Top 5 Minecraft fuel sources for beginners

Fuel sources are critical in Minecraft, especially when players are beginning with the game. An essential resource, iron, can only be used once smelted in a furnace.

But whenever players want to smelt in a furnace, they must have a fuel source. There are tons of different fuel sources all around Minecraft. Some fuel sources are harder to obtain but remain on fire for much longer. Others are very easy to come across but only burn for a short period.

New Minecraft users tend to struggle with finding the best fuel source, but they need not worry, as there are plenty of choices.

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Five great Minecraft fuel sources for beginners

5) Charcoal

Making charcoal in Minecraft (Image via Minecraft)

Charcoal is very similar to coal, as they both look almost identical and burn for the same amount of time. However, players do not need to build a pickaxe and go mining to obtain charcoal.

Charcoal can be made in Minecraft when wood logs are smelted. Wood planks can be used as the fuel source to create charcoal, so users only need to find a tree to make it.

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4) Coal

A coal ore in a cave (Image via Minecraft)

Coal is a highly common ore that gamers can find in Minecraft. It can be mined with a stone pickaxe, so it is relatively easy for newer players to obtain.

Coal has the same burn time as charcoal, but it is easier to find lots of this item at once.

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3) Dried kelp block

A block of dried kelp (Image via Minecraft)

Kelp naturally spawns in all ocean biomes in Minecraft and can be harvested when players break it. Dried kelp is made by putting regular kelp in a furnace, which can be turned into dried kelp blocks.

One block of dried kelp burns for 200 seconds, which is a ton more when compared to coal and charcoal, which only burn for 80 seconds.

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2) Block of coal

A block of coal in Minecraft (Image via Minecraft)

Blocks of coal are fairly easy to craft once players have over nine pieces of regular coal. Crafting a block of coal in Minecraft is just like how players craft any other block. They can simply fill all of the nine slots of a crafting table with pieces of coal, and it will craft a coal block.

Coal blocks burn for much longer periods than coal ores. They burn for 800 seconds, compared to coal ore which only burns for 80 seconds.

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1) Lava bucket

Ores smelting using a lava bucket (Image via Minecraft)

Lava buckets are considered the best fuel source in Minecraft, especially since the buckets are reusable, so gamers don't have to keep crafting buckets each time they smelt.

Lava buckets can keep a furnace lit for 1000 seconds, the most prolonged anything can burn in a furnace in Minecraft. All that users have to do is find a nearby lava source, pick some up in a bucket, and throw it in the furnace.