Guide to Open Top Cans

By: Berlin Packaging Specialist
Date: July 11, 2022

Guide to Open Top Cans

 

Open top cans are well-suited for packaging and storing a variety of products: vegetables, soups, beans, meat, pasta sauce, juice, pet food, powders, paints, automotive oils, and industrial materials.

Depending on their size, they can hold from 4 oz to more than 100 oz. Open top cans can accommodate standard flat lids or lids with pull tabs for easy opening. Plastic snap lids can be used to reseal opened cans.

Food Applications

Many open top cans for food applications are made of tinplate steel — sheets of steel that are coated in a thin layer of tin. The combination of steel and tin results in a durable can that resists corrosion. In addition, the interior of open top cans can be coated or lined with acrylic or enamel to prevent the food product from reacting with the metal.

In addition to tinplate, open top cans can be constructed of stainless steel or aluminum. While these two metals are similar in appearance, they are quite different when it comes to weight and other characteristics. Aluminum cans are lighter, making them easy to carry and handle. Lighter weight packaging can reduce shipping costs. Stainless steel cans are heavier, and have a low reaction rate with food products. Stainless steel can withstand higher temperatures.

Below is a table with standard can dimensions and product capacities.

Standard Industry Can Dimensions Diameter/Height (inches) Product Capacity (oz/ml)

202 x 214

2.1/2.9

4/120

211 x 315

2.69/3.94

10/300

300 x 407

3/4.4

14/414

404 x 414

4.3/4.9

32/950

603 x 700

6.2/7

105/3100 or 3.1 L