A creamer choice comes down to three things: dairy or plant-based, sweetened or plain, and flavored or not. Safeway carries the full range, from store-brand half-and-half to oat barista blends to seasonal flavored bottles.

The main types of coffee creamer

Creamers come in three families: dairy, plant-based, and flavored. A flavored creamer can be built on either a dairy or a plant base. Sugar-free versions exist in all three.

Dairy creamers

Dairy creamers are made from cream, milk, or both. The fat makes them richer than milk and takes the edge off a bitter cup. The simplest ones have no added sugar.

• Half-and-half: about 10-12% milkfat. Still tastes like cream rather than milk.

• Heavy cream: much higher fat, around 36%. A splash is enough, and it holds up in cold brew where a thinner creamer would disappear.

For a little sweetness short of a full flavored creamer, look for the refrigerated "sweet cream" or "natural" style. These use a dairy base with a small amount of sugar and vanilla, so their sweetness falls between plain half-and-half and a flavored creamer.

Common brands at Safeway: Coffee mate Natural Bliss, International Delight Simply, Chobani Coffee Creamer, and Safeway's own Signature SELECT half-and-half.

Dairy-free and plant-based creamers

Dairy-free creamers are all plant-based, so the plant sets the flavor, and that's the first thing to choose.

• Oat: the creamiest of the plant bases and closest to dairy in texture. A common first step for anyone leaving dairy behind.

• Almond: the lightest option, with a mild nutty note. Good when you want to lighten and thin the coffee rather than thicken it.

• Coconut: tastes clearly of coconut, and it works with darker roasts and chocolate flavors.

• Soy: can curdle in hot, acidic coffee, so reach for a barista-formulated version, which holds up better.

• Cashew or pea protein: smooth and neutral.

Almost every plant-based creamer is dairy-free, though a few contain milk-derived ingredients like casein, so the label is worth a glance. Unsweetened versions are easy to find. Nutpods Unsweetened and the unsweetened Califia Farms lines cover most low-sugar needs.

Common brands: Califia Farms (oat, almond, and coconut lines), Chobani Oat, Silk Almond Creamer, Nutpods, and Oatly Barista.

Flavored creamers

Flavored creamers add sweetness and a named flavor on top of a dairy or plant base.

Some flavors stay on the shelf all year:

• French vanilla: vanilla with a caramel undertone. A standard flavor across brands.

• Hazelnut: nutty and sweet, and it suits darker roasts.

• Caramel: full caramel sweetness. Salted caramel and caramel macchiato are common variations.

Seasonal flavors rotate:

• Pumpkin spice: usually August through November.

• Peppermint mocha: November through January.

• Cinnamon, churro, horchata: these vary by year and brand.

Sugar-free flavored creamers use non-caloric sweeteners like sucralose, stevia, or monk fruit, depending on the line. Coffee mate Sugar-Free French Vanilla and International Delight Zero Sugar are both commonly stocked. Some come close to the regular version. Others carry a sweetener aftertaste, so start with a small bottle before you commit.

Common brands: International Delight, Coffee mate, and the grocery bottles of Starbucks Creamer.

How to pick a creamer for your coffee

Taste is personal, but a few pairings hold up well:

Light roast: bright and acidic, sometimes fruity. Unsweetened dairy or oat suits it best, since a heavy flavored creamer buries what makes a light roast interesting.

Medium roast: the most flexible of the three. It takes most creamers, and a plain dairy or oat creamer is the safest place to start.

Dark roast: bold and a little bitter. Sweetened creamers and dessert flavors such as hazelnut, caramel, and mocha balance that bitterness.

Cold brew: smoother and less acidic than hot coffee. Richer creamers such as sweet cream, half-and-half, and sweetened plant creamers keep their flavor in cold brew, while thinner ones wash out.

Iced coffee (hot-brewed, then chilled): flavored creamers do well here, because the cold makes their flavors read less sweet than they would hot. Add a bit more than you would in a hot cup.

Espresso drinks at home: espresso usually gets steamed milk rather than creamer, but a splash of half-and-half turns a quick americano into something closer to a coffee-shop cup.

Custom flavors with creamer plus pantry staples

To get flavor without the sugar in a pre-flavored creamer, build it yourself from plain creamer and a pantry add-in.

• Hazelnut coffee: add a few drops of hazelnut extract to the mug before you pour. A quarter teaspoon usually does it. Pair with plain dairy or oat creamer.

• Caramel coffee: drizzle caramel sauce, the ice-cream-topping kind, into the bottom of the mug and stir as you pour. That sweetens and flavors in one move.

• Vanilla coffee: half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, or a splash of vanilla syrup, on the days you want vanilla.

• Mocha: stir a heaping teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder into hot coffee, then add creamer. Chocolate syrup works too if you want it sweeter.

• Cinnamon coffee: add a small pinch of ground cinnamon to the grounds before brewing, or sprinkle it over the finished cup.

Extracts keep for months in the pantry. They let you control sweetness and intensity yourself, which a pre-made flavored creamer won't.

Dairy-free, gluten-free, and other dietary swaps

For several restrictions at once, Nutpods Unsweetened (dairy-free, gluten-free, no added sugar) and the unsweetened Califia Farms oat and almond lines cover the most common combinations.