Posts

Loose Tea

What is the ideal tea tin size for a 500g bulk order?

Choosing the ideal tin can size for 500g of loose tea leaves is a balance between freshness and convenience. The most common choice in our past cooperation cases is a tea tin with a diameter of 120mm and a height of 180mm, which can hold approximately 500g of loose leaf tea. It can fit tightly without too much headspace. Of course, we also need to consider material thickness and internal coating to protect the tea aroma and prevent moisture from penetrating. When customising, we will combine volume calculations and market preferences to select the ideal tin size, ensuring that the bulk tea tin meets the requirements of logistics, shelf appeal, and freshness.

Calculating the internal volume of the tea tin

You first calculate the accurate tea tin size based on the internal volume, which you determine by the bulk density of the tea leaves. Generally speaking, the bulk density of black tea is usually 0.3 g/cm³, while the bulk density of green tea is 0.2-0.25 g/cm³. You should note that compression during filling will reduce the actual volume of the material. We will measure the sample leaf volume and leave a 10% headspace to prevent breakage. Therefore, a 1-liter tea tin can hold approximately 500 grams of black tea at a concentration of 0.45 g/mL after the tea has settled.
Additionally, cylindrical tea tins minimise surface area and improve sealing. By determining the tea tin size based on empirical density data and headspace requirements, you can create a package that maintains the integrity and aroma of the leaves in the bulk tea tin. For increased accuracy, you should also consider loose-fill and package-fill methods and allow a small tolerance margin for operator differences during production.

Optimizing Tea Tin Shape and Wall Thickness

Shape and wall thickness affect the capacity and protective properties of the tea tin. Cylindrical tea tins are most common. Their wall strength is uniform, and storage is efficient. Therefore, 0.25 mm tinplate jar walls can strike a balance between durability and weight. Additionally, we utilise food-grade tinplate with an epoxy coating on the inside to prevent flavour migration. At the same time, you consider a slight tilt of 2–3° to allow for easy stacking and de-nesting in automated production lines. The 120mm x 180mm cylinder uses less material than a square tin of the same volume, reducing costs. By optimizing the tin geometry and specifications, your loose tea tin can maximize the capacity of a 500g order and the structural integrity during shipping and display.

tea tin 1

Lid design that preserves aroma

The airtight lid keeps the tea leaves in your 500g tea tin fresh and intact. First, we crimp a tight friction-fit lid to compress the silicone gasket.Thus, the ingress of oxygen and moisture is minimized. At the same time, we test and use a screw-on lid with an integrated seal that has an oxygen transmission rate of less than 1 ppm over 30 days. Additionally, a tamper-evident band is used to prevent spillage during shipping. By choosing a sturdy lid design for your tea tin, you can ensure that your loose tea remains protected from spoilage and odour throughout its entire shelf life, covering a full 500 g of loose leaves. Additionally, we’ll add a second liner or vacuum seal option to extend the shelf life of premium blends, providing an extra assurance of freshness that discerning consumers appreciate.

Labeling and Consumer Handling Features

Adequate labeling and ergonomic features enhance the usability of your 500g tea tin. In addition to the internal capacity marking, incorporate an external label area to display origin, batch, and steeping instructions. For example, I designed an 80mm x 100mm recessed label panel on the tin to accommodate standard printer paper. Additionally, a finger grip groove is embossed near the lid to aid opening, especially for older consumers. By combining functional labeling and handling features, your loose tea tin is not only a protective container but also a user-friendly package that promotes brand interaction.

Labeling and Consumer Handling Features

Logistics and Shelf Space Considerations

Practical logistics and shelf space optimization will influence your choice of tea tin. We design tea tins to stack stably and incorporate a flat, reinforced base. At the same time, ensure that the diameter of the tin is consistent with the standard retail shelf width of 330 mm, which can accommodate six tins per layer. Additionally, factor palletizing: 72 jars per pallet layer, eight layers per pallet, maximizes warehouse density. Again, evaluate the footprint of your SKUs based on your warehouse situation to accommodate multiple flavors and seasonal promotions. By aligning jar sizes with supply chain and retail parameters, your bulk tea tins can achieve cost-effective distribution and a visually appealing store presence.

Perfect for storing tea tins of different gram weights

Precise volume calculations, optimal shape and wall thickness, sealing lid design, ergonomic labeling, and logistics compatibility are considered when customizing tea tins for 500 grams of bulk tea. Typically, we use cylindrical jars with a diameter of 120 mm and a height of 180 mm, a wall thickness of 0.25 mm, and a lid sealed with a gasket to meet capacity, protection, and handling needs.

tea tins 3-1

How do tea tins extend their shelf life by blocking moisture and light?

