Minecraft, the sandbox game that has captured the hearts of millions, offers a plethora of ways to survive and thrive in its blocky realms. One of the essential skills for any Minecraft adventurer is cooking food, and while furnaces and smokers are common tools for this task, there’s a charming alternative that doesn’t require fuel: the campfire. In this guide, we’ll explore how to craft both regular and soul campfires, their uses, and where to find them in the Minecraft world.
Crafting the Perfect Campfire
To create a campfire in Minecraft, you’ll need the following resources:
- 3 Logs, Stems, Wood, Hyphae, or their Stripped Variants
- 3 Sticks
- One Piece of Charcoal or Coal (for a regular campfire)
- One Soul Soil Block or Soul Sand Block (for a soul campfire)
- Crafting Table
Logs are the easiest to obtain; simply break a tree to gather them. If coal is elusive, you can smelt wooden logs in a furnace to create charcoal, which serves as an equally effective fuel source. For those aiming to craft a soul campfire, soul soil or soul sand is required, which can be found in the Nether dimension or, less commonly, in ancient cities.
Regular Campfire Recipe
- Place your crafting table and open its UI.
- Fill the bottom row of the crafting grid with three logs.
- Place one piece of charcoal or coal in the center cell.
- Surround the coal or charcoal with three sticks—on either side and on top.
Soul Campfire Recipe
Follow the same steps as above, but replace the charcoal or coal with a soul soil or soul sand block in the center cell.
Where to Find Campfires in Minecraft
Regular campfires naturally generate in Taiga Villages, Snowy Taiga Villages, and Ancient Cities. If you break a regular campfire without a silk touch enchantment, you’ll receive 2 (Java edition) or 4 (Bedrock edition) charcoal. Soul campfires, on the other hand, do not generate naturally and must be crafted.
Trading with Villagers for Campfires
If crafting isn’t your style, you can trade with villagers for campfires. Apprentice-level fisherman villagers offer regular campfires in exchange for emeralds.
Campfire Uses Beyond Cooking
Campfires in Minecraft are versatile. They provide light, damage enemies, cook food, create smoke signals, repel bees and piglins, collect mob drops with a hopper, and can even make musical sounds. Additionally, campfires can be used to light TNT, burn materials safely, damage mobs, and serve as decorative elements.
