Portion Cup Sizes for Sauces and Condiments: Complete Guide

Portion cups are the smallest containers in any food business's packaging inventory, but they punch well above their weight in terms of impact. A well-portioned chutney cup completes a meal. A leaking sauce cup ruins an entire delivery order. An oversized condiment container wastes expensive sauces that customers leave half-finished. And an undersized one prompts the dreaded customer complaint: "Not enough sauce."

This guide covers every standard portion cup size available in the Indian market, maps each size to specific sauces and condiments, and helps you choose the right cup for your menu items.

What Are Portion Cups?

Portion cups (also called sauce cups, condiment cups, or soufflé cups) are small containers, typically 15 ml to 120 ml, designed for individual servings of sauces, dips, dressings, chutneys, and other condiments. They come with matching lids and are usually made from PP (polypropylene), PET, or bagasse.

In Indian food service, portion cups serve a dual purpose. First, they provide portioned condiments for delivery orders where open containers would spill. Second, they enable portion control, preventing the wastage that occurs when sauces are served in large bowls or free-pour bottles.

Complete Portion Cup Size Chart

Capacity (ml)	Capacity (oz)	Top Diameter	Height	Common Name	Typical Condiment
15 ml	0.5 oz	35 mm	18 mm	Micro cup	Single-serve butter, jam, honey, ghee
20 ml	0.7 oz	38 mm	20 mm	Mini cup	Ketchup sachet alternative, soy sauce, vinegar
30 ml	1 oz	44 mm	24 mm	Standard sauce cup	Ketchup, mustard, mayo, chilli sauce
45 ml	1.5 oz	48 mm	28 mm	Medium sauce cup	Schezwan sauce, green chutney, cocktail sauce
60 ml	2 oz	55 mm	32 mm	Large sauce cup	Mint chutney, tamarind chutney, salsa, peanut sauce
80 ml	2.7 oz	62 mm	35 mm	Dip cup	Hummus, cheese dip, gravy dip, curry sauce
100 ml	3.4 oz	68 mm	38 mm	Large dip cup	Raita, curd, guacamole, thick chutneys
120 ml	4 oz	72 mm	42 mm	Extra large portion cup	Gravy side, extra sauce portions, dessert sauce

Matching Portion Cup Size to Indian Sauces and Condiments

Indian cuisine uses a wider variety of sauces and condiments than most global cuisines, and each has its own ideal portion size. Here is a practical mapping based on how Indian restaurants and delivery services actually use these products:

Condiment	Ideal Cup Size	Notes
Green chutney (pudina)	30-45 ml	Strong flavour; small portion sufficient
Tamarind chutney (imli)	30-45 ml	Sweet-sour; small serving works
Red garlic chutney	20-30 ml	Intense; a little goes a long way
Coconut chutney	45-60 ml	Milder flavour; larger portion needed
Sambar (side portion)	80-100 ml	Liquid; needs larger cup
Raita / curd	60-100 ml	Cooling accompaniment; generous serving preferred
Pickle (achar)	15-20 ml	Very strong; tiny portion sufficient
Ketchup	20-30 ml	Standard Western condiment portion
Mayonnaise	20-30 ml	Rich; small serving adequate
Schezwan sauce	30-45 ml	Spicy; moderate portion
Soy sauce	15-20 ml	Concentrated; very small portion
Chilli garlic sauce	20-30 ml	Spicy condiment; small portion
Dal makhani (side)	100-120 ml	When served as a side, needs larger cup
Gravy (extra)	80-120 ml	Charged extra; larger portion expected
Butter / ghee	15-20 ml	Single-serve fat portions
Honey	15-20 ml	Single-serve sweetener

Portion Cups for QSR and Fast Food

Quick service restaurants have standardised portion cup usage more than any other food service segment. Every burger chain, fried chicken outlet, and pizza delivery service depends on portion cups for sauce management.

QSR Item	Sauce/Condiment	Cup Size
French fries	Ketchup / mayo / cheese dip	30 ml (ketchup), 45-60 ml (dips)
Burger meal	Ketchup + mustard	20-30 ml each
Fried chicken	BBQ sauce / hot sauce / ranch	30-45 ml
Pizza	Oregano dip / chilli flakes / ketchup	20-30 ml
Momos	Red chilli sauce / mayo	30-45 ml
Wraps / rolls	Mint mayo / schezwan / garlic	30 ml
Nuggets / strips	Assorted dipping sauces	45-60 ml

For momos specifically, the chilli sauce cup is as important as the momos themselves. Momo vendors who skimp on sauce quantity or use cups that leak lose repeat customers. See our guide on momos packaging for more.

