On coffee “creamer”

What’s the deal with those tiny capsules of creamer at the coffee station. Is it OK to put these in my coffee even though they are unrefrigerated?

What is creamer? I know exactly what you’re talking about but I have no idea what it actually is. The best I can say is that creamer is a catchall category for things that get dumped into cheap coffee.

Motel room “creamer” is probably a blend of oils and chemicals. SoHo office “creamer” is a blend of nut milk and chemicals. We’re not even getting into powdered creamers — this shit gets weird.

I’m going to imagine you are at respectable diner on I-80 and that the creamer you’re asking about is real dairy cow-titty milk. The easy way to know for certain is that the words “half & half” or “milk” will be printed on the cup. They can’t do that unless it’s the real deal.

Those little udder squirts don’t require refrigeration. If you look closely, you will see the letters “UHT” printed onto the cuplet — this stands for Ultra-High-Temperature. This means the milk was heated super hot,  then put into that tiny sterile container and sealed. The result is shelf-stable milk — no refrigeration necessary.

Pour yourself a second cup of watery joe. You have nothing to fear.

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