and sauces.
Beverages
Sugary drinks and juices are significantly denser than plain water due to dissolved solids. Converting 'cups' to grams is the best way to accurately track sugar intake or mix precise cocktails and punches.
FAQ
- Why can't light cream be whipped like heavy cream?
- Light cream at 1.014 g/ml contains only 18-30% milkfat, which is below the 36% threshold needed to trap air bubbles and form stable peaks; the fat globules are too sparse to create the network that holds whipped cream's structure.
- How does light cream's density compare to half-and-half and heavy cream?
- Light cream at 1.014 g/ml sits between half-and-half at roughly 1.020 g/ml and heavy cream at about 0.994 g/ml; as fat content increases density actually decreases because milkfat is lighter than the water-based milk serum.
- Can I substitute light cream for heavy cream in pasta sauces?
- You can use light cream at 1.014 g/ml in pasta sauces, but the sauce will be thinner and less clingy because the lower fat content provides less body; reduce the sauce longer or add a small amount of flour roux to compensate for the reduced richness.