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Coal
Item

Coal item in Minecraft

Present since 1.0 or earlier Stack size: 64 In 3 tutorials ↓

Coal is the everyday fuel of the game: one piece keeps a furnace running for 80 seconds, enough to smelt eight items. It comes from coal ore, one of the most common ores, and is just as needed for torches.

It is made with the Crafting Table from Block of Coal (other recipes also exist). As fuel it burns for 80 seconds in a Furnace, enough to smelt 8 items.

What it does

A coal on top of a stick gives four Torches, the light source that keeps monsters from spawning in your base and tunnels. Coal also goes into the Campfire, into Fire Charges with gunpowder and blaze powder, and into soul and copper torches.

In a Furnace, Blast Furnace or Smoker, coal burns for 80 seconds; the faster blast furnace and smoker get through it twice as quickly. Nine coal make a Block of Coal that burns a bit longer than the nine pieces separately, handy for big smelting jobs. A Minecart with Furnace also runs on coal.

Charcoal, made by smelting logs, does almost all of the same jobs if you have no coal ore at hand. Novice armorers, toolsmiths, weaponsmiths and fishermen buy coal for emeralds.

How to craft

1 / 5
Crafting tableCrafting table Any arrangement Also in the 2×2 inventory grid
Block of Coal
Coal 9

Block of Coal → 9 × Coal

// Slots with several items cycle through every accepted option.

How Coal connects

14 links · from the 26.3 game data

Where to get it

Dropped by
Wither Skeletonalways
Loot in structureschance per item drawn
Ocean RuinsSuspicious Sand or Gravel, with a Brush, Chest · Cold ruins · suspicious gravel, Warm ruins · suspicious sand, Large ruins…33.3%
IglooChest · Basement chest23.8%
VillageChest · Butcher, Fisherman, Snowy house…18.2%
StrongholdChest · Crossings16.1%
MineshaftChest · Chest minecarts10.2%
Woodland MansionChest · Mansion chests8.6%
Ancient CityChest · City chests8.3%
Abandoned CampBarrel · Camp barrel7.1%
ShipwreckChest · Supply chest7.1%
Trail RuinsSuspicious Sand or Gravel, with a Brush · Common finds2.2%

Trades

VillagerBought by · Armorer (Novice), common_smith (Novice), Fisherman (Novice), Toolsmith (Novice), Weaponsmith (Novice), Butcher (Apprentice)

Works in

FurnaceFurnacefuel · smelts 8 items80 s

Same family · tag #coals

CharcoalCharcoal

Tutorials with Coal (3)

Used to craft (6)

CampfireCampfireBlock of CoalBlock of CoalCopper TorchCopper TorchFire ChargeFire ChargeSoul TorchSoul TorchTorchTorch

Obtained from

Tags

#minecraft:coals#minecraft:furnace_minecart_fuel

Coal · FAQ

How do you get Coal in Minecraft?

At the Crafting Table: 1 × Block of Coal gives 9 × Coal. In a Furnace: 1 × Coal Ore gives 1 × Coal. It can be found as loot in Ocean Ruins, Igloo, Village, Stronghold and 6 more. It is dropped by Wither Skeleton. Bought by Villager: Armorer (Novice), common_smith (Novice), Fisherman (Novice), Toolsmith (Novice), Weaponsmith (Novice), Butcher (Apprentice).

What is Coal used for in Minecraft?

It fuels furnaces and furnace minecarts and makes torches, campfires, fire charges and coal blocks. It is an ingredient in 6 recipes, made at the Crafting Table; for example Fire Charge, Soul Torch and Torch.

Can Coal be used as fuel?

Yes. In a Furnace it burns for 80 seconds, enough to smelt 8 items.