I sometimes buy evaporated because it is a big time-saver, but never sweetened condensed because it's quick and easy to add sugar myself, and leaves me in control of how much relative to the other ingredients.
Both are thicker, creamier, and even sweeter than milk - because even without the added sugar the natural sweetness of the milk is concentrated by the reduction, removing all that water.
Condensed milk is evaporated milk + added sugar.
I sometimes buy evaporated because it is a big time-saver, but never sweetened condensed because it's quick and easy to add sugar myself, and leaves me in control of how much relative to the other ingredients.
Both are thicker, creamier, and even sweeter than milk - because even without the added sugar the natural sweetness of the milk is concentrated by the reduction, removing all that water.
I’ve mixed them up too and that was the worst Mac and Cheese I ever made!
I once had mac and cheese where the usually-excellent cook mixed up the cheese sauce with the dessert custard.
The surprising bit is how far you can get into a meal that looks right before you realise it really is not.