TITLE: Double Wall Coffee Cups 350ml: 12oz vs 8oz/16oz and the Sleeve Question
SLUG: double-wall-coffee-cups-350ml
META: Double wall coffee cups 350ml specs, weights, curl size, FOB price, MOQ and container loads, compared with 8oz, 16oz and single-wall cups plus sleeves.
Double Wall Coffee Cups 350ml: The 12oz Middle You Probably Undersized
A Melbourne roaster ordered their whole spring stock in 8oz double wall cups last November. By February the shops wanted 350ml for flat whites and 16oz for iced orders, and the 8oz boxes were stacked to the ceiling. Their head of supply later said the right mix was 20/60/20. They had bought 50/50. That is the cost of guessing the middle.
What 350ml actually measures
The 350ml figure is brim capacity. In a real drink you get 300–320ml after leaving headspace for a lid. Quote “12oz” to an American buyer and they think 355ml; quote “350ml” to a UK buyer and they compare it with a 12oz flat white cup. Top diameter is 90mm on most of our double wall moulds, 80mm on the 8oz shape. Lids are 90mm PS or PP, flat or dome. Height runs 108–118mm.
Spec sheet: 350ml against 8oz, 16oz and single wall
|
|
| Item |
8oz double wall |
350ml / 12oz double wall |
16oz double wall |
| Nominal capacity |
240ml |
350ml (brim) |
480ml |
| Top diameter |
80mm |
90mm |
90mm |
| Cup height |
~92mm |
~112mm |
~135mm |
| Total weight (two layers) |
260–290gsm |
300–360gsm |
340–400gsm |
| Outer wall board |
230–250gsm |
250–280gsm |
260–300gsm |
| Inner cup |
210–230gsm, PE lined |
210–240gsm, PE lined |
230–250gsm, PE lined |
| Top curl |
4.0–4.5mm |
4.5mm |
4.5–5.0mm |
|
|
Single wall sits at 190–230gsm with no air gap and needs a corrugated or kraft sleeve on anything hotter than about 60°C at the hand. A single wall 350ml plus sleeve costs roughly USD 0.012–0.018 per piece at volume. The double wall 350ml lands around USD 0.045–0.075/pc FOB Qingdao depending on board grade, print and quantity. That gap is the number buyers argue about most.
Why the air gap matters more than board weight
The outer wall is a 250–280gsm sheet held off the inner cup by a rolled bottom and a glued top seam, with a 1.5–2mm gap. That gap is the insulation. On a 90°C fill our own tests show the outer surface at about 55–62°C after two minutes, against 78–85°C on a bare single wall of the same capacity. That is the difference between a customer holding the cup with three fingers and one asking for a sleeve. The gap also stiffens the cup, which helps in delivery bags.
The honest limits: no microwave, no long hold
A double wall cup cannot go in a microwave. The gap traps moisture and heat unevenly, the glue seam softens and the outer wall can delaminate. Reheat milk in a pitcher. A 350ml double wall is also a 20–30 minute cup, not a thermos. Buyers have asked for “8 hour hot holding” and the answer is no. For long delivery runs an insulated carrier beats a heavier cup.
The composting contradiction
Standard double wall cups are PE lined on the inner cup, which keeps liquid out but makes the cup non-compostable under EN 13432. Certification bodies will not pass a PE-lined cup.
PLA lining is the alternative, and here is the trade-off: PLA softens around 55°C. A flat white at 65–70°C distorts that lining, and a double wall traps heat against it. A “compostable double wall” exists on paper and is awkward in a real cafe. If compostability is the requirement, a single wall PLA-lined cup with a paper sleeve is the more honest answer. If heat performance is the requirement, PE is what you want and you should not print “compostable” on the carton.
Our Qingdao plant holds BPI, OK Compost HOME, FDA, LFGB and EN 13432 on relevant lines, but each certificate names a specific SKU. Ask for the number against the exact cup on your PO.
Loading, MOQ and what the quote leaves out
A 350ml double wall packs 1,000 per carton, or 500 in retail-ready sleeves. That is roughly 450,000–550,000 pieces per 40HQ, and 200,000–240,000 in a 20ft. Pallets take 20–24 cartons, 20 pallets on a 1200×1000 load.
