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Studio: Mojang
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Minecraft Charcoal

Minecraft Charcoal? What do you need charcoal for when you can use regular coal or just wood as fuel for a furnace? Here you’ll get a little digression into the alternative energy source in the game. Where to find it. What to do with it. And most importantly: We’ll tell you how to get charcoal in Minecraft. Never let your inventory run out of this precious little item.

Overview charcoal in Minecraft

  • Fuel and building material in Minecraft
  • More sustainable than coal
  • Made by charring logs
  • Uses up after eight burns

How to Get Charcoal in Minecraft

Are you tired of running to the mine for every building process, looking for coal and dealing with stone mining? Would you rather have a fuel resource that is sustainable and that you can grow over and over again? Minecraft charcoal is a better alternative! Basically, there are two ways on how to get charcoal in Minecraft: you can either break a campfire or ‘craft’ Minecraft charcoal by burning wood.

Burning to Get Minecraft Charcoal

Minecraft charcoal is basically just charred logs. This burning process produces charcoal, which you can use as fuel from then on, e.g. to burn logs and produce more charcoal.

  • furnace: fuel + wood of any kind → charcoal

To make a piece of Minecraft charcoal, you can either use saplings, wooden tools or weapons (like the wooden swords that you never need again after picking up iron) or anything made out of wood as fuel. Then you need wood to burn. This includes steps, planks, blocks, stairs and more. Afterwards, the Minecraft charcoal itself acts as fuel. Well, of course you can also use other fuel before you char logs for the first time. For example, you could also use buckets full of lava. 

What to Do with Charcoal in Minecraft

One piece of Minecraft charcoal lasts for up to 8 burning processes, which makes it equal to the classic hard coal. Charcoal, however, is especially useful in the beginning (the first days after creating a new world), when you don’t want to create a mine or search all the caves right away. Or, if you start in a world with few mountains around and don’t feel like tearing up all the ground right away. In the end, Minecraft charcoal doesn’t really do more than being fuel. However, you could theoretically use it in the same recipes you need coal for. 

Fun Fact:

When you produce Minecraft charcoal for the first time, you get the ‘renewable energy’ achievement.

Minecraft Charcoal Recipes

In Minecraft, charcoal can substitute normal coal in several crafting recipes. This enhances its value as a versatile resource. In general, you can use Minecraft charcoal for these recipes:

Torches & Soul Torches:

  • 1x stick + 1x charcoal = 4x torches
Crafting recipe for torches
  • 1x stick + 1x soul sand + 1x charcoal = 4x soul torches
Crafting recipe for soul torches

Minecraft charcoal is combined with a stick to produce a torch, a light source that wards off hostile mobs. Similarly, it can be used to craft soul torches by combining it with soul sand along with a stick, which not only emits light but also repels piglins when placed in the Nether.

Campfire:

  • 3x logs + 3x stick + 1x charcoal = 1x campfire
Campfire crafting recipe

Simply put, Minecraft charcoal can also be integral in crafting campfires, which provide light, warmth and a means to cook food or smoke signals. This is done by arranging 3x sticks, one charcoal (coal in the original recipe) and 3x wood or logs of any type.

Fire charges:

  • 1x blaze powder + 1x gunpowder + 1x charcoal = 3x fire charge
How to craft fire charge

Lastly, fire charges, useful for lighting fires or loading into dispensers as ammunition, are crafted using Minecraft charcoal, gunpowder and blaze powder. These applications underscore charcoal’s utility in substituting coal for essential game mechanics and item crafting in Minecraft.

Is Charcoal Better than Coal in Minecraft?

Coal may be the classic among the fuels in the game but Minecraft charcoal is definitely the better choice. First of all, Minecraft charcoal has the same properties as regular coal. It can be used as fuel for stoves and other equipment (e.g. minecart with furnace) and can be processed just as well (e.g. torches or the like). However, charcoal has one decisive advantage: It burns just as fast as coal, but it is much more sustainable. It is the more ecological and viable form of a fuel out of the two. Since trees are easy to replant and just as easy to take or cut down, your supply of Minecraft charcoal is basically limitless. Quite the opposite of costly – and time-consuming – ore mining methods. See, even if you go mining, there is no guarantee you’ll find coal. But Minecraft charcoal? You know how to get it by burning wood. It is so easy. And why do you want it to be easy? Consider this: neither coal nor charcoal are replaceable: Once they’re burned, they’re gone. So, it’s better to go with the version with easier access, right?

Conclusion: Minecraft Charcoal

In conclusion, Minecraft charcoal serves as an essential and renewable resource for players, particularly useful in the early stages of gameplay. It is created by smelting wood logs in a furnace, offering a practical alternative to coal for torch-making, fueling furnaces and crafting various items. Charcoal’s accessibility allows players to efficiently manage their resources and maintain progress without the need to mine for coal, making it invaluable for sustaining exploration and construction activities in the game. Moreover, its availability and utility help players in diverse biomes to adapt their strategies, thereby enhancing their overall Minecraft experience. And guess what? You can try it out for yourself on a Minecraft server from G-Portal. Don’t worry, there will be enough trees to chop down!

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