Custom Food Trays

Waffle Trays

Made-to-order waffle Trays in grease-resistant sbs board, printed to your artwork and cut to your dimensions.

Minimum order
100 units
Production
3–5 business days
Construction
food tray
Delivery
US, UK, Canada, Australia

No obligation

Price this format

Name, email, phone and what you are packing and the volumes you run. Attach artwork if you have it. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.

The more detail you give, the more accurate the quote.

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    The build detail that decides waffle trays

    Wall coating matters as much as base coating here, because the run-off ends up at the edge rather than the middle.

    Waffle Trays are die-cut and folded from grease-resistant board into an open-top tray, with locking corners that hold the shape under warm food.

    What waffle trays have to cope with

    Waffle Trays hold a hot waffle with toppings that melt and run as soon as they are added. That is the starting point for the specification, because wall coating matters as much as base coating here, because the run-off ends up at the edge rather than the middle.

    In service they are used for dessert counters and street vendors, eaten within minutes and always messy.

    Where waffle trays are actually used

    Waffle Trays are specified for dessert counters and street vendors, eaten within minutes and always messy. Wall coating matters as much as base coating here, because the run-off ends up at the edge rather than the middle.

    • Dessert counters and street vendors, eaten within minutes and always messy
    • Quick-service food counters
    • Bakery and deli
    • Stadium and event catering

    The substrate for waffle trays

    Coated on the walls as well as the base, because melted topping runs to the edge rather than pooling in the middle.

    The options we would consider for this format are below; wall coating matters as much as base coating here, because the run-off ends up at the edge rather than the middle.

    • Grease-resistant SBS board
    • Kraft board with grease barrier
    • Corrugated E-flute
    • Clay-coated news back

    How waffle trays fail, and what prevents it

    Melted topping runs to the edge and soaks the wall, which then folds where it is held.

    Wall coating matters as much as base coating here, because the run-off ends up at the edge rather than the middle.

    Sizing waffle trays

    Around 7 × 5 × 1½ in, sized to a standard waffle with room for toppings beside it.

    Send the contents rather than a box size. Trays are specified for the waffle and not for the ice cream or sauce that goes on it, which is the actual load.

    Holding waffle trays before service

    Melted topping runs to the edge and soaks the wall, which then folds where it is held.

    Paperboard also absorbs moisture from the air until it equalises with its surroundings. If stock sits more than about six weeks in unconditioned space, a moisture-resistant coating is worth its small premium.

    Finishing waffle trays

    Toppings cover most of the tray in use. Print the rim and the underside of the lip, which stay visible.

    Each finish below is a separate pass on the press or the finishing line, which is why they are quoted individually rather than bundled.

    • Grease-resistant coating
    • Matte finish
    • Uncoated kraft

    Sampling before you order

    We can produce a plain unprinted sample so you can check the fit and structure of waffle trays before committing.

    Sample costs are normally credited against the production order.

    What we need from you

    The useful starting point is the product, not the pack. Give us its measurements and the quantity, and we work the food tray outward from there.

    You approve the quote, we send the dieline, prepress proofs it, and production follows. The proof stage is where changes are still free.

    Reference

    Waffle Trays at a specification level

    ProductWaffle Trays
    CategoryCustom Food Trays
    ConstructionDie-cut with locking corners
    BarrierGrease-resistant coating
    Ships asFlat or pre-formed and nested
    MaterialsGrease-resistant SBS board, Kraft board with grease barrier, Corrugated E-flute, Clay-coated news back
    PrintingOffset lithography, Flexography, Digital press
    FinishesGrease-resistant coating, Matte finish, Uncoated kraft
    Minimum orderMinimum order is 100 units on any format, and unit cost falls sharply as the quantity rises.
    Lead time3 to 5 business days after artwork approval
    ShippingAcross the US, UK, Canada and Australia

    Specification builder

    Specify Waffle Trays in under a minute

    Set what you know, leave the rest. Everything here travels with your request, so nothing gets retyped.

