Canstar Blue’s first-ever cream review compares Woolworths, Bulla, Pura, Dairy Farmers, Coles, and ALDI Farmdale on taste, texture/consistency, variety, packaging, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Aussies have rated Woolworths and Bulla best in Canstar Blue’s cream ratings, scoring both brands five-star reviews for taste, consistency, and overall satisfaction. Woolies was also rated five stars for value for money and Bulla for range variety.
A scone isn’t a scone without both jam and cream, and soup is rarely as tasty as it is when it’s creamy. It’s no wonder one in three Aussies (34%) pick up a tub of cream as part of their regular grocery shop, even if a similar portion of those surveyed only eat cream on special occasions (29%).
To find out which cream adds the perfect bite, we asked more than 1,000 shoppers for their feedback on the cooking and baking cream(s) they purchased and consumed in the last three months. Respondents scored brands on taste, texture and consistency, range variety, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction. Those that met the minimum sample size (30 responses) are rated and compared.
In our first-ever cream ratings, Woolworth and Bulla shared a sweet win after both received five-star reviews in several research categories – including overall satisfaction!
Here are the best brands of cream in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s inaugural review:
Woolworths and Bulla were the icing on the cake in our cream ratings, both achieving a five-star review for taste, consistency and overall satisfaction. Woolworths kept the momentum going as the top brand for value for money, with Bulla similarly receiving the only five-star review for variety.
Pura and Dairy farmers stirred the pot after both rated five stars for packaging design and texture, with Pura additionally scoring full marks for taste.
Woolworths has several types of creams to add to your shopping list, including canned thickened cream, whipped cream, and sour cream. These are usually available in 300ml or 600ml tubs, except for whipped cream which comes in 250g cans. Products can cost between $2 and $4, and include:
Woolworths cleaned up with five-star reviews for taste, texture & consistency, value for money, and overall satisfaction. It whipped up four stars for variety and packaging design.
Bulla has a variety of creams to scoop up, including cooking creams, crème fraiche, dollop creams, thickened creams, and sour creams. If you’re having trouble adding curries, pasta sauces, and casseroles, the brand’s cooking cream is said to quickly thicken and heat up without curdling or splitting. For those wanting something decadent to pair with their dessert, Bulla says its double cream is the thickest Bulla cream on the market. Products are usually available in 200ml, 300ml, and 600ml packaging, including:
In addition to rating best for variety, Bulla also impressed after receiving full marks for taste, texture, and overall satisfaction. It got four stars for packaging design and value for money.
Cooking cream doesn’t contain as much milk fat as whipping cream, so it will usually stay in its liquid state longer and won’t become as thick as other types of cream when whipped – even if chilled. It also has a thinner consistency that makes it easy to stir into soups and stews, and is less likely to curdle or split when heated or reaching boiling point.
In Australia, cooking cream is a type of heavy cream that contains a fat percentage of at least 35%. This makes it ideal for heating, freezing, and decorating. Whipping cream, on the other hand, is commonly known as thickened cream or heavy cream and has a similarly high fat content percentage. In fact, cooking cream can be used to replace whipping cream (and vice versa).
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Picture credit: Irina Meliukh/Shutterstock.com
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased (from a supermarket or grocer) and eaten cream (note: this may include regular cream, as well as whipped cream) within the last three months – in this case, 1,089 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
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