How to Match Fill Weights and Volumes When Ordering Custom Tea Tins？

Many tea brands and tea manufacturers waste 15-25% of their tea packaging budget on custom tea tins that don’t match the fill weight. Even worse, 41% of brands report tea freshness issues: tins that are too large and underfilled allow air to circulate, shortening shelf life by 3-6 months. This is a problem many customers face when using tea tins. Having worked with numerous clients requiring custom tea tin packaging, we have a clear understanding of how to provide you with perfectly tailored tea tins throughout the entire production process, protecting your product and saving costs.

The Importance of Matching the Fill Weight and Volume of Custom Tea Tins

For tea brands, custom tea tins that match the fill weight and volume are more than just a bonus; they can also save costs, preserve freshness, and enhance retail appeal. First, regarding cost savings, larger-than-required tea tins are more expensive to produce, transport, and store. A 200 ml tea tin costs 15% more than a 150 ml tin made of the same materials if you’re packaging 50 grams of loose-leaf tea (which only requires 167 ml). A 200 ml tin wastes 16.5% of the metal and 16.5% of the shipping weight.

As for freshness, tea leaves deteriorate when exposed to air. A can that’s 30% empty absorbs excess oxygen, accelerating deterioration. Tsing’s testing shows that custom tea tins of the right size can extend tea’s freshness by four months compared to oversized cans. Furthermore, consumers judge the value of tea based on its “fill level”—even if the weight is right, a can that’s only 70% complete doesn’t seem like a good value. One tea brand we work with saw a 22% increase in sales after switching to the right-sized tins.

Calculate Tea Density When Customizing Tea Tins

Tsing’s first step in matching the fill weight and volume of custom tea tins is to understand the density of the tea leaves—that is, the amount of space a given weight of tea leaves occupies. Density varies significantly between different teas; here’s how to calculate it:

Take a sample of the tea you want to package and pour 50 grams into a graduated cylinder. Gently tap the container to settle the tea leaves and record the volume. To calculate density, divide the weight by the volume.

Standard tea densities (for reference):
Loose-leaf black tea: 0.28–0.32 g/ml
Loose-leaf green tea: 0.25–0.29 g/ml
Powdered matcha: 0.45–0.5 g/ml
Tea bags (boxed): 0.35–0.4 g/ml

Tsing’s three-step process for custom tea tins eliminates mismatches

At Tsing, we use a three-step process to ensure the perfect match between fill weight and volume in custom tea tins, eliminating the guesswork that leads to waste.

Step 1: Consultation – Determine Target and Tea Specifications
We begin by asking key questions, such as: What is your target fill weight? What type of tea are you packaging? Is headspace required? What is the desired appearance? Different shapes can affect how volume translates to visual fill.

Step 2: Sample Testing – Finding the Optimal Size
We never ask you to predetermine a single tin size. Instead, we’ll create sample tea tins and send them to you along with the tea. You can fill each sample and test whether it closes easily, looks full, and fits a spoon.

Step 3: Final Optimization – Adjusting Dimensions for Perfection

Based on your sample feedback, we’ll optimize the jar dimensions. For example, if a 160ml jar is a bit tight, we’ll adjust it to 165ml. If the lid is difficult to seal, we’ll adapt the rim diameter by 0.5mm. We’ll then send the final sample for approval before mass production, ensuring you’re 100% satisfied.

3 Common Mistakes That Lead to Tea Weight and Volume

Mistake 1: Ignoring Tea Settling

Loose tea is fluffy when freshly poured, but it settles during shipping. A newly filled tea jar can look half-empty after settling.

Tsing’s solution: We add 10% “settling space” to our custom bulk tea tins. For example, for 50g of tea, the initial capacity is 167ml. We recommend using a 184ml tea tin to account for settling.

Mistake 2: Ignoring headspace for practicality

If you add a spoon to your tea tin, the tin needs extra space to accommodate it without crushing the tea leaves. A 50g matcha tin lacks headroom, which can trap the spoon and make it difficult to open.

Tsing’s solution: We’ll inquire about accessories in advance and allow 5-10ml of headroom for a spoon or resealable tea bag.

Mistake 3: Using the same tin for different tea types

A 50g matcha tin is too small for 50g of loose-leaf green tea. Using the same size for both types of tea can result in overflow or empty tins.

Tsing’s solution: We’ll create a “size guide” for your tea collection and recommend the appropriate tin size for each tea type.

Balancing Function and Appearance: Headspace, Shape, and Freshness

Matching fill weight and capacity doesn’t mean sacrificing design. Tsing’s custom tea tins strike a balance between functionality and visual appeal. Our custom design approach doesn’t hide the headspace; instead, it leverages it to enhance the tin’s appearance. For example, a 50g bulk tea tin with 10% headspace can be printed with a “fill line” to guide the user, making the tin appear intentionally full rather than underfilled.

Optimizing the shape: a round tin of the same capacity will appear fuller than a square tin of the same capacity. If you prefer a square look without the gaps, we can slightly increase the capacity to maintain the same filling quality. For loose tea, we include a transparent window so customers can see the tea’s quality. By designing the window over the tin’s fill area, the tin always appears complete, even when the necessary headspace is left.

Perfectly Matching Weight and Capacity

Ordering custom tea tins with inappropriate dimensions not only wastes money on oversized tins but also results in lost sales from insufficient packaging and a shortened tea shelf life. Tsing’s process—calculating density, testing samples, and avoiding common mistakes—eliminates these uncertainties, ensuring your custom tins are the perfect fit for your product.