Black Coffee vs White,

2

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    From my experience, people here in Australia put milk in their coffee whereas people in the US put "creamer" or some powdered stuff that looks like dried paint powder into their coffee. But small cartons of milk aren't often provided at breakfast places etc.

    For me, milk is bad enough but that other stuff is ... strange.

    Of course small cartons of milk aren't provided, unless you're in a really crappy place where "breakfast" consists of one-serving cardboard boxes of cereal, sealed plastic containers of orange juice, really bad coffee, and the aforementioned small cartons of milk.

    What you're thinking of as a carton of milk and what I'm thinking of are two different things. :)

    Carton is probably not the right word for it. Another word might be pod. It's a little plastic "cup" with a foil top.

    Are you talking about these? These are the ones I don't like because they hold so little cream.

    vmg8u03usdn1.png

    This is what I think of when I see the word "carton."

    qqasciu1gws8.jpg

    Restaurants that don't use the little pods usually bring cream (or milk) in these:

    ek3y7a9wfoov.jpg


  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,597 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    From my experience, people here in Australia put milk in their coffee whereas people in the US put "creamer" or some powdered stuff that looks like dried paint powder into their coffee. But small cartons of milk aren't often provided at breakfast places etc.

    For me, milk is bad enough but that other stuff is ... strange.

    Of course small cartons of milk aren't provided, unless you're in a really crappy place where "breakfast" consists of one-serving cardboard boxes of cereal, sealed plastic containers of orange juice, really bad coffee, and the aforementioned small cartons of milk.

    What you're thinking of as a carton of milk and what I'm thinking of are two different things. :)

    Carton is probably not the right word for it. Another word might be pod. It's a little plastic "cup" with a foil top.

    Are you talking about these? These are the ones I don't like because they hold so little cream.

    vmg8u03usdn1.png

    This is what I think of when I see the word "carton."

    qqasciu1gws8.jpg

    Restaurants that don't use the little pods usually bring cream (or milk) in these:

    ek3y7a9wfoov.jpg


    Those first things are similar, except I think the ones here are a little bit taller, and they contain whole milk. They usually give us two of them.

    Or some places will use the little pitchers as in your last photo.


    Not the cardboard cartons.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,091 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    From my experience, people here in Australia put milk in their coffee whereas people in the US put "creamer" or some powdered stuff that looks like dried paint powder into their coffee. But small cartons of milk aren't often provided at breakfast places etc.

    For me, milk is bad enough but that other stuff is ... strange.

    Of course small cartons of milk aren't provided, unless you're in a really crappy place where "breakfast" consists of one-serving cardboard boxes of cereal, sealed plastic containers of orange juice, really bad coffee, and the aforementioned small cartons of milk.

    What you're thinking of as a carton of milk and what I'm thinking of are two different things. :)

    Carton is probably not the right word for it. Another word might be pod. It's a little plastic "cup" with a foil top.

    Oh, sorry. Another example of English-speaking countries not speaking the same language. :smile:

    Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen those in the U.S. with milk (as opposed to half and half, real cream, or "creamer").
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I'm not even sure what's being argued here anymore LOL. I use half and half in my coffee, I just don't like it black. Milk is fine as well. "Creamer" is just weird and I don't like it. I don't really even know what it is. I am in the US. Either restaurants will serve you cream or half and half in those little dishes that was posted above, or will have those tiny little plastic cartons of half and half or creamer at the table. If I preferred milk with my coffee instead of half and half, I would ask the restaurant to bring me milk, and they would because I'm pretty sure almost every restaurant has milk...
  • Slacky68
    Slacky68 Posts: 6 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    Might have just caught them on an off week, I was in Vegas, We asked several times for milk, with the coffee, a few times at one hotel to which they said they didnt have it but could go to another hotel and get some, hence going without and having black coffee

  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Slacky68 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    Might have just caught them on an off week, I was in Vegas, We asked several times for milk, with the coffee, a few times at one hotel to which they said they didnt have it but could go to another hotel and get some, hence going without and having black coffee

    Yeah, that just seems odd that a hotel wouldn't have milk of some kind, others above have covered the varying ways that people in America tend to lighten their coffee - heavy cream, half n half, milk (varying percentages of fat usually from Whole to Skim).

