Coal
- For other coal-related objects found in Minecraft, see Coal (disambiguation).
Coal is a mineral that can be obtained by mining coal ore, which can be found easily on the faces of mountains in mountains biomes, in caverns, and underground. A lump of coal can be mined from coal ore with any kind of pickaxe. It can also be found in dungeons, igloos, strongholds, and woodland mansion chests as well as abandoned mineshaft chest minecarts.
Coal is one of two ores that can appear above sea level, the other being iron ore. It is very common, and it's usually found in large veins. Above ground, coal veins usually have about 5 blocks, but veins can have 10-50 blocks without being counted as unusually large underground. Wither skeletons also have a chance to drop a piece of coal. Numerous villager types will buy coal in exchange for an emerald.
Obtaining[edit | edit source]
Mining[edit | edit source]
Coal ore mined using any tier pickaxe drops 1 unit of coal. If pickaxe is enchanted with Fortune, it may drop an extra unit per level of Fortune, up to a maximum of 4 with Fortune III.
Natural generation[edit | edit source]
| Chest type | Chance of finding | Stack size |
|---|---|---|
| Village fisherman | 43.0% | 1-3 |
| Village toolsmith | 9.9% | 1-3 |
| Village butcher | 27.9% | 1-3 |
| Shipwreck supply | 40.0% | 2-8 |
| Big underwater ruins | 81.0% | 1-4 |
| Small underwater ruins | 84.2% | 1-4 |
| Dungeon | 26.6% | 1-4 |
| Igloo | 70.4% | 1-4 |
| Snowy village house | 41.2% | 1-4 |
| Woodland mansion | 26.6% | 1-4 |
| Stronghold storeroom | 34.3% | 3-8 |
| Stronghold storeroom [Bedrock Edition only] | 28.5% | 3-8 |
| Chest minecarts in Mineshafts | 31.6% | 3-8 |
Usage[edit | edit source]
Coal is used to make torches by placing a lump of coal directly above a stick while crafting. It can also be used as fuel for a furnace, blast furnace or a minecart with furnace. When used in a furnace, each piece of coal burns for enough time to smelt/cook 8 items/blocks. 9 pieces of coal can be used to create a block of coal for longer, more efficient smelting/cooking.
Alternatives[edit | edit source]
When wood from trees is smelted in a furnace, it produces charcoal. Charcoal can be used as a substitute for coal. It is also possible to use saplings as fuel, but they are less effective, take considerably longer, and can be planted to make new trees which produce valuable resources.
Crafting[edit | edit source]
| Torch | Block of Coal | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Coal | None | Coal | Coal | Coal | |
| None | Stick | None | Coal | Coal | Coal | |
| None | None | None | Coal | Coal | Coal | |
| Campfire | Fire Charge (Shapeless recipe) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Stick | None | Blaze Powder | Coal | Gunpowder | |
| Stick | Coal | Stick | None | None | None | |
| Log | Log | Log | None | None | None | |
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- From Minecraft Indev to Beta, coal had a different texture which was brighter than the previous texture.
- If you create a block of coal, it has the same functionality as 10 coal, but it saves you 1 coal.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Video[edit | edit source]
- Coal - Minecraft Micro Guide