The round PP deli container is the closest thing foodservice packaging has to a universal part. One rim diameter runs across the entire size family, so one lid fits everything from a half pint of salsa to a quart of brisket chili. The resin handles the freezer and the microwave, the snap seal beats any clamshell for liquids, and the case format is identical from 8 oz to 32 oz. This guide covers the size family, the one-lid system, what the material actually does, and where deli tubs replace clamshells (and where they lose).
The size family: 8, 16, 24, and 32 oz
The four standard sizes share a footprint. The rim diameter stays constant and only the wall height changes, which is what makes the shared lid possible and why mixed cases stack in clean columns in dry storage.
| Size | Trade name | What it actually holds |
|---|---|---|
| 8 oz | Half pint | Sauces, dressings, salsa, chimichurri, dessert portions, prepped garnishes |
| 16 oz | Pint | Soup portions, deli salads by the half pound, cut fruit, overnight oats, hot sides |
| 24 oz | Pint and a half | Entree soups, pasta salad, poke, family-size sides |
| 32 oz | Quart | Quart soups, bulk sauces, brines, juices, meal-prep entrees |
We stock all four as container-plus-lid combo cases, 240 count each, packed as 8 sleeves of 30. Case pricing runs from around $17 for the 8 oz combo up to around $31 for the 32 oz, which works out to roughly 7 to 13 cents per unit with the lid already included. The 16 oz combo, the workhorse of the family, lands around $21 a case.
PP Deli Containers: current case pricing
All 4 SKUs →| Product | Pack | Case | Per unit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 oz PP Deli Container w/ Lid Combo — 240ct | 8/30PK | $16.56 | $0.069 | Volume quote → |
| 16 oz PP Deli Container w/ Lid Combo — 240ct | 8/30PK | $20.63 | $0.086 | Volume quote → |
| 24 oz PP Deli Container w/ Lid Combo — 240ct | 8/30PK | $25.00 | $0.104 | Volume quote → |
| 32 oz PP Deli Container w/ Lid Combo — 240ct | 8/30PK | $30.63 | $0.128 | Volume quote → |
Public case pricing, freight quoted separately. Volume and contract pricing on request.
One rim, one lid: why operators standardize on this format
The defining engineering choice of the deli tub format is the shared rim. Every size in the standard round family is molded to the same rim diameter, about 4.5 inches, so a single flat lid snaps onto any of them. That one decision drives everything operators like about the format:
- One lid to manage. A kitchen running four clamshell sizes in a two-piece system carries eight SKUs. A kitchen running four deli tub sizes carries five at most, and with combo cases, effectively four.
- No lid hunting at the station. Whoever is packing pulls a lid from one stack no matter which size base is in their hand. There is no wrong lid to grab.
- No stranded inventory. Two-piece systems die by ratio: bases run out before lids or lids before bases, and the survivors are unusable. A shared-rim system cannot strand a lid. This is the same base-to-lid ratio problem covered in the hinged vs non-hinged guide, and the deli tub format is the cleanest solution to it that exists.
- Training takes one sentence. “Every lid fits every tub” is the whole SOP.
Combo cases remove the ratio problem entirely: each 240-count case ships with matched lids in the box, so receiving one case means receiving a complete, sealed-unit inventory position.
One caution: the shared rim is an industry convention, not a formal specification. Lids and bases from different manufacturers usually interchange, but “usually” is not a standard you want to discover the exceptions to on a Friday night. When switching suppliers, run a fit test on a sleeve before committing a full order, and avoid running two brands side by side at the same station.
What PP actually does (and does not do)
Polypropylene is the reason the deli tub owns the wet-and-reheatable side of the menu.
Reheat tolerance. PP softens at a substantially higher temperature than PET, which is why PP is the default resin for anything a customer will microwave. A PET clamshell distorts in a microwave; a PP tub takes a reheat cycle. Treat this as reheat-only, vent or pull the lid first, and confirm the microwave-safe marking on the specific container before you print reheat instructions on a label.
