Kraft Takeaway Box Sizes: A Practical Guide (No.1 to No.10)

Kraft takeaway boxes are sold by number — No.1, No.2, No.8 and so on. The number tells you the format and rough capacity, not a precise standard. For most kitchens three sizes cover the whole menu: a No.1 (around 750ml) for sides and small portions, a No.8 (around 1300ml, taller) for rice and noodle mains, and a No.2 (around 1500ml) for large mains and salads. Below, the numbering convention, a capacity table, and the honest limits of leak resistance.

Diagram coming soonThe common kraft box numbers drawn to relative scale side by side — No.1, No.2, No.3, No.4, No.8, No.9 — each labelled with approximate ml capacity and footprint shape.

Where the numbering comes from

The numbered kraft box is a folding paperboard carton with a leak-resistant lining and a lid that locks shut with tabs. The numbering grew out of manufacturers' own catalogues rather than any formal standard, which is why a "No.3" from one maker can differ slightly from another's. Treat the numbers as shared shorthand. Lower numbers are generally smaller footprints, No.8 and No.9 are the taller pail-style shapes, and the larger numbers run up to sharing and catering sizes.

The practical consequence: always check the stated ml or oz capacity on the product listing when you switch supplier, even if the number matches. Your portion scoop does not care what the box is called.

Capacity table: the common numbers

Capacities below are typical for UK-supplied kraft food boxes and rounded for planning. Individual ranges vary, so confirm the listing before you standardise portions around a size.

Numbers you do not see in that table (No.5, No.6, No.7, No.10) exist in some manufacturers' ranges as intermediate or regional formats, but the six above account for the overwhelming majority of UK takeaway use.

Matching dishes to sizes

Rice and noodle dishes

The tall No.8 is the default for a reason: a standard main portion of rice or noodles fills it to a generous-looking level, the tall walls keep the food compact and hot, and the footprint packs efficiently into delivery bags. If your portions run large — biryani, noodle boxes with toppings — step up to a No.9 rather than compressing food into a No.8, which pops lids.

Curries, stews and saucy dishes

Wet dishes are the hardest test. Use the smallest box the portion fits — free liquid sloshing in a half-empty large box works at the seams. A curry portioned with its rice does well in a No.8. A curry travelling separately from its rice is often better in a lined soup container with a secure lid, with the rice in its own box.

Salads and cold dishes

Salads want width, not height — dressing at the bottom, leaves undisturbed. The No.2 and No.3 give the surface area for a salad to look like a salad on opening. Keep dressings separate in sauce pots; our sauce pot sizes guide covers which size suits a dressing versus a dip.

Fried food

Kraft boxes are fine for fried food if you help them breathe. A fully sealed box traps steam and softens the crunch within minutes — the fix is venting and absorbent lining, covered properly in how to keep takeaway food hot without going soggy.

The honest limits of leak resistance

"Leak-resistant" is the correct term and it is doing real work in that sentence. A lined kraft box will hold a saucy dish upright through a normal delivery. It is not a sealed tub, and three things defeat it.

Diagram coming soonThe three ways a lined kraft box leaks — tilting onto its side, overfilling past 80 per cent, and long holds of very hot wet food — each shown as a labelled failure at the corner folds.

1. Tilting. The lid tabs lock the lid down; they do not seal the corners. A box on its side will weep at the folds. Pack boxes flat and level in the bag, never on edge.
2. Overfilling. Food pressing against the lid forces liquid into the fold lines. Fill to around 80 per cent for wet dishes.
3. Time plus heat. Very hot, very wet food held for a long period will eventually find the corner folds. For dishes that are essentially liquid — soups, dals, gravies — use a proper soup container and reserve the kraft box for solid and semi-solid food.

If a dish fails these tests regularly, that is not a supplier problem to solve with a different brand of box; it is a format problem. Match the container type to the food, not the other way round.

Standardising your range

Most takeaways land on two or three numbers and build the menu around them. That discipline pays off three ways: fewer SKUs to store, faster packing decisions during service, and predictable portion costs. A sensible starting range is No.1 + No.8 + No.2, which covers sides, mains and large or cold dishes respectively. For a broader look at building the whole packaging line-up — bags, wraps, cutlery, napkins — see our takeaway packaging guide for the UK.

Range Pack stocks numbered kraft boxes across the common sizes in the takeaway boxes range, and the Takeaway Starter Pack on our packs page bundles the popular sizes with bags and napkins for new openings. Order by 2pm for same-day dispatch — delivery is free UK-wide over £40.