Someone says “cream” it could mean powdered creamer, half & half, or the 2 inch list of ingredients liquid garbage that is international delights flavorings.
Milk is adjacent to this category, but unless it’s whole, will add an “off” milk flavor to the coffee which is pretty foul. Skim, for example, will destroy any cup of coffee with an unmistakeable pure milk flavor, no natural sweetness of cream, and no creaminess to the texture.
Pure cream is almost oily in the coffee.
“Cream” is more or less just half and half. Creamy milk, slightly sweet such that the bitter edge is cut. True half and half has 2 ingredients: milk & cream.
Didn’t Theil explain this was the goal in an often repeated vid, I forget from where, he’s speaking at a podium though.