Material Options for Portion Cups

PP (Polypropylene)

PP is the dominant material for portion cups in India. It is food-safe, microwave-compatible, and offers excellent clarity in translucent formulations. PP portion cups are available in all sizes from 15 ml to 120 ml. They provide a reliable seal with matching PP or PET lids, making them the default choice for delivery orders where leak prevention is critical.

PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)

PET portion cups are crystal clear, making them popular when visual appeal matters (for colourful chutneys, layered dips, or dessert sauces). They are not microwave-safe but work well for cold and room-temperature condiments. PET cups with PET lids create a particularly tight seal.

Bagasse / Sugarcane

Bagasse portion cups are the eco-friendly option, made from sugarcane fibre and fully compostable. They are available in limited sizes (typically 30 ml, 60 ml, and 100 ml) and cost 50-80% more than PP equivalents. They work well for thick condiments but are not ideal for very thin, liquid sauces because they can absorb moisture over extended periods.

Paper

Paper portion cups with a PE lining are a mid-range option between PP and bagasse in terms of both cost and environmental impact. Available mainly in 30-100 ml sizes. They suit most condiments but are not microwave-safe. Their advantage is printability: paper cups can be custom-printed with branding more easily than plastic cups.

Lid Types and Seal Quality

The lid is arguably more important than the cup itself for portion cups. A sauce cup without a secure lid is a liability in any delivery order. Three lid types are common:

Hinged lids are attached to the cup, swinging open and closed. They are convenient (no separate lid to lose) but offer a less secure seal. Best for dine-in service and counter pickup where the food is consumed quickly.

Snap-on lids are separate lids that press onto the cup rim. They provide a tighter seal than hinged lids and are the standard for delivery orders. The key is ensuring the lid diameter matches the cup rim exactly. A loose lid is worse than no lid.

Sealed / film lids are heat-sealed foil or plastic film over the cup opening. They provide the most secure, leak-proof seal and are used by airlines, railways, and premium delivery services. They require a heat-sealing machine, which adds to setup cost but eliminates leaks entirely.

Portion Control Economics

One of the strongest business cases for portion cups is sauce cost control. Many restaurants serve sauces in squeeze bottles, open bowls, or large dipping containers. Without portion control, sauce wastage can be staggering.

Consider a simple example: a restaurant serves green chutney with every order. Using an open bowl, the average consumption is about 40 ml per customer, but 15-20% is discarded (half-eaten or untouched bowls that cannot be reused). With a 30 ml portion cup, the consumption drops to exactly 30 ml with zero waste. Over 100 orders per day, that is a saving of approximately 1.5 litres of chutney daily.

At a chutney cost of Rs 80-100 per litre, that translates to Rs 120-150 saved per day, or Rs 3,600-4,500 per month. The portion cups themselves cost Rs 0.30-0.50 each (Rs 30-50 per day for 100 cups), making the net saving Rs 2,500-4,000 per month on just one condiment. Multiply this across all sauces and the impact is substantial. For more on packaging cost management, see our cost saving tips guide.

Sizing for Delivery Platforms

Delivery through Swiggy and Zomato has made portion cups essential rather than optional. Open containers or sachets tucked alongside main dishes often leak during transit, staining packaging and ruining the unboxing experience. Standard practice for delivery-optimised restaurants:

• Use snap-on lid portion cups for all liquid condiments
• Select cup sizes that fill to 80-85% capacity (leave headroom to prevent spillage when the lid is pressed on)
• Pack portion cups inside the main container or secure them so they do not move freely in the bag
• Consider heat-sealed cups for highly liquid sauces (thin chutney, soy sauce) that are most prone to leaking

For comprehensive delivery packaging guidance, read our cloud kitchen packaging guide.

Cost Comparison by Size and Material

Cup Size	PP (cup + lid)	PET (cup + lid)	Bagasse (cup + lid)
15-20 ml	Rs 0.25-0.40	Rs 0.30-0.50	Rs 0.50-0.75
30 ml	Rs 0.30-0.50	Rs 0.40-0.60	Rs 0.55-0.85
45 ml	Rs 0.35-0.55	Rs 0.45-0.70	Rs 0.65-0.95
60 ml	Rs 0.40-0.65	Rs 0.55-0.80	Rs 0.75-1.10
80 ml	Rs 0.50-0.75	Rs 0.65-0.90	Rs 0.90-1.30
100 ml	Rs 0.60-0.85	Rs 0.75-1.05	Rs 1.05-1.50
120 ml	Rs 0.70-1.00	Rs 0.85-1.20	Rs 1.20-1.70

Prices are for wholesale quantities (1,000+ pieces with lids). Contact Success Marketing for exact pricing. Also see our broader sauce cups and condiment containers guide for additional options.