    Sounds like an anomaly or a miscommunication.

    To your original question though - I don't think that experience needs to define how you now take your coffee. Now that you're back home, drink the coffee the way you like it, log and account for the calories in however much milk and/or sugar you add to it.

    Managing your calorie intake is very much like balancing your budget. You recently took a trip to Vegas - presumably that was something that was important to you and you figured out how to make that happen. If you went to Vegas too many times, or were over the top with your gambling - then that could have long term impact on your finances. How you choose to manage your calories on a day to day basis is similar - prioritize what is important to you (nutrition, satiety, enjoyment) and what types of foods/beverages provide those things. Log as accurately and honestly as possible and figure out how to accommodate the things you really desire, without sacrificing what's important in the long term.

    Personally I drink 2 cups of coffee, with flavored creamer, and that accounts for just about 100 calories of my daily intake. I'm totally good with that - some people would prefer to spend the 100 cals on food instead. Totally up to the individual.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    edited September 2018
    Machka9 wrote: »
    From my experience, people here in Australia put milk in their coffee whereas people in the US put "creamer" or some powdered stuff that looks like dried paint powder into their coffee. But small cartons of milk aren't often provided at breakfast places etc.

    I use what we call half & half in my coffee here in the states (10-12% butterfat). Every Starbucks has half and half, as well as every non-chain coffee outfit I've gone to. Dunkin Donuts doesn't have half and half, but I believe McDonalds still does. Most of the breakfast places around here offer half and half, or 2% milk. Some of the convenience stores have half and half, others don't.

    If you haven't run into half and half or milk in the U.S., you're not hanging out at the right coffee places.



  • Millicent3015
    Millicent3015 Posts: 374 Member
    Slacky68 wrote: »
    Is black coffee better than having white ? I know coffee is probably not the best thing full stop but thought I would ask,

    If you want white coffee just measure out and log the portion of milk you want to use. I usually log 1 or 200ml of semi skimmed milk to use on cereal and in coffee. I don't think one is 'better' than the other unless you're having some sweet Starbucks-like concoction that has syrups and cream and is more of a dessert than a drink. But even if you have something that occasionally, it's not likely to do you any damage.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,238 Member
    Canada BC+Alberta

    McD's dispenser: 18% cream+2%milk
    McD's on the side request for single serve 10ml cups: 18%
    McD's special request from cappuccino machine/drive through dispenser: skim milk

    Tim Horton's dispenser: 18% cream and 2% milk
    On the side request single serve 10ml cups: 18% and (almost always) 2%
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,278 Member
    When we were in Hawaii ( which I know is not going to be typical of all of USA) breakfast in hotel dining area had coffee on a hot plate and those little pods of creamer. Various flavours.

    Whereas in Australia there would be little pods of actual milk or a jug of milk.

    There was a jug of milk at other end of buffet, for cereals, and we just poured from that into our coffees.

    * anecdote completely irelevant to OP, I know. ;)
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    Black coffee has fewer calories than black coffee + milk. There's nothing wrong with coffee. As a mom and now a full-time student working towards my PhD, coffee is my new soulmate & lifeblood.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    @hippysprout @WinoGelato actually I had the same experience when driving to Chicago. Stopped by a few coffee places (McDonald's for example) and when we asked for coffee with milk the servers looked at us like we were crazy... turns out they never have milk, just cream...

    When we got to downtown Chicago and grabbed breakfast at a cafe, they had milk though.

    They sell milk at McDonald’s.
    The OP said milk was hard to find in some places. I have never had a problem finding milk anywhere?
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    We're not talking about buying a carton of milk like what you might get with a happy meal ... we're talking about being given a little container of milk with your coffee.

