Several grades of cream are available in the United States. Some are available in other countries, but even in the English-speaking world they may be known by different names; for instance, heavy cream is called double cream in British English.

Half-and-half is a mixture of whole milk and cream that contains at least 10.5 percent but no more than 18 percent butterfat. It does not whip, but it can be used in many recipes instead of heavy cream for lower-fat cooking.

Light cream or coffee cream contains at least 18 percent but no more than 30 percent butterfat; it usually contains 20 percent butterfat. If it has 30 percent butterfat, it will whip, but the foam and structure will be weak.