Coffee-Mate facts for kids
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| Owner | Nestlé |
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| Introduced | February 2, 1961 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
Coffee-mate is a popular product that helps make your coffee or tea creamy. It's a "non-dairy creamer," which means it doesn't have milk or lactose, even though it might have some milk-based ingredients. Nestlé makes Coffee-mate, and it comes in different forms like powder, liquid, and concentrated liquid. It was first introduced way back in 1961.
Contents
What's Inside Coffee-mate?
Coffee-mate Original has a few main ingredients. These include corn syrup solids, which add sweetness. It also contains hydrogenated vegetable oil, which helps give it a smooth texture. Another important ingredient is sodium caseinate. This comes from milk, but it doesn't have lactose, which is why Coffee-mate is called "non-dairy."
Other Ingredients in Coffee-mate
Coffee-mate also has small amounts of other ingredients.
- Dipotassium phosphate helps stop the creamer from clumping.
- Mono- and diglycerides are used to mix everything together smoothly.
- Sodium aluminosilicate helps prevent the powder from sticking.
- There's also artificial flavor to make it taste good.
- And annatto color gives it a nice creamy color.
Different Kinds of Coffee-mate
The very first Coffee-mate product came out in February 1961. Later, in 1989, Coffee-mate Lite (a lighter version) and liquid Coffee-mate were introduced.
Coffee-mate in the U.S.
In the United States, Nestlé makes Coffee-mate in Glendale, California. You can find it in liquid, concentrated liquid, and powdered forms. There are more than 25 different flavors to choose from! Some fun flavors include gingerbread, Parisian almond creme, and peppermint mocha. Some types, like Coffee-mate Soy, are no longer made.
Coffee-mate in Europe
In Europe, Coffee-mate is usually only sold as a powder. It's used as a coffee creamer and comes in just one or two basic varieties. The European version is made without hydrogenated fat. This is important because hydrogenated fat has been linked to heart disease.
Tea-mate: A Special Version for Tea
There was also a product called Tea-mate. This was a powdered creamer made specifically for tea. It was sold in the UK and other countries. In the UK, Tea-mate was stopped because not enough people bought it. But in some places, like India, you can still find it.
Other Fun Uses for Coffee-mate
Did you know Coffee-mate was used on a TV show? In the horror-anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark?, characters would throw "midnight dust" into a campfire. This "dust" was actually Coffee-mate! It would create an explosive puff of smoke and sparks as they started their spooky stories.