    The OP said milk was hard to find in some places in the US. Where? I have never had a problem finding milk anywhere, ever. If you want it in little containers for coffee, and the restaurant doesn’t serve milk that way, get cream or purchase a glass or small carton of milk for your coffee. Easy solution.
    Every state in this country has milk producers and every restaurant or store that serves coffee, that I have been to has milk.
    Where can’t you find milk?
    It’s a staple.[/quote]

    You're quote emotionally invested in this aren't you?

    Fwiw I've found that when I've been in the US (DC, West point, Boston, N Carolina, San Diego) I've found the milk tastes odd. Not quite unpalatable but not all that nice. Similarly bread had been awful. So in the contract of contaminating coffee, not something I recognise but I couldn't have swallowed a punt of the stuff in the same way I can at home.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    When we were in Hawaii ( which I know is not going to be typical of all of USA) breakfast in hotel dining area had coffee on a hot plate and those little pods of creamer. Various flavours.

    Whereas in Australia there would be little pods of actual milk or a jug of milk.

    There was a jug of milk at other end of buffet, for cereals, and we just poured from that into our coffees.

    * anecdote completely irelevant to OP, I know. ;)

    As long as we are off topic anyways... any fresh dairy in Hawaii is very expensive because most of it has to be imported. So, I'm sure the hotels would try to get away with the little pods wherever they can.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Slacky68 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    Might have just caught them on an off week, I was in Vegas, We asked several times for milk, with the coffee, a few times at one hotel to which they said they didnt have it but could go to another hotel and get some, hence going without and having black coffee.

    Reposting the OP's followup post as several people seemed to have missed it.

    The lack of milk was at a hotel in Vegas, so yes, the USA.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited September 2018
    Slacky68 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    Might have just caught them on an off week, I was in Vegas, We asked several times for milk, with the coffee, a few times at one hotel to which they said they didnt have it but could go to another hotel and get some, hence going without and having black coffee

    Interesting. I'm in the US. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant, coffee shop or hotel that didn't have milk. I have never been to las vegas before, maybe they are just weird there lol.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Slacky68 wrote: »

    I'm getting used to it, I've always had milk, but went to the states earlier this month and getting milk was hard in some places so I started having black coffee, its growing in me,

    What states? The states of the United variety? Milk is practically seeping out of every place that accepts cash check or debit card. Well, granted I haven't been to every corner of the US, but I've never heard of any place where milk is a precious commodity here, in fact the price of milk has fallen so low that many dairy farms are shutting their doors for lack of profit. Out of curiosity, where were you that getting milk was hard?

    This is what I was wondering. I can’t imagine a store, cafe, or restaurant in any area: urban, suburban or rural, that has coffee but no milk. Were you looking for a particular type of milk and the offerings were not to your liking?

    Might have just caught them on an off week, I was in Vegas, We asked several times for milk, with the coffee, a few times at one hotel to which they said they didnt have it but could go to another hotel and get some, hence going without and having black coffee.

    Reposting the OP's followup post as several people seemed to have missed it.

    The lack of milk was at a hotel in Vegas, so yes, the USA.

    Oof. Sounds like poor planning or customer service on the part of the hotel. Sorry, OP!
  • ExistingFish
    ExistingFish Posts: 1,259 Member
    This thread has been interesting.

    I used to drink my coffee black, but I don't anymore. White isn't a term used here, it's just with cream. I prefer heavy cream or half and half at home, DH does milk when we run out of half and half, I just forgo coffee (it makes that much of a difference!) I really prefer heavy cream, but the calories....I have adjusted to half and half.

    I don't drink coffee out most places, but most restaurants that serve coffee offer half and half and non-dairy creamer. I've never seen straight milk in one of those little cups, it just isn't standard here. We get the small cartons (pictured previously) that look like someone has shrunken a full size milk carton down to a 6 ounce size (I'd guess, maybe 4 or 8).
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    I will admit, I might be assuming milk when what I've really been given is half and half. I don't really notice the difference in my coffee, only real cream is obvious to me! I've been up and down the east coast of the US and never been offered just non-dairy creamer in a sit down place, maybe it's a regional thing?

