<p>Companies (including <a href="https://www.coffee-mate.com/Products/Default.aspx#f1d167d0-4141-4bf8-9ee5-b09a8b15e76e">Nestle</a>) make creamers that do not require refrigeration.  They are likely available in your local grocer, you just need to check the label and make sure refrigeration isn't required.  </p>

<p>If you are paranoid about potential bacterial growth or contamination (like me) you may check into bulk buying the single serving creamers that they use at restaurants.  They require no refrigeration either and are sealed until use.</p>

<p>If you are looking to keep "real cream" cold for 8 to 10 hours, you may want to look into some sort of freezable lunch bag or small ice chest that will stay cold and takes up less space than a mini-fridge.  This would require substantially more effort, but may be worth it if you are particular about your cream.  Also from the comments below, you may look into a double wall vacuum thermos.  They are increasingly popular and come in a wide variety of qualities and prices, so do your research before buying.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T23:53:08.023Z
Traditional lunch box would probably do the trick. +1
Dan Beaulieu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T03:20:01.680Z
... or a freeze-able container such as the bowl for an ice cream maker, or like you might find in a hotel mini-bar. Perhaps also consider a double-wall vacuum flask. +1 for highest likelihood of being able to consume safe, actual milk.
hoc_age
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T03:36:52.497Z
All of the coffee mate and similar liquid bottles I have seen in Canada say they require refridgeration.  Maybe they are different in other countries?  Or I just havent found the right ones yet.
Grant
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T18:04:04.070Z
It's possible Canada has some regulation against such things, but perhaps more likely you just haven't found it yet.  I know here in Canada's neighbor the refrigeration required creamers are usually kept in a cold case with the dairy.  The non-refrigerated varieties are usually in the coffee isle next to the prepak coffee and bean dispensers.  Also I'll add the vacuum flask idea.
Suspended User
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-25T18:46:53.790Z
2015-06-26T18:14:05.977Z
2015-06-26T18:14:05.977Z
Suspended User
<p>It sounds like both you (and @Chris) are talking about liquid cream or creamers that resemble liquid milk in some way. If you're willing to stray from that...</p>

<p>Though I wouldn't eat them myself, consider also <em>powdered</em> creamers. These can be based on dried milk (which is very nearly still food), or on non-dairy stuff (partially hydrogenated oils, etc., which I don't know what they are).</p>

<p>As for the safety aspect of your question, you have basically zero time at room temperature for milk to be truly safe. According to <a href="http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/food/food_safety/handling/hgic3510.html" rel="nofollow">this page</a>, bacteria starts growing at about 45°F / 7°C; it'll get there pretty quickly if not cooled. Practically speaking, you have <em>some</em> time but it is not hours. I thought I had seen a chart of time-at-temperature (e.g., safe for 1 hour at temperature X, 30 minutes at temperature Y, etc.) but I can't find anything like it now.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T03:17:21.657Z
2015-06-26T03:49:18.923Z
2015-06-26T03:49:18.923Z
hoc_age
<p>Full disclosure: <a href="https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/100100/keep-milk-or-milk-alternative-for-a-day-without-a-fridge">The same question was asked at Seasoned Advice</a> and I am re-posting <a href="https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/100103/28879">my answer</a> from there with minor adjustments.</p>
<hr />
<p>I would invest in a small thermos bottle, about the size of what you need for one day. They are not only designed to keep hot food hot, they can also keep cold food cold. Choose a size that will be as full as possible when you start, it will keep better. I prefer stainless steel, because it can be cleaned easily and thoroughly, even in case something goes wrong, like a forgotten thermos that reappears after a while. (Ask me how I know &gt;.&lt;)</p>
<p>This is what the small B&amp;B we were staying at a few years ago supplies to their guests. If it’s good for an early morning tea, it’ll be good for afternoon coffee as well:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/wkjbh.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wkjbh.jpg" alt="thermos at B&amp;B" /></a></p>
<p>If you want to go all the way, you can pre-chill the container, then fill it with well-chilled cream from your home fridge. You could even freeze some of the cream as ice cubes, if you find that it doesn’t stay cold enough until the end of your work day or your last coffee break. Store the thermos away from heat sources and not in warm sunlight, of course.</p>
<p>Note that you also have the “two-hours in the danger zone” buffer and that “unsafe” doesn’t automatically mean “spoiled”. Especially when the cream is still quite cold and only shortly after the two-hour window the risk for a healthy adult should be small. No recommendation, just a thought.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-18T17:06:03.707Z
2021-07-18T18:43:37.917Z
2021-07-18T18:43:37.917Z
Stephie
<p>Some options.</p>

<p>Have you tried freezing the cream, then using it as it melts?   This works for bottles of milk, but I have never done it with cream.</p>

<p>Fill an unglazed clay pot with cold water, putting in cream in a sealed container in the pot, was the water enverperates from the damp sides of the pot, it cools the pot.    To speed up the process put the pot in front of your desk fun.</p>

<p>A sealed container in the flush tank of a well used WC may work, if the cold mains water is cool enough,  when camping a river is used in that way.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-12T17:22:14.020Z
2015-07-12T17:22:14.020Z
Ian Ringrose
<p>Maybe a bowl with ice in it, perhaps an insulated bowl or container that is big enough to hold the creamer container and sufficient ice to keep it cold.  I worked at a temporary office for an insurance co. and that's how they kept it cold.  The small cooler is a pretty good idea also.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-28T12:18:52.000Z
That's quite a [lifehack](http://lifehacks.stackexchange.com/) actually... :-)
Shadow Wizard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-26T15:39:50.980Z
2015-06-26T15:39:50.980Z
Dave Tenney
<p>I have a coffee maker in my office, but no fridge for my cream!  Unfortunately, even a mini/bar fridge would be too big for my office.</p>

<p>What other options do I have for keeping cream good for 8-10 hours?  I can bring just what I'll use for the day in the morning.  The room is kept at 20-22C all day.  How long can cream be stored at room temperature before it is risky to use?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-18T17:02:14.703Z
[Same problem came up on Seasoned Advice.](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/100100/keep-milk-or-milk-alternative-for-a-day-without-a-fridge)
Stephie
<milk>
Storing cream in my office
Grant
# Storing cream in my office

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-25)

I have a coffee maker in my office, but no fridge for my cream! Unfortunately, even a mini/bar fridge would be too big for my office.