MOQ for stock white is 50,000 per size. Printed runs start at 100,000 per design, and the plate fee is USD 250–450 per colour per size — six colours across two sizes is twelve plates, not two. Test in stock white; buyers have sunk USD 3,000 into plates for a design they changed in eight weeks.
Lead time is 25–35 days from artwork approval, plus 3–5 days for a sample. Sea freight to US West Coast has ranged USD 4,500–8,500 per 40HQ over two years, and USD 3,800–7,000 to Northern Europe. Duty, port fees and PFAS batch testing sit outside the quote.
Which size to stock
Compare the ticket mix. A shop selling mostly 6oz and 8oz milk drinks, with a cold brew programme on the side, often does better with 8oz and 16oz double wall than with three double wall sizes. The 350ml earns its place where flat whites and small lattes are the volume seller — Australia, New Zealand, much of the UK specialty market.
We print, adjust board weight and build OEM sleeve cartons on 350ml double wall. Send your size mix and annual volume for a landed cost —
request a quote with your SKU list. The
double wall paper cup range and the
full paper cup catalogue cover the rest.
FAQ
Is a 350ml double wall cup the same as 12oz?
Close enough that suppliers use both labels. 350ml is 11.8 US fluid ounces, sold as 12oz in English-speaking markets. Pour capacity is 300–320ml.
Can double wall cups go in the microwave?
No. The air gap and glued seam fail in a microwave; the outer wall can separate.
Are double wall paper cups compostable?
Not with a PE lining. PLA versions soften near 55°C. Ask for the certificate number tied to the exact SKU.
What is the MOQ for printed 350ml cups?
100,000 per design printed, 50,000 stock white. Plates run USD 250–450 per colour per size, so art across two sizes adds up.
Do 350ml and 16oz double wall cups share lids?
Only if the top diameter matches. Most are 90mm. Check curl size too — a 4.5mm and a 5.0mm curl seat differently.
How many 350ml cups fit in a 40HQ?
Roughly 450,000–550,000 at 1,000 per carton and 20 pallets, lids separate. Confirm against final carton dimensions on your PO
We print, adjust board weight and build OEM sleeve cartons on 350ml double wall. Send your size mix and annual volume for a landed cost — request a quote with your SKU list, and the full product catalogue covers the rest.
LE: Double Wall Coffee Cups 350ml: 12oz vs 8oz/16oz and the Sleeve Question
SLUG: double-wall-coffee-cups-350ml
META: Double wall coffee cups 350ml specs, weights, curl size, FOB price, MOQ and container loads, compared with 8oz, 16oz and single-wall cups plus sleeves.
Double Wall Coffee Cups 350ml: The 12oz Middle You Probably Undersized
A Melbourne roaster ordered their whole spring stock in 8oz double wall cups last November. By February the shops wanted 350ml for flat whites and 16oz for iced orders, and the 8oz boxes were stacked to the ceiling. Their head of supply later said the right mix was 20/60/20. They had bought 50/50. That is the cost of guessing the middle.
What 350ml actually measures
The 350ml figure is brim capacity. In a real drink you get 300–320ml after leaving headspace for a lid. Quote “12oz” to an American buyer and they think 355ml; quote “350ml” to a UK buyer and they compare it with a 12oz flat white cup. Top diameter is 90mm on most of our double wall moulds, 80mm on the 8oz shape. Lids are 90mm PS or PP, flat or dome. Height runs 108–118mm.
Spec sheet: 350ml against 8oz, 16oz and single wall
|
|
| Item |
8oz double wall |
350ml / 12oz double wall |
16oz double wall |
| Nominal capacity |
240ml |
350ml (brim) |
480ml |
| Top diameter |
80mm |
90mm |
90mm |
| Cup height |
~92mm |
~112mm |
~135mm |
| Total weight (two layers) |
260–290gsm |
300–360gsm |
340–400gsm |
| Outer wall board |
230–250gsm |
250–280gsm |
260–300gsm |
| Inner cup |
210–230gsm, PE lined |
210–240gsm, PE lined |
230–250gsm, PE lined |
| Top curl |
4.0–4.5mm |
4.5mm |
4.5–5.0mm |
|
|
Single wall sits at 190–230gsm with no air gap and needs a corrugated or kraft sleeve on anything hotter than about 60°C at the hand. A single wall 350ml plus sleeve costs roughly USD 0.012–0.018 per piece at volume. The double wall 350ml lands around USD 0.045–0.075/pc FOB Qingdao depending on board grade, print and quantity. That gap is the number buyers argue about most.
