To order, go to Chinese food boxes. This page covers what to decide before you brief the print: capacity, handle, barrier and artwork, roughly in that order of consequence.
Capacity, not dimensions
The oyster pail is unusual in packaging because it is bought by volume rather than by length, width and depth. Capacities cluster around a handful of industry-typical figures, which are useful for planning a menu range.
| Capacity class | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| Around 8 oz | Sides, sauces, rice portions for one |
| Around 16 oz | Single main portion |
| Around 26 oz | Larger main or a shared side |
| Around 32 oz | Family portions and sharing dishes |
The pail geometry, a square base widening to a folded top, means capacity and footprint do not scale in a straight line, so ask for the base dimension as well as the capacity if the carton has to fit a specific bag, tray or delivery box.
Handle or no handle
The wire handle is iconic and it is genuinely useful for carrying, but metal in a microwave is a problem, and plenty of customers reheat leftovers in the carton. Handle-free versions fold the same way and stack better. If your delivery model is bag-and-go, the handle adds little. If customers walk out carrying the food, it adds a lot. Decide from how the food actually leaves the kitchen.
The barrier is the real specification
Uncoated board will wick grease and darken within minutes on an oily dish, and moisture will soften the folds. The usual answers are a polyethylene coating, a plant-based coating, or a grease-resistant board. Each behaves differently in heat and each has a different disposal story, and what is acceptable varies by municipality as well as by market. Tell us the dish, the serving temperature and where you operate, and we will specify to that rather than guess.
Food contact, stated plainly
Materials that touch food and the claims you can make about them are governed by rules that vary by product and jurisdiction. We do not certify compliance on your behalf. Give us your requirement, including any specification from a delivery platform or a franchise, and we will match the material to what you provide. Confirm the requirements for your product and market with the relevant authority or your own adviser before printing.
Artwork on a folded pail
The pail is printed flat and then folded, so the artwork distorts around the fold lines and the top rim. Keep critical elements, such as a logo or a phone number, away from the folds and the rim. A single strong colour with a clean mark works better on this shape than a detailed full-bleed image that gets cut in half by the geometry. The digital proof included on every order is where you check that, and it is worth checking against a folded sample rather than a flat screen.
Ordering
Minimum order is 100 units. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, with the die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof included. Three lanes are available: rush with expedited production and air freight, standard on air, and cost saver by sea, from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. We produce at West Chicago and at Guangzhou.
Order from the Chinese food boxes page, or send your menu and portion sizes through the quote form. If keeping food hot on a longer delivery radius is the pressing problem, read how to keep food warm in packaging.
