Beeswax wraps usually come in three sizes, and it is easy to end up standing there with half a lemon in one hand and a far too large sheet in the other. Here is a concrete guide to the sizes S, M and L: what each of them actually suits in an ordinary kitchen, how to measure for yourself, and when it makes sense to have more than one set.
The rule of thumb: the sheet should reach well past the edge
Whatever you are covering or wrapping, the same rule applies: the sheet should reach a few centimetres past the edge all the way round. Those extra centimetres are what you warm between your hands and press down along the rim of the bowl or fold around the food, and they are what makes the sheet stay put.
So measure the bowls you actually use most, across the opening and a little way down the side, before you decide. A sheet that is exactly the size of the bowl opening is, in practice, too small.
S at 18 × 20 cm: the lemon, the avocado and the smallest bowls
The smallest sheet is for all the little things: half a lemon, half an avocado, a started onion or a small glass without a lid. Lay the sheet over the cut surface, shape it round with the warmth of your hands, and the fruit keeps well without plastic. We have a dedicated guide to exactly this in the article on avocado, lemon and onion without plastic.
The S sheet is also handy for wrapping a piece of cheese for a day out, or over the espresso cup holding two tablespoons of leftovers that do not deserve a whole box.
M at 25 × 28 cm: the cheese and the everyday bowls
The middle size is the sheet you will use most. It folds around an ordinary block of cheese with plenty of margin, and it covers breakfast bowls, deep plates and the most common leftover bowls. Cheese does especially well in a beeswax wrap: the sheet breathes, so the surface stays dry instead of turning clammy. Read more in the guide on storing cheese without plastic.
If you are not sure which sheet to reach for, reach for M. It is big enough for most things and small enough not to get awkward.
L at 33 × 35 cm: large bowls and the head of lettuce
The largest sheet takes on the jobs where the cling film used to roll out by the metre: the big salad bowl from the dinner party, the yeast dough left to rise, half a watermelon and a whole head of lettuce. With a good margin around the edge, the L sheet settles like a lid over even roomy bowls. You will find more tricks like these in the article on covering bowls without cling film.
The L sheet is also the backup when M is busy: folded double it works fine around a block of cheese, and for baking headed out the door it wraps around both buns and half cakes with plenty of margin. Many people find that the largest sheet becomes the most versatile one, precisely because it can always be made smaller.
When do you need more than one set?
One set of S, M and L covers a household of one to two people nicely. But the sheets are often in use at the same time: the cheese sits in one, yesterday's leftovers under another, and half a pepper in the third. Suddenly you are out of free sheets in the middle of the week.
A family that cooks every day usually ends up with two sets, and it is almost always the M sheets that run out first. Two sets give you six sheets in rotation: some in use, some clean in the drawer, and the washing can wait until it suits you.
A simple trick is to count through an ordinary week: how many bowls, cheeses and half vegetables are sitting in your fridge right now? If the answer is four or more, one set is going to feel tight, and you end up rationing the sheets instead of using them.
And the bread? That has its own solution
A whole loaf is too big for even the largest sheet, and it is not the beeswax wrap's job anyway. For bread there is the Vokshus Bivoks™ bread bag in one size, 30.5 × 43 cm, roomy enough for both a tin loaf and a large round sourdough boule. Same principle, beeswax on breathable cotton and linen, just shaped as a bag with a clip instead of a sheet.
The sheets and the bag complement each other: the bag takes the bread, the sheets take the rest of the kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cut a large sheet down to a smaller one?
Yes, that works fine with a sharp pair of scissors, ideally pinking shears so the edge does not fray. But cut sparingly: a whole L sheet is often worth more than two halves.
Which size gets used most?
M at 25 × 28 cm. It suits both blocks of cheese and the most common bowls, which is why it is the sheet that runs out first in the drawer.
Can I combine two sheets to cover something large?
Yes. Lay the sheets with a few centimetres of overlap and warm the join between your hands, and they stick to each other and work as one large sheet.
Do beeswax wraps suit bread?
For a couple of rolls or a slice of bread on the go, yes. A whole loaf, on the other hand, needs the bread bag at 30.5 × 43 cm, which is made for exactly that job.
Three sizes in the same set
Vokshus beeswax wraps come as a set of S, M and L, so the lemon, the cheese and the big salad bowl all get the right sheet.
See the beeswax wrap set →- S, M and L in the same set
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- Reusable for around 12 months
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- Available on subscription with free shipping