Sauce Cup Sizes: 1oz, 2oz or 4oz Sugarcane Cups

Choose a 1oz sugarcane cup for a single serve of a thin dipping sauce, a 2oz cup for a standard side of sauce with a meal, and a 4oz cup for dressings, dips and shared sides. The right size comes from your own menu: measure what you already serve, then pick the smallest cup that holds it without filling to the brim.

Key takeaways

• Packery stocks sugarcane sauce cups in 1oz (white), 2oz (unbleached) and 4oz (white or unbleached), each sold in cartons of 2000.
• The 1oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup (Carton of 2000) and the 2oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) are both $0.04 each.
• Both 4oz cups are (see the product page for the current price).
• Set the portion from your own ladle or squeeze bottle, then size up one step if the sauce is chunky or needs room for dipping.
• Lids are sold separately in sugarcane and clear PET.

What sauce cup sizes does Packery sell?

Packery sells three sugarcane sauce cup sizes: 1oz, 2oz and 4oz. The 1oz cup comes in white, the 2oz cup comes in unbleached (natural colour), and the 4oz cup comes in both white and unbleached.

Every product page shows the carton price and the price per item, so you can compare sizes on the same basis before you order.

How do I work out the right portion from my own menu?

Start with what your kitchen already serves, not with the cup. Measure the sauce portion you plate today, then match it to the smallest cup that holds it with a little headspace at the top.

A simple method that works for most cafés and takeaway shops:

1. List every sauce that leaves the kitchen in a cup. Include dine-in sides, takeaway extras and anything sold as an add-on.

2. Measure the current portion. Use the ladle, scoop or squeeze-bottle pump your staff already use, and pour one serve into each cup size you are considering.

3. Check the headspace. A thin sauce filled to the rim spills when the lid goes on or the bag tips. If the serve sits right at the top, move up a size.

4. Allow for dipping. If customers dip chips, dumplings or bread into the cup, the food displaces sauce. Leave more room for dipping sauces than for pour-over sauces.

5. Write the portion on the station. Once you have chosen the cup, note "one 2oz cup" (or whichever size) on the prep card so every shift serves the same amount.

This keeps the portion tied to your recipe and your pricing, rather than to whatever cup happened to be on the shelf.

Which sauces suit a 1oz cup?

A 1oz cup suits thin, strong sauces where a small amount goes a long way. Think soy, sweet chilli, hot sauce, vinegar-based dressings and condiments served with a single item.

The 1oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup (Carton of 2000) is white sugarcane, $82.50 per carton or $0.04 each. It works well for sushi bars, dumpling counters and venues that hand out a condiment with every order, because a small cup limits how much sauce goes out with each meal.

When should I choose a 2oz cup?

Choose 2oz when the sauce is a standard side rather than a dash. Aioli, tomato sauce, gravy with chips, satay and tzatziki all fit here, as do dipping sauces that need room for food to go in.

The 2oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) is natural-coloured sugarcane at $78.62 per carton, or $0.04 each, the same per-item price as the 1oz cup. If your 1oz test cup was full to the brim, or customers regularly ask for a second serve, the 2oz is the size to test next. It pairs well with chip cups and fish and chip orders; see our guide to chip cups for the container that goes alongside it.

When does a 4oz cup make sense?

Use 4oz for portions that are closer to a side dish than a condiment. Salad dressings for a full salad, hummus and dips, salsa, coleslaw dressing, curry sauces and sauce served to share all suit this size.

There are two 4oz options at the same price: the 4oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup (Carton of 2000) in white and the 4oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) in natural. Both are (see the product page for the current price). Pick white if your sauces are brightly coloured and you want them to stand out; pick unbleached if the rest of your packaging is kraft or natural in tone.

For grazing boards and catering platters where you want a dip bowl rather than a cup, the Takeaway Container – Palm Dips Sauces 4" (Carton of 100) is made from palm leaves, measures 102x25mm and is $28.95 per carton, or $0.29 each.

Do I need lids for sauce cups?

You need lids for any sauce that travels: takeaway, delivery and catering drop-offs. Dine-in sides served straight to the table can usually go without one.

Packery sells sugarcane and clear PET lids for its serving containers, sold separately in cartons of 2000:

• Sugarcane Serving Container – Lid Fits C001 C002 Cups (Carton of 2000): white sugarcane, 69.5x7.5mm, $59.00 per carton or $0.03 each.
• Sugarcane Serving Container – Lid Fits C001/C002 Cups (Carton of 2000): clear PET, 65x8mm, $56.35 per carton or $0.03 each.
• Sugarcane Serving Container – Sugarcane Lid Fits C004 Cup (Carton of 2000): white sugarcane, 81x8mm, $109.53 per carton or $0.05 each.
• Sugarcane Serving Container – PET Lid Fits C004 Cup (Carton of 2000): clear PET, 78x7.5mm, $56.56 per carton or $0.03 each.

A clear PET lid lets staff and customers see which sauce is inside without opening it, which helps on mixed orders. A sugarcane lid keeps the cup and lid in the same material. Check the lid fit listed on each cup's product page before ordering, and contact us if you are unsure which lid matches your cup.

Which one should I buy?

Match the cup to the venue and the sauce:

• Sushi, dumpling and noodle bars: the 1oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup (Carton of 2000) for soy and chilli, with a matching lid for takeaway (check the lid fit on the product page). Our sushi container guide covers the main container.
• Fish and chip shops, burger bars and food trucks: the 2oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) for aioli, tomato sauce and gravy.
• Salad bars, cafés with bowls and Mexican or Middle Eastern takeaway: the 4oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup (Carton of 2000) for dressings, salsa and dips.
• Venues with natural or kraft packaging throughout: the 4oz Sugarcane Serving Container – Cup Unbleached (Carton of 2000) to keep the look consistent.
• Caterers serving platters: the Takeaway Container – Palm Dips Sauces 4" (Carton of 100) for dips on grazing boards.

You may end up stocking two sizes: a small cup for condiments and a larger one for dressings or dips. Run the portion method above for each sauce and you will see quickly whether one size covers your menu.

Ordering sauce cups

Browse the full range of serving containers or add cartons directly through quick order. There is no minimum order. Delivery is a flat fee set by your postcode, and free once an order passes a set amount; checkout shows the exact cost, and today's rates are on the shipping page. Delivery takes 3–5 business days to capital cities and 4–6 business days regional. All orders are prepaid online. Damaged or faulty items are replaced or refunded free; unopened stock cartons can be returned within 7 days of delivery (10% restocking fee, return delivery at your cost).

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