Barely, once you actually run the numbers. Small size mastic gums cost a little less per tin than Medium. But both hold the same net weight and serving count. So the real gap between them is smaller than it looks on the shelf. We did the cost-per-serving and cost-per-gram math so you don’t have to.
By Carl J, Owner · Last updated September 25, 2026
How Small Size Mastic Gums Differ From Medium
One resin, sorted by size, nothing more.
Both tins hold 100% pure Chios mastiha — the same harvest, the same tree, the same purity. Small size chios mastic pieces are simply the smaller droplets the resin happened to harden into. Medium Tears are the larger ones. They make up only 10–15% of each annual harvest. A bigger piece puts more material between your molars, which reads as a firmer, longer chew — not a different grade of resin. Our full breakdown of small versus medium covers the mechanics in depth if that’s what you’re after; this piece is about what that size difference actually costs you.
Is Smaller Mastic Gum Better Value?
Here’s the part nobody selling mastic gum seems to publish: what each size actually costs per chew.
Small Tears run $19.99 for a 28.35g (1 oz) tin, roughly 56 servings. Medium Tears run $20.99 for the same 28.35g net weight and the same ~56 servings. Do the division and Small works out to about $0.36 per serving, Medium to about $0.37. That’s roughly a two-cent difference per chew, or about a dollar over the life of an entire tin.
So which mastic gum size gives the best value? By cost per serving, they’re close enough to call a tie — you’re not paying a real premium for Medium’s rarity, and you’re not saving real money by staying with Small. The honest way to choose is by chewing experience, not price: Small if you want an easier daily chew, Medium if you want more resistance, and either one costs about the same per session.
Melted Mastic Gum changes the picture completely. A 1 lb (453.6g) pouch runs $24.99, roughly $0.055 per gram, against roughly $0.70–$0.74 per gram for either tin. Gram for gram, that’s about thirteen times cheaper. The trade-off is format: melted resin isn’t pre-portioned into tears, so it suits bulk buyers, cooking, or anyone happy to break off their own pieces, rather than the grab-and-go tin experience Small and Medium are built around.
To be clear on quality: melted mastic isn’t a lower grade of resin. It’s the same 100% pure Chios mastiha, sold unsorted and in bulk rather than hand-graded into individual tears. The lower price reflects the processing and packaging format, not a difference in the resin itself. If raw value per gram is genuinely your priority over portability, that’s where it actually is.
Worth factoring into “value” beyond the price tag: every serving of either tin runs about 2 kcal, with 0g sugar, fat, protein, and sodium. Against a stick of sugared chewing gum you’d go through several times a day, the real saving isn’t the cent or two between Small and Medium, it’s what you’re not consuming compared to conventional gum, session after session.
Why Heat Is the Real Threat to Small Mastic Resin Pieces?
More than air, and more than time.
Mastic’s aroma and flavour come from volatile terpene compounds — mainly α-pinene, β-pinene, and D-limonene — that sit in the resin’s essential oil fraction. Published research on Pistacia lentiscus resin ffound that keeping the resin below roughly 40°C during processing preserved that volatile profile. Higher heat drove off and altered the compounds responsible for its scent and taste. A tin left on a car dashboard or beside a stove is doing the same thing to your gum that a drying oven set too hot does to raw resin.
The practical version: keep small mastic resin pieces in their sealed tin, out of direct sun, and away from heat sources. A pantry shelf or kitchen drawer beats a car console, a windowsill, or a bathroom cabinet — bathrooms run hot and humid enough to work against the same volatile compounds you’re trying to protect. Cool and dry is the whole instruction. There’s no need for refrigeration; the resin itself is shelf-stable, it’s the aromatic compounds that are heat-sensitive, and those are what you’re actually paying for.
Does Piece Size Change the Flavour of Small Grade Mastic Gum?
No, and it’s a fair thing to wonder given how differently the two sizes chew.
Small grade mastic gum and Medium Tears come from identical resin, so the underlying flavour compounds are the same in both. What differs is how quickly they show up. A smaller piece warms through faster, releasing its aroma and taste sooner. A larger piece takes longer to soften, so the same flavour builds gradually and lingers over a longer chew. Neither is “more flavourful”, one front-loads the experience, the other draws it out.
Should You Buy Small or Medium Mastic Gum?
By use case, not by price, since price barely moves the decision either way.
Should I buy small or medium mastic gum is usually framed as a value question, and by now you know it mostly isn’t one, the per-serving cost is close enough to call a tie. Choose Small if you’re new to mastic, chewing mainly for breath and oral health, or want an easier daily habit, our beginner’s guide covers getting started properly. Choose Medium if you’ve chewed regularly and want firmer resistance for dedicated jaw training, covered in our Medium Tears guide. How do mastic gum sizes compare when it actually matters: not on cost, but on how much work you want each session to be.
Either way, check the shop for current pricing before you buy, since the numbers above are a snapshot rather than a guarantee. Both tins carry the same 30-day money-back guarantee, so picking the “wrong” size for your routine isn’t a costly mistake either way, just say the word and it’s refunded.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between small and medium mastic gum?
Piece size, and nothing else. Both are the same 100% pure Chios mastiha. Small pieces are smaller droplets that make up the bulk of each harvest. They soften quickly into an easy, forgiving chew. Medium pieces are larger, rarer (10–15% of the annual harvest), and resist more per bite. That reads as a firmer, longer-lasting chew. Purity and ingredients are identical in both. Only the physical size, and the resistance that comes with it, changes.
2. How much does small size mastic gum cost?
As of this writing, a 28.35g tin of Small Tears is $19.99. That works out to roughly $0.36 per serving across its ~56 servings. Pricing can change, so check the current figure on the shop page before ordering. Either way, cost is set by piece size and rarity — not by tin size, since both tins hold the same 28.35g net weight — and not by any difference in resin quality.
3. Which size offers better value for regular chewing?
For regular, daily chewing, Small and Medium cost almost exactly the same per serving. About $0.36 versus $0.37. So value isn’t really the deciding factor between them. If raw value per gram matters more than portability, Melted Mastic Gum works out to roughly twelve times cheaper per gram than either tin. It trades away the pre-portioned convenience that makes the tins easy to grab and go.
4. Does size affect the flavour or how it softens?
Softening, yes. Smaller pieces have less material to warm through, so they turn chewable faster. That’s why beginners are steered toward Small. Flavour, no. Both sizes come from the same resin with the same aromatic compounds, so the taste itself doesn’t change. What changes is timing. A small piece releases its flavour sooner, a larger piece draws it out over a longer chew.
5. How should mastic gum be stored to keep it fresh?
Keep it in its sealed tin, at room temperature. Store it away from direct sunlight and heat sources like a car dashboard, a stove, or a sunny windowsill. Mastic’s flavour and aroma come from heat-sensitive volatile compounds. A cool, stable spot preserves them far better than anywhere temperatures swing or climb. No refrigeration needed. Just cool, dry, and out of direct heat.
Shop Titans Jaw
Compare current pricing and grab your tin in the shop, or read more on the blog if you’re still deciding between sizes. Questions about which size fits your routine? Get in touch — we’re happy to help you pick.
This article is general information, not medical or dental advice. If you have jaw pain, clicking, a clenching or grinding habit, or a diagnosed temporomandibular condition, speak to a dentist or qualified clinician before starting or continuing jaw training.