    I will say, if a hotel in Las Vegas was confused by a request for milk, either they ran out and were trying to make excuses, or maybe they just misunderstood. Enough folks from around the country and the world come to Las Vegas, I'm sure they get far odder requests than milk for coffee :lol:
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    I will admit, I might be assuming milk when what I've really been given is half and half. I don't really notice the difference in my coffee, only real cream is obvious to me! I've been up and down the east coast of the US and never been offered just non-dairy creamer in a sit down place, maybe it's a regional thing?

    I will say, if a hotel in Las Vegas was confused by a request for milk, either they ran out and were trying to make excuses, or maybe they just misunderstood. Enough folks from around the country and the world come to Las Vegas, I'm sure they get far odder requests than milk for coffee :lol:

    As far as creamer goes, I thought creamer was just a cheap thing to buy for offices and stuff (the two offices I've worked at only supplied a non-dairy creamer and I assumed it was because it's cheap), but half and half, milk, or cream is what people normally get when they go to a restaurant or coffee shop
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Slacky68 wrote: »
    Is black coffee better than having white ? I know coffee is probably not the best thing full stop but thought I would ask,

    Black has less calories (and much less depending on the milk content of what you are having - eg, white Americano latte, flat white, cappuccino.)

    Taste is personal thing obvs.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    In my experience traveling around the US for both business and pleasure, the in-room coffee stuff only includes the powdered dreck called "non-dairy creamer" because it does not need to be refrigerated. The hotels that offer coffee in the lobby or breakfast room will usually have insulated bottles with both milk and half & half plus there will be more milk over where the cereal is (if they offer breakfast). Sometimes there will be a selection of the little pods of flavored creamer too. If they offer the little pods of Half & Half, I will take some up to the room so I have them if I make coffee. If the hotel has a restaurant, they should have milk and any hotel worth its salt will provide it.

    Parts of the US describe coffee with white stuff as "Light" (I think it is an East Coast/New York thing to ask for a "coffee light") and a friend of mine from Australia describes her coffee with milk as "khaki".

    One more question for everyone, when I was in Massachusetts, I saw "coffee cream" in the grocery store. How does that differ from what we get which is "Heavy Whipping Cream"? Is it a bit lower butterfat so closer to Half & Half? Is it just not ultrapasterized like the whipping cream is? I checked the ingredients and it was just cream.

    Where I live, it would be a sacrilege to not have dairy available, be it milk, cream, or something in between. There is actually a law that says restaurants must serve butter but can serve margarine on request. We take our dairy seriously here.

    OP, drink your coffee how you like it, just account for any calories. Personally, I prefer mine with a splash of half & half. I used to use flavored liquid creamers but stopped in order to cut some calories. I will use milk if it is the only thing available (like at my mom's).
  • RonyMack
    RonyMack Posts: 131 Member
    Looking forward to Fall, and Coffee Mate pumpkin pie spice creamer and peppermint white chocolate. :p
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    edited September 2018
    Slacky68 wrote: »
    Is black coffee better than having white? I know coffee is probably not the best thing full stop but thought I would ask,

    When I do opt in to enjoying a cup of coffee at home:
    • I enjoy it black, with cardamom
    • I take it white, with heavy cream or almond vanilla milk.

    It's never about which is better for me personally. Amongst friends, a good majority are coffee drinkers, so I've acclimated to not offend.
  • Paws3515
    Paws3515 Posts: 14 Member
    My coffee used to be close to 300 calories with my creamer and sugar. I was able to cut it back - Coffee and 2 tubs of flavored creamer runs me about 50 calories now. Can't believe I used to put all that sugar in it! No wonder I felt like a sluggish bum.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    It's funny because it's a lot harder to get a good cup of coffee in the US than it is to find milk or half and half.

    Signed - grew up in Portland and then was really spoiled by living in Vienna, Austria.