Cream is labeled by name rather than by the percentage of milk fat it contains, leaving shoppers to guess which carton suits their recipe. The names do correspond to standard fat ranges, though the ranges overlap and the labels are not always intuitive.
Half-and-half, a blend of equal parts milk and cream, contains 10.5 to 18 percent milk fat. Light cream, also called table cream, ranges from 18 to 30 percent, but is most often actually 20 percent. Whipping cream, sometimes labeled light whipping cream, has 30 to 36 percent. Heavy cream has 36 to 40 percent. Double cream, which is not widely available in the U.S., has 42 percent.
The naming quirk is most visible with whipping cream and heavy cream. Despite the name, heavy cream is generally the better choice for making whipped cream, though both types work. The difference comes down to fat content: more fat stabilizes the foam and produces a firmer result.
For shoppers, the practical takeaway is to check the carton for the milk fat percentage or the product name rather than assuming a cream labeled “whipping” will whip better than one labeled “heavy.” The source material does not specify whether the ranges are set by federal standards or industry practice, and it does not address regional availability beyond double cream.
Editorial Notes