Board is the decision that quietly sets everything else: how much heat the box holds, how long it resists grease, how it survives a stack in a delivery bag, and what your packaging says before anyone opens it. Three options cover most burger orders.
Cardboard: the general-purpose choice
Cardboard is a single layer of paperboard, and it is where most burger boxes start. It holds its shape for the length of a normal service, takes print cleanly and evenly, and is the cheapest of the three per unit. For counter service, where the box is filled and handed over within a minute or two, it is usually all the box that is needed.
Its limit is time and weight. A heavy build sitting in a hot box for twenty minutes will eventually soften a single layer, which is where the other two come in.
Corrugated: stiffness and insulation
Corrugated board adds a fluted layer sandwiched between liners. Those flutes do two useful things: they stiffen the box, so it resists crushing when stacked, and they trap air, which slows heat loss. That makes corrugated the sensible default for delivery, for heavier or taller builds, and for anything that has to sit in a bag with other orders on top of it.
It costs more per unit and takes up more space flat, so it is worth paying for where the journey is long and hard to justify where it is not. The range is grouped under burger boxes by material.
Kraft: unbleached, and it looks it
Kraft is paperboard left unbleached, which is why it arrives brown. Structurally it behaves much like cardboard; the difference is what it communicates. Brown kraft reads as plain, unprocessed and deliberate, which is why so many independents use it and why it needs almost no print to look considered — a single-color logo on kraft often looks better than full-color artwork on white.
Where the others fit
Plain paper board is lighter and cheaper again, and suits smaller items where structure matters less than cost. Bagasse is pressed from the sugarcane fiber left over after milling; it is sturdy, resists grease without a plastic lining, and composts, which makes it the option to look at when the environmental claim is genuinely part of the brand rather than a line on the website.
How to choose without overthinking it
Start with the journey. If the box is handed over the counter and eaten within minutes, cardboard or kraft is enough and the choice between them is aesthetic. If it goes into a delivery bag, move to corrugated and stop worrying about crushing. If your customers care about the material and you can say something true about it, bagasse or recycled stock earns its place.
Then check the build. A tall stacked burger with a lot of sauce puts more stress on the board than a slider does, and the heavier the build the more a stiffer box pays for itself in orders that arrive intact.
Board and print together
Board also changes how print looks. White cardboard gives the truest color reproduction; kraft mutes everything and shifts it warm, which is a feature if you design for it and a problem if you do not. Coated stock takes gloss and spot UV better than uncoated. If print is central to the brand, decide board and artwork together rather than one after the other — the options are set out under custom printed burger packaging.
Send the build, the journey and the run length with a quote request and we will recommend a board against your actual service rather than a generic one.
Need a price for a run? Send the size, style and quantity and we will come back with wholesale pricing and a production timeline — start on the burger packaging quote form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between E-flute and B-flute corrugated?
E-flute is thinner, roughly a sixteenth of an inch, with small, closely spaced flutes that give a smooth printing surface and fold neatly, which suits most burger boxes. B-flute is thicker, about an eighth of an inch, and adds more crush resistance and insulation for heavy or stacked delivery orders, though print is slightly less crisp.
Is cardboard the same as paperboard?
In everyday use, yes. In packaging, cardboard usually means paperboard: a single thick sheet like a cereal box. Corrugated board is different, with a fluted layer between two liners. When people say "cardboard burger box" they usually mean the paperboard kind, which is lighter and cheaper than corrugated.
What is SBS board?
SBS stands for solid bleached sulfate, a paperboard that is white all the way through. It gives the brightest, most accurate print surface of any common board, which is why it is used for full-color and photographic designs. It is the standard choice when color accuracy matters more than a natural or rustic look.
Is kraft board stronger than white paperboard?
Kraft board is generally slightly stronger for its weight, because unbleached fibers stay longer and tougher. At the weights used for burger boxes, the difference matters less than thickness and whether you choose corrugated. For delivery, the jump from single board to corrugated makes far more difference than kraft versus white.
Can corrugated burger boxes be printed in full color?
Yes. Corrugated boxes can be printed in full CMYK color and Pantone, and E-flute gives the smoothest surface for detailed artwork. Very fine text and photos are slightly softer on corrugated than on SBS, so keep the design bold. You can see options in our corrugated burger boxes for delivery.