Why the air gap matters more than board weight
The outer wall is a 250–280gsm sheet held off the inner cup by a rolled bottom and a glued top seam, with a 1.5–2mm gap. That gap is the insulation. On a 90°C fill our own tests show the outer surface at about 55–62°C after two minutes, against 78–85°C on a bare single wall of the same capacity. That is the difference between a customer holding the cup with three fingers and one asking for a sleeve. The gap also stiffens the cup, which helps in delivery bags.
The honest limits: no microwave, no long hold
A double wall cup cannot go in a microwave. The gap traps moisture and heat unevenly, the glue seam softens and the outer wall can delaminate. Reheat milk in a pitcher. A 350ml double wall is also a 20–30 minute cup, not a thermos. Buyers have asked for “8 hour hot holding” and the answer is no. For long delivery runs an insulated carrier beats a heavier cup.
The composting contradiction
Standard double wall cups are PE lined on the inner cup, which keeps liquid out but makes the cup non-compostable under EN 13432. Certification bodies will not pass a PE-lined cup.
PLA lining is the alternative, and here is the trade-off: PLA softens around 55°C. A flat white at 65–70°C distorts that lining, and a double wall traps heat against it. A “compostable double wall” exists on paper and is awkward in a real cafe. If compostability is the requirement, a single wall PLA-lined cup with a paper sleeve is the more honest answer. If heat performance is the requirement, PE is what you want and you should not print “compostable” on the carton.
Our Qingdao plant holds BPI, OK Compost HOME, FDA, LFGB and EN 13432 on relevant lines, but each certificate names a specific SKU. Ask for the number against the exact cup on your PO.
Loading, MOQ and what the quote leaves out
A 350ml double wall packs 1,000 per carton, or 500 in retail-ready sleeves. That is roughly 450,000–550,000 pieces per 40HQ, and 200,000–240,000 in a 20ft. Pallets take 20–24 cartons, 20 pallets on a 1200×1000 load.
MOQ for stock white is 50,000 per size. Printed runs start at 100,000 per design, and the plate fee is USD 250–450 per colour per size — six colours across two sizes is twelve plates, not two. Test in stock white; buyers have sunk USD 3,000 into plates for a design they changed in eight weeks.
Lead time is 25–35 days from artwork approval, plus 3–5 days for a sample. Sea freight to US West Coast has ranged USD 4,500–8,500 per 40HQ over two years, and USD 3,800–7,000 to Northern Europe. Duty, port fees and PFAS batch testing sit outside the quote.
Which size to stock
Compare the ticket mix. A shop selling mostly 6oz and 8oz milk drinks, with a cold brew programme on the side, often does better with 8oz and 16oz double wall than with three double wall sizes. The 350ml earns its place where flat whites and small lattes are the volume seller — Australia, New Zealand, much of the UK specialty market.
We print, adjust board weight and build OEM sleeve cartons on 350ml double wall. Send your size mix and annual volume for a landed cost —
request a quote with your SKU list. The
double wall paper cup range and the
full paper cup catalogue cover the rest.
FAQ
Is a 350ml double wall cup the same as 12oz?
Close enough that suppliers use both labels. 350ml is 11.8 US fluid ounces, sold as 12oz in English-speaking markets. Pour capacity is 300–320ml.
Can double wall cups go in the microwave?
No. The air gap and glued seam fail in a microwave; the outer wall can separate.
Are double wall paper cups compostable?
Not with a PE lining. PLA versions soften near 55°C. Ask for the certificate number tied to the exact SKU.
What is the MOQ for printed 350ml cups?
100,000 per design printed, 50,000 stock white. Plates run USD 250–450 per colour per size, so art across two sizes adds up.
Do 350ml and 16oz double wall cups share lids?
Only if the top diameter matches. Most are 90mm. Check curl size too — a 4.5mm and a 5.0mm curl seat differently.
How many 350ml cups fit in a 40HQ?
Roughly 450,000–550,000 at 1,000 per carton and 20 pallets, lids separate. Confirm against final carton dimensions on your PO.