    • 100-unit minimum
    • 3–5 day production
    • Free dieline
    • No obligation
    Approximation only — proportions, colour family and finish character. Not a colour proof, and the panel shown is a placeholder, not your artwork.
    Packaging type
    Box style
    Quantity
    Colour
    Material
    Printing
    Finish

    Drop files or browse

    Up to 5 files, 10 MB each.

      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. Final pricing depends on size, material, printing, finishes, and quantity.

      In practice

      Why it is built this way

      Sized to the contents

      Around 7 × 5 × 1½ in, sized to a standard waffle with room for toppings beside it.

      The failure worth avoiding

      Melted topping runs to the edge and soaks the wall, which then folds where it is held.

      Where it is used

      Specified for dessert counters and street vendors, eaten within minutes and always messy.

      The detail that matters

      Wall coating matters as much as base coating here, because the run-off ends up at the edge rather than the middle.

      This format sits in our custom food trays range, alongside 11 other made-to-order formats.

      Answers

      Running waffle trays: common questions

      Specification, minimums and lead times for waffle trays.

      How high can these be stacked?

      That depends on board grade, contents weight and how long the stack stands. Send us the stack height and the weight above the bottom unit and we will specify to it rather than guessing at a grade.

      Are these food-contact compliant?

      We specify food-contact compliant boards and inks where the pack touches food directly. Tell us whether contact is direct or through a liner for waffle trays, because it changes which stocks are available to you.

      How do you stop grease showing through?

      A grease-resistant coating or a greaseproof liner. Untreated board will always strike through eventually with hot, oily food — that is a property of the material rather than a quality fault, and it is inexpensive to design out.

      Will these hold up under a hot, wet load?

      With the right board and coating. Moisture from hot food softens an under-specified tray faster than grease does, so we usually recommend both a heavier caliper and a grease-resistant coating for hot service.

      Do you offer recycled or recyclable options?

      Recycled grades are available across most of the substrates we run for food trays. Recycled content, kerbside recyclability and certified compostability are three different claims though, so tell us which one you intend to print.

      What file format should I send artwork in?

      A print-ready PDF or a vector file, with fonts outlined and any raster images at 300 dpi at final size. We supply the dieline to design onto, and prepress checks bleed, safe area and crease clearance before issuing a proof. The dieline we supply carries the crease positions, so keeping type clear of a crease is easier to solve at layout than at proof.

      What is the minimum order for waffle trays?

      A flat 100 units on any format. Most food trays in this range are quoted from 100 units upward because unit cost falls sharply above that, but the minimum exists so you can validate a structure first.

      How long do waffle trays take to produce?

      3 to 5 business days after artwork approval, plus freight. Food tray runs with applied finishes can take longer because each finish is a separate pass, and we confirm a firm date in writing with the quote.

      What do waffle trays cost?

      Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. For this format the biggest levers are quantity, print route, board grade and how many finishing passes are involved. We quote each element separately so you can see where the money is going. Finishing passes are the lever buyers most often underestimate: each one is a separate run through the line.

      Can I see a sample first?

      Yes. We can send a plain unprinted sample so you can check the fit and structure, or a printed prototype for colour and finish. Sample costs are normally credited against the production order. Worth running a few through your actual line rather than checking them by hand: fill speed and hot contents find fit problems that a desk check does not.

      Can you match packaging we already use?

      Send the current specification or a physical sample and we will quote to match it rather than proposing an alternative you would then have to re-approve internally. Tell us the coating on the pack you are matching too. Grease and moisture resistance are not visible in a sample and they change which stocks we can quote.

      Where do you deliver?

      All 50 US states, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, on the same timeline everywhere: 3 to 5 business days of production after artwork approval, then 5 to 7 business days in transit. Every run is made to order and shipped directly to your address rather than pulled from stock, so you receive current production rather than whatever has been sitting in a warehouse. Freight is costed separately by weight, volume and destination. If stock is going into a kitchen or a service counter rather than a warehouse, tell us — case sizes that a single person can lift and store matter more there than pallet efficiency.

      Next step

      Price Waffle Trays by the case

      Send the fill size and the volumes you run. We reply with a full specification and a written price, usually within one business day.