The History of Coffee Creamer

Back in the 1940s, Bob Smith and Holton W. “Rex” Diamond were working at Henry Ford’s Carver Laboratory. There, the two men developed a soy cream substance that could be mixed with coffee, creating the first coffee creamer. Several powdered creamer products hit the market in the early 1950s, including Pream and Mocha Mix Coffee Creamer, which was the first product with the words “coffee creamer” right in the name. Then in 1961, Coffee-Mate debuted and quickly gained popularity. In 1987, International Delight hit the market. Coffee-Mate is now the top-selling coffee creamer in the United States, followed by International Delight. (If you’re curious, International Delight reported that its most popular flavor is French Vanilla, which is closely followed by Caramel Macchiato.) Coffee creamer remains popular today in the United States — if somewhat polarizing, as people tend to either love it or hate it — but interestingly, it is generally not available in Europe.