What other options do I have for keeping cream good for 8-10 hours? I can bring just what I'll use for the day in the morning. The room is kept at 20-22C all day. How long can cream be stored at room temperature before it is risky to use?

**Tags:** milk

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: [Same problem came up on Seasoned Advice.](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/100100/keep-milk-or-milk-alternative-for-a-day-without-a-fridge)  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-25. Score: 7

Companies (including [Nestle](https://www.coffee-mate.com/Products/Default.aspx#f1d167d0-4141-4bf8-9ee5-b09a8b15e76e)) make creamers that do not require refrigeration. They are likely available in your local grocer, you just need to check the label and make sure refrigeration isn't required.

If you are paranoid about potential bacterial growth or contamination (like me) you may check into bulk buying the single serving creamers that they use at restaurants. They require no refrigeration either and are sealed until use.

If you are looking to keep "real cream" cold for 8 to 10 hours, you may want to look into some sort of freezable lunch bag or small ice chest that will stay cold and takes up less space than a mini-fridge. This would require substantially more effort, but may be worth it if you are particular about your cream. Also from the comments below, you may look into a double wall vacuum thermos. They are increasingly popular and come in a wide variety of qualities and prices, so do your research before buying.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Traditional lunch box would probably do the trick. +1  
> **username_4**: ... or a freeze-able container such as the bowl for an ice cream maker, or like you might find in a hotel mini-bar. Perhaps also consider a double-wall vacuum flask. +1 for highest likelihood of being able to consume safe, actual milk.  
> **username_0**: All of the coffee mate and similar liquid bottles I have seen in Canada say they require refridgeration.  Maybe they are different in other countries?  Or I just havent found the right ones yet.  
> **username_2**: It's possible Canada has some regulation against such things, but perhaps more likely you just haven't found it yet.  I know here in Canada's neighbor the refrigeration required creamers are usually kept in a cold case with the dairy.  The non-refrigerated varieties are usually in the coffee isle next to the prepak coffee and bean dispensers.  Also I'll add the vacuum flask idea.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-06-26. Score: 2

It sounds like both you (and @Chris) are talking about liquid cream or creamers that resemble liquid milk in some way. If you're willing to stray from that...

Though I wouldn't eat them myself, consider also *powdered* creamers. These can be based on dried milk (which is very nearly still food), or on non-dairy stuff (partially hydrogenated oils, etc., which I don't know what they are).

As for the safety aspect of your question, you have basically zero time at room temperature for milk to be truly safe. According to [this page](http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/food/food_safety/handling/hgic3510.html), bacteria starts growing at about 45°F / 7°C; it'll get there pretty quickly if not cooled. Practically speaking, you have *some* time but it is not hours. I thought I had seen a chart of time-at-temperature (e.g., safe for 1 hour at temperature X, 30 minutes at temperature Y, etc.) but I can't find anything like it now.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-07-18. Score: 1

Full disclosure: [The same question was asked at Seasoned Advice](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/100100/keep-milk-or-milk-alternative-for-a-day-without-a-fridge) and I am re-posting [my answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/100103/28879) from there with minor adjustments.

---

I would invest in a small thermos bottle, about the size of what you need for one day. They are not only designed to keep hot food hot, they can also keep cold food cold. Choose a size that will be as full as possible when you start, it will keep better. I prefer stainless steel, because it can be cleaned easily and thoroughly, even in case something goes wrong, like a forgotten thermos that reappears after a while. (Ask me how I know >.<)

This is what the small B&B we were staying at a few years ago supplies to their guests. If it’s good for an early morning tea, it’ll be good for afternoon coffee as well:

[![thermos at B&B](https://i.sstatic.net/wkjbh.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/wkjbh.jpg)

If you want to go all the way, you can pre-chill the container, then fill it with well-chilled cream from your home fridge. You could even freeze some of the cream as ice cubes, if you find that it doesn’t stay cold enough until the end of your work day or your last coffee break. Store the thermos away from heat sources and not in warm sunlight, of course.

Note that you also have the “two-hours in the danger zone” buffer and that “unsafe” doesn’t automatically mean “spoiled”. Especially when the cream is still quite cold and only shortly after the two-hour window the risk for a healthy adult should be small. No recommendation, just a thought.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-07-12. Score: 1

Some options.

Have you tried freezing the cream, then using it as it melts? This works for bottles of milk, but I have never done it with cream.

Fill an unglazed clay pot with cold water, putting in cream in a sealed container in the pot, was the water enverperates from the damp sides of the pot, it cools the pot. To speed up the process put the pot in front of your desk fun.

A sealed container in the flush tank of a well used WC may work, if the cold mains water is cool enough, when camping a river is used in that way.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-06-26. Score: 1

Maybe a bowl with ice in it, perhaps an insulated bowl or container that is big enough to hold the creamer container and sufficient ice to keep it cold. I worked at a temporary office for an insurance co. and that's how they kept it cold. The small cooler is a pretty good idea also.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: That's quite a [lifehack](http://lifehacks.stackexchange.com/) actually... :-)  

---

