About Coal in Minecraft
Coal is a fuel and crafting material obtained from coal ore. It smelts 8 items per piece and is used for crafting torches and campfires.
Coal Command Examples
- Give 1 to nearest player:
/give @p minecraft:coal 1 - Give 1 to yourself:
/give @s minecraft:coal 1 - Give to a specific player:
/give PlayerName minecraft:coal 1 - Clear from inventory:
/clear @p minecraft:coal
How to Get Coal
Coal mainly comes from mining coal ore with any pickaxe—each block drops 1 coal, or up to 4 with Fortune III. You can also smelt coal ore directly, uncraft a block of coal back into 9 pieces, collect it from chests in mineshafts and villages, or get it from wither skeletons.
- Mine coal ore—common around Y=96 and in mountains—with any pickaxe.
- Each block drops 1 coal; a Fortune-enchanted pickaxe raises the drop to as many as 4.
- Uncraft a block of coal whenever you need 9 pieces back for fuel or torches.
What Is Coal Used For?
Furnace
One piece of coal burns for 80 seconds and smelts 8 items—the standard furnace fuel.
Torch
One coal plus one stick crafts 4 torches for lighting caves and builds.
Furnace Minecart
Coal is one of only two fuels accepted by furnace minecarts, giving three minutes of transit each.
Campfire and storage
Coal crafts campfires for cooking and ambiance, and 9 pieces pack into a block of coal for compact storage.
Sources and Data Review
Item facts were reviewed for Java Edition 26.2 on .