Freezer tolerance. PP stays serviceable at freezer temperatures where PET turns brittle and cracks. This is why meal-prep operations, soup programs, and butcher counters freeze in deli tubs without a second thought. Leave headspace for expansion on liquids.
Clarity. Injection-grade clear PP is genuinely clear, but it carries a slight haze next to PET. If sparkling, jewel-case display clarity is the requirement, PET wins, which is exactly why cold grab-and-go display lives in PET clamshells (the tradeoffs are in the clamshell pillar). For refrigerated backup prep, delivery soups, and anything sold by contents rather than by looks, PP clarity is more than enough.
Grease and acid. PP shrugs off oils, vinaigrettes, and tomato-based sauces in single-use service. No delamination, no softening.
What PP does not do: ovens (never), and premium cold-case presentation (round geometry and slight haze both work against shelf facing).
Deli container vs clamshell vs portion cup
Three formats, three jobs. The mistake to avoid is forcing one format to do another format’s work because it is already on the shelf.
| Property | Round PP deli tub | Hinged PET clamshell | PP portion cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size range | 8 to 32 oz | Roughly 17 to 54 oz capacity | 2 to 5.5 oz |
| Seal | Full-perimeter snap rim | Tongue-in-groove hinge closure | Snap lid |
| Liquids | Best in class | Tolerates sauced food, not pourables | Single-serve only |
| Microwave reheat | Yes (PP, check marking) | No (PET distorts) | Yes, but small |
| Freezer | Yes | PET goes brittle | Yes |
| Cold display facing | Weak (round, slight haze) | Excellent (flat, PET-clear) | Not applicable |
| Best at | Soups, deli salads, prep, delivery liquids | Plated meals, sandwiches, grab-and-go | Condiments, dressings, sides |
The working rule: if it pours, it goes in a tub. If it is arranged, layered, or plated, it goes in a clamshell. If it is a condiment riding along with something else, it goes in a portion cup with its own snap lid. Portion cups follow the same one-lid logic in miniature: one lid size covers the 3.25, 4, and 5.5 oz cups, with a separate lid only for the 2 oz.
Shop the catalog
Portion Cups
5 SKUs · from $16.75 – $31.63 per case
Drinks are their own decision tree entirely, covered in the hot vs cold cup guide. Do not press a deli tub into beverage service; there is no drinking lid for it, and cold cups at similar capacities cost less per unit.
Leak performance for delivery
The full-perimeter snap rim is the deli tub’s structural advantage for third-party delivery. A hinged clamshell seals along a tongue-in-groove edge that was designed for closure, not containment; a deli tub lid was designed to hold a pound of potato salad upside down in a display cooler. In a shaken delivery bag, that difference is the whole ballgame.
It is still leak-resistant, not leakproof. What actually goes wrong on delivery orders, and the fix for each:
- Partially seated lids. The snap has to engage around the entire perimeter. Train packers to press a full circle, not a spot in the middle. A lid that clicks on one side and not the other will open in transit.
- Overfilling. Fill to the shoulder, not the rim. Hot liquid at the rim line gets pumped past the seal by bag movement.
- Hot soup in a sealed quart. Steam pressure works against the seal. Let very hot liquids stand briefly before lidding, and the 32 oz quart of hot soup deserves an upright position in the bag with dry items packed around it, never on top of it.
- No tamper seal. A tamper sticker across the rim adds seal insurance and tamper evidence in one step, which matters for delivery-platform dispute rates.
Ordering notes
Most operations do not need all four sizes. The standard play is to stock the 16 oz and 32 oz (pint and quart cover soups, salads, and prep), then add the 8 oz only if sauce portions routinely exceed what a 5.5 oz portion cup holds. The shared lid means adding a size later costs one SKU, not two.
Because all four combos ship in the same 240-count case format, volume pricing scales cleanly across mixed orders: a pallet of mixed sizes is still one product family to quote, not four separate line items to negotiate.