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Minecraft/Resources & crafting
Coal
Resources & crafting

Coal

Java Edition · crafting, gathering and project requirements.

Java Edition
WHERE & HOW TO FARM

Surface and mountain gathering

Overworld — exposed hills and mountains; lower batch near Y=96.

Coal ore is often easy to spot on exposed hills and mountains. Mine visible veins and collect coal directly; Fortune can increase drops. For a lower-elevation search, the lower generation batch peaks near Y=96.

View farming maps ↓See farming steps ↓Compare alternatives ↓Ingredients & recipes ↓
SEE WHERE TO GO

Maps & farm layouts

1 map

Drag to pan. Zoom in to read labels and markers.

Ore search heights and required mining tools. Use the seed map to locate terrain, then follow the resource’s depth instructions.
Ore search heights and required mining tools. Use the seed map to locate terrain, then follow the resource’s depth instructions.
Interactive maps & location tools

Your world seed map · Java 26.3

Enter your world seed, generation version and dimension to locate biomes and structures. Ore deposits still require the depth and tool instructions below.

Match the version that generated your chunks. Biome maps do not show exact ore blocks.

Open map in new tab ↗
GET STARTED

How to farm

Before you go

  • Any pickaxe.
  • Food and room in your inventory.
  • Lighting if you extend the search underground.
  1. Travel through exposed hills or mountains and scan stone faces for black-speckled coal ore.
  2. Mine the visible vein with a pickaxe and collect the coal drops.
  3. Check nearby exposed stone for additional connected ore before leaving the area.
  4. Use Fortune when available if you want increased coal drops.
  5. If surface deposits are scarce, search around Y=96 as an alternative route for the lower batch.
  6. Store coal for torches, smelting or the recipe you planned.
Useful search heights and required tools; Overworld ore targets and a separate Nether debris note.
Useful search heights and required tools; Overworld ore targets and a separate Nether debris note. · Open image for full size

Farming tips

  • Coal is usually easier to gather from exposed terrain than from deep diamond tunnels.
  • Carry a few blocks to mark a safe descent and return route if your search leaves the surface.

Repeat, collect and use

Repeatable as a mining trip; each exposed vein is finite.

Common mistakes

  • Searching deep diamond tunnels for routine coal: prioritize exposed terrain or the lower batch near Y=96.
  • Leaving coal behind in a connected vein: inspect the adjacent face before moving on.
  • Confusing coal with charcoal: both can serve as fuel, but they are distinct items.

When to stop or switch

Stop once the coal reserve covers your torch and fuel needs, then return to your base or continue to another exposed hillside.

Sources & fact checks
minecraft.wiki ↗

Other ways to get it

Fuel alternative: charcoal

Base — furnace supplied by an Overworld tree farm

  • Overworld logs, furnace and starter fuel.
  1. Put logs into the furnace input and fuel in the lower slot.
  2. Collect charcoal and use it for fuel or torches.
  • Charcoal substitutes for coal in fuel and torch recipes, but does not craft into a block of coal.
Sources & fact checks
minecraft.wiki ↗ minecraft.wiki ↗
INGREDIENTS & QUANTITIES

Crafting & conversion options

Amounts below are for one recipe batch. Open an ingredient to find where to get it.

Crafting Table · Produces 9 × Coal

Sources & fact checks
piston-meta.mojang.com ↗
coal from smelting coal ore · 1 output

Furnace · Produces 1 × Coal

Crafting time: 10.0 seconds.

Fuel is also required; choose fuel for the number of batches you are processing.

Sources & fact checks
piston-meta.mojang.com ↗
coal from smelting deepslate coal ore · 1 output

Furnace · Produces 1 × Coal

Crafting time: 10.0 seconds.

Fuel is also required; choose fuel for the number of batches you are processing.

Sources & fact checks
piston-meta.mojang.com ↗
coal from blasting coal ore · 1 output

Blast Furnace · Produces 1 × Coal

Crafting time: 10.0 seconds.

Fuel is also required; choose fuel for the number of batches you are processing.

Sources & fact checks
piston-meta.mojang.com ↗
coal from blasting deepslate coal ore · 1 output

Blast Furnace · Produces 1 × Coal

Crafting time: 10.0 seconds.

Fuel is also required; choose fuel for the number of batches you are processing.

Sources & fact checks
piston-meta.mojang.com ↗
REWARD DETAILS & CONDITIONS

Sources & rewards

Farming route

Fuel alternative: charcoal

Base — furnace supplied by an Overworld tree farm

  • Overworld logs, furnace and starter fuel.
Rate not listed
Farming route

Surface and mountain gathering

Overworld — exposed hills and mountains; lower batch near Y=96.

  • Any pickaxe.
  • Food and room in your inventory.
  • Lighting if you extend the search underground.
Rate not listed
Gathering

Coal Ore

Java 26.3 · Blocks

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Use a suitable tool; enchantments and explosion rules may change the result.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Gathering

Deepslate Coal Ore

Java 26.3 · Blocks

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Use a suitable tool; enchantments and explosion rules may change the result.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Abandoned Mineshaft

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Ancient City

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Igloo Chest

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Shipwreck Supply

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Simple Dungeon

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Stronghold Crossing

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Underwater Ruin Big

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Underwater Ruin Small

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Village · Village Butcher

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Village · Village Fisher

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Village · Village Snowy House

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Village · Village Toolsmith

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Chest

Woodland Mansion

Java 26.3 · Chests

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Open the specified chest type; generated loot depends on world context.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
Enemy

Wither Skeleton

Java 26.3 · Entities

  • Vanilla Java Edition 26.3.
  • Defeat this entity; player-kill and enchantment conditions may apply.
  • Datapacks, plugins and modified servers are outside this baseline.
Rate not listed
WHAT IT IS FOR

Used for

Newest items appear first in each group. Quantities include all listed upgrades; costs vary by level or recipe.

Components & recipes 6
Copper TorchCopper TorchCrafting Shaped ×1↗× 1per craft or build
TorchTorchCrafting Shaped ×1↗× 1per craft or build
Block of CoalBlock of CoalCrafting Shaped ×9↗× 9per craft or build
Soul TorchSoul TorchCrafting Shaped ×1↗× 1per craft or build
CampfireCampfireCrafting Shaped ×1↗× 1per craft or build
Fire ChargeFire ChargeCrafting Shapeless ×1↗× 1per craft or build

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