Is recycled kraft as strong as virgin kraft?
Recycled kraft is slightly weaker, because fibers shorten each time they are reprocessed. For counter service and short trips, the difference is rarely noticeable. For heavy builds or stacked deliveries, recycled kraft corrugated makes up the difference and still lets you use the recycled material.
Can corrugated board touch food directly?
Yes, when it is made for foodservice and given a food-grade coating. The inner liner is paper, and a grease-resistant food-grade coating keeps oil from soaking in. For very wet builds, a liner adds another layer of protection without changing the box.
Can corrugated board be made into a clamshell burger box?
Yes. E-flute corrugated folds cleanly enough to make a hinged clamshell with a tuck front, giving you the fast service of a clamshell with more strength and insulation than single paperboard. It is a good fit for delivery-heavy shops that prefer the clamshell format.
How should I store burger boxes so the board does not weaken?
Store flat-packed boxes somewhere dry and off the floor, away from dishwashers, fryers and walk-in cooler doors. Paperboard absorbs moisture from humid air, which softens it and makes folds less crisp. Keep cartons closed until needed and use older stock first.
Is bagasse as strong as corrugated board?
Bagasse is rigid and holds its shape well under a single burger, and it resists grease without a plastic lining. Corrugated is generally better at taking a heavy stack in a delivery bag. Choose bagasse when compostability is the priority, and corrugated when crush resistance on long journeys matters most.
More guides
- Branding Burger Boxes on a Small Budget How to make custom burger packaging look considered without a full-color print run: stock color, one-color print, sleeves, stickers and where to spend first.
- Burger Box Printing Explained: Offset, Digital, Colors and Finishes How a burger box is printed: CMYK or Pantone, offset or digital, what changes on kraft versus white board, finishes, artwork files and proofs.
- Burger Patty Packaging for Butchers and Meal-Prep Brands How to package raw and frozen burger patties for retail and wholesale: patty boxes, freezer-grade board, wax and PE liners, labeling, and how to order.
- Catering Boxes: Sizes, Styles and How to Order for Events What a catering box needs that a burger box does not: sizes for meals and platters, sandwich and combo styles, board, branding and ordering for an event.
- Clamshell vs Parcel Burger Boxes How the two most common burger box styles differ in service, in a delivery bag and on the shelf, and which one suits the way you actually hand food over.
- Eco-Friendly Burger Boxes: What the Options Actually Mean Recyclable, biodegradable and compostable are not the same claim. What bagasse, recycled kraft and uncoated board really offer, and how to choose honestly.
- Gloss, Matte or Spot UV: Choosing a Finish What each coating changes about how a printed burger box looks, feels and performs, and when spot UV is worth the extra step.
- Greaseproof Burger Packaging: What Actually Works Why burger boxes leak, and what stops it: coatings, liners, wraps and ventilation, and how to choose between them for counter service and delivery.
- How a Custom Burger Box Order Works From first measurement to printed run: what a quote needs, how artwork is handled, why unit price falls with quantity, and what to check before approving.
- How to Choose a Burger Box Manufacturer: 9 Questions to Ask Nine questions that separate a real burger box manufacturer from a reseller: minimums, samples, proofs, board, inks, turnaround, shipping and extra fees.
- How to Choose a Burger Box Size Measure the build, not the burger: how to size a burger box so the bun does not flatten and the build does not slide, and which standard size to start from.
- Newsprint Burger Boxes: How the Look Is Printed and What It Costs The newspaper look on a burger box is a print, not real newsprint. How it is done on kraft or white board, which styles carry it, and how to order a run.
- Packaging Burgers for Delivery What changes when a burger box has to travel: stacking, steam, grease and time, and the specification changes that keep food arriving the way it left.
- Packaging the Whole Order, Not Just the Burger Fries, sauces, drinks and bags decide as much about how an order arrives as the burger box does. What to specify for each, and why one run beats four suppliers.
- Window Burger Boxes: When the Cut-Out Earns Its Cost A window shows the product without opening the box. What it costs in structure, heat and grease, and the situations where it pays for itself.