How to make a Block of Coal in Minecraft

This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft a block of coal with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

In Minecraft, blocks of coal are one of the many building blocks that you can make. A block of coal can be used as a fuel in a furnace to smelt/cook 80 items (1 block of coal will burn in a furnace for 800 seconds). This makes the block of coal the second best fuel in the game with the lava bucket still lasting longer.

block of coal

Let's explore how to make a block of coal.

Supported Platforms

A block of coal is available in the following versions of Minecraft:

Platform	Supported (Version*)
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	Yes (1.6.1)
Pocket Edition (PE)	Yes (0.8.0)
Xbox 360	Yes (TU19)
Xbox One	Yes (CU7)
PS3	Yes (1.12)
PS4	Yes (1.12)
Wii U	Yes
Nintendo Switch	Yes
Windows 10 Edition	Yes
Education Edition	Yes

* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.

Where to find a Block of Coal in Creative Mode

Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)

Here is where you can find a block of coal in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.8 - 1.20	Building Blocks

Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)

Here is where you can find a block of coal in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Pocket Edition (PE)	0.14.1 - 1.1.3	Decorations
Pocket Edition (PE)	1.2 - 1.20.0	Construction

Minecraft Xbox Editions

Here is where you can find a block of coal in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Xbox 360	TU35 - TU69	Building Blocks
Xbox One	CU23 - CU43	Building Blocks
Xbox One	1.2.5 - 1.20.0	Construction

Minecraft PS Editions

Here is where you can find a block of coal in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
PS3	1.26 - 1.76	Building Blocks
PS4	1.26 - 1.91	Building Blocks
PS4	1.14.0 - 1.20.0	Construction

Minecraft Nintendo

Here is where you can find a block of coal in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Wii U	Patch 3 - Patch 38	Building Blocks
Nintendo Switch	1.04 - 1.11	Building Blocks
Nintendo Switch	1.5.0 - 1.20.0	Construction

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition

Here is where you can find a block of coal in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Windows 10 Edition	0.14.1 - 1.1.3	Decorations
Windows 10 Edition	1.2 - 1.20.0	Construction

Minecraft Education Edition

Here is where you can find a block of coal in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Education Edition	0.14.2 - 1.0.18	Decorations
Education Edition	1.0.21 - 1.17.30	Construction

Definitions

Platform is the platform that applies.
Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers where the item can be found in the menu location listed (we have tested and confirmed this version number).
Creative Menu Location is the location of the item in the Creative Inventory menu.

Required Materials to make a Block of Coal

In Minecraft, these are the materials you can use to craft a block of coal:

9 Coal

How to craft a Block of Coal in Survival Mode

1. Open the Crafting Menu

First, open your crafting table so that you have the 3x3 crafting grid that looks like this:

3x3 crafting area

2. Add Items to make a Block of Coal

In the crafting menu, you should see a crafting area that is made up of a 3x3 crafting grid. To make a block of coal, place 9 coal in the 3x3 crafting grid.

When making a block of coal, it is important that the coal are placed in the exact pattern as the image below. There should be 3 coal in the first row, 3 coal in the second row, and 3 coal in the third row. This should fill all of the boxes in the crafting grid. This is the Minecraft crafting recipe for a block of coal.

Crafting recipe for coal block

Now that you have filled the crafting area with the correct pattern, the block of coal will appear in the box to the right.

block of coal

3. Move the Block of Coal to Inventory

Once you have crafted a block of coal, you need to move the new item to your inventory.

Completed coal block