Tea leaves are highly hygroscopic, easily absorbing moisture and odors, leading to mold growth, flavor loss, and a shortened shelf life. In addition, exposure to light, especially ultraviolet light, causes chlorophyll to decompose and essential oils to oxidize, making the tea taste deteriorated and bland. Therefore, we must effectively protect tea tins from moisture and light through high-quality tea tins to ensure that tea lovers can enjoy fresh tea leaves for a long time after purchasing them. By selecting high-quality moisture-proof materials in tea tins, adding seals and gaskets can indicate the sealing performance of tea tins.

Choosing high-quality moisture-proof materials for tea tins?

Tea We use food-grade tinplate, a steel plate coated with a layer of pure tin, with inherent moisture and corrosion resistance. At the same time, manufacturers coat the inside of the tinplate with FDA-approved epoxy resin or polymer paint to form a sealed structure that prevents water vapor penetration. This multi-layer structure keeps the water vapor transmission rate below 0.1 grams per square meter daily, which is better than plastic or paper packaging. These coatings also prevent metal from penetrating the tea leaves, ensuring the safety and flavor of the tea. By choosing this material, the tea tin cans can effectively protect the tea leaves from fluctuations in ambient humidity, keeping them crisp throughout their shelf life and preventing caking or microbial spoilage, even under changing climatic conditions.

tea tins 4-3

Adding seals and gaskets to tea tins

Even the best tea tins must address potential infiltration points, primarily at the lid joint. During the production of tea tins, manufacturers use precision-engineered lids with double-lip crimp seals and optional food-grade silicone gaskets. The double-lip design ensures the lid presses evenly onto the tin, forming an airtight, moisture-proof interface. We offer heat-sealed inner foil liners for some special customer requirements to further isolate the tea leaves from external moisture and oxygen. At the same time, drop tests and vacuum decay measurements confirm that these tea tins maintain internal humidity levels below 2% relative humidity (RH). By preventing moisture exchange, these sealing innovations keep the tea leaves fresh, aromatic, and protected from adverse environmental influences, making tea tins ideal for high-end tea brands and the gift market.

Adding seals and gaskets to tea tins

Designed for light blocking and UV protection

Light, especially UV and visible light, accelerates the oxidative decomposition of polyphenols and volatile aromatic compounds in tea leaves. Tsing’s tea caddies feature highly reflective opaque metal walls. Both matte paint and polished metal reflect incident light in the exterior finish, while the tinplate itself is 100% opaque. For additional protection, we also integrate UV-absorbing inks and clear coatings that block up to 98% of harmful UV rays, as certified by spectrophotometric analysis. This layered approach ensures that the tea tin cans not only prevent photodegradation, but also maintain consistent internal light levels, thereby protecting the color, flavor and nutritional properties of tea leaves during long-term storage from retail shelves to home pantries.

Desiccant integration and lining

To further control internal humidity, Tsing’s tea tins can be equipped with custom desiccant packs or bags to absorb residual water vapor. Tsing places these food-safe desiccants in a ventilated inner tray to prevent them from coming into direct contact with the tea leaves while maximizing their moisture absorption capacity. In addition, a removable PET liner provides a second barrier, making it easy to clean and reuse the tea tin. By integrating desiccant and liner, the combined system maintains an ultra-dry environment, ensuring that volatile aroma compounds are locked in the tea, providing a consistent, high-quality sensory experience. This modular design supports both bulk commercial storage and manual retail packaging.

Structural design for enhanced protection

In addition to the material and seal, the physical design of the tea tin also plays a vital role in protecting against moisture and light. Precision manufacturing processes create tea tins with a gap as small as 0.2 mm between the tin body and the tin lid, minimizing the penetration of the external environment. The seams are double-folded and laser-welded for uniform strength to prevent micro-cracks that may affect barrier properties. For the storage of loose tea, we offer square or rectangular tea tins with reinforced corners and ribbed edges to enhance the rigidity of the tea and reduce the risk of deformation during stacking and transportation. These design features ensure that the tea tins maintain their protective properties under actual transportation conditions, protecting them from the factory to the final drinking process.

seven-colors-square-tea-tins

Maximize tea freshness

From food-grade tinplate substrates and polymer lacquers to sealing gaskets, UV-resistant coatings and desiccant integration, every element of tea tin can design is critical to ensure that tea quality does not deteriorate. By adopting these comprehensive barrier packaging solutions, we enable tea brands to ensure that their products maintain optimal flavor, aroma and nutritional value, thereby improving consumer satisfaction and enhancing brand trust.