Coal Ore Wiki Guide
This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft coal with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
In Minecraft, coal ore is an item that you can not make with a crafting table or furnace. Instead, you need to find and gather this item in the game.
Let’s explore how to add coal ore to your inventory.
Where to find Coal Ore in Creative Mode
Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
Here is where you can find coal ore in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
 Java Edition (PC/Mac) |
1.8 – 1.19 |  Building Blocks |
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) |
1.19.3 |  Natural Blocks |
- Platform is the platform that applies.
- Version(s)Â 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.
How to get Coal Ore in Survival Mode
You can add coal ore to your inventory in Survival mode by mining coal ore with a pickaxe that is enchanted with Silk Touch. So, let’s get started!
1. Find a Block of Coal Ore
First, let’s explore where to find coal ore. In Minecraft, coal ore is easy to find and is found in large deposits. You can usually find coal ore between 4 and 15 blocks below the ground.
In this example, we are going to dig into a mountain to find coal ore.
This is what a block of coal ore looks like:
2. Hold a Pickaxe with Silk Touch
To mine for coal ore, you need to dig up the coal ore with a pickaxe that has been enchanted with Silk Touch. These are the pickaxes you can choose from:
How to make a Diamond Pickaxe
How to make a Golden Pickaxe
How to make a Iron Pickaxe
How to make a Stone Pickaxe
How to make a Wooden Pickaxe
How to make a Netherite Pickaxe
Other tools will not dig up the coal ore and let you add it to your inventory.
In this example, we are going to use a diamond pickaxe with Silk Touch to dig up the coal ore.
3. Mine the Coal Ore
The game control to mine the coal ore depends on the version of Minecraft:
- For Java Edition (PC/Mac), left click and hold on the block of coal ore.
- For Pocket Edition (PE), you tap and hold on the block of coal ore.
- For Xbox 360 and Xbox One, press and hold the RT button on the Xbox controller.
- For PS3 and PS4, press and hold the R2 button on the PS controller.
- For Wii U, press and hold the ZR button on the gamepad.
- For Nintendo Switch, press and hold the ZR button on the controller.
- For Windows 10 Edition, left click and hold on the block of coal ore.
- For Education Edition, left click and hold on the block of coal ore.
You will need to continue to mine until the block breaks and a smaller block of coal ore finally appears. The coal ore will float on the ground.
TIP: Normally when you mine coal ore, you get coal as the drop. However, when you mine the coal ore using a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch, you will get the coal ore itself as the drop.
4. Pick up the Coal Ore
Make sure you pick up the coal ore before it disappears.
Once you pick up the coal ore, it will appear in your hotbar.
Coal ore is a very useful item and should be kept in your inventory to be used later.
Item ID and Name
Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
In Minecraft, coal ore has the following Name, ID and DataValue:
| Description (Minecraft ID Name) |
Minecraft ID |
Data Value | Stack Size | Platform | Version(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Ore (minecraft: |
16 | 0 | 64 | Java |
1.8 – 1.12 |
| Coal Ore (minecraft: |
16 | 64 | Java |
1.13 – 1.19.3 |
- Description is what the item is called and (Minecraft ID Name) is the string value that is used in game commands.
- Minecraft IDÂ is the Internal number for the item.
- Data Value (or damage value) identifies the variation of the block if more than one type exists for the Minecraft ID.
- Stack Size is the maximum stack size for this item. While some items in Minecraft are stackable up to 64, other items can only be stacked up to 16 or 1. (NOTE: These stack sizes are for vanilla Minecraft only. If you are running a mod, some mods may change the stack size for an item.)
- Platform is the platform that applies.
- Version(s)Â is the Minecraft version numbers that the Minecraft ID and Name are valid for.
Give Command for Coal Ore
Give Command in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19 and 1.19.3, the /give command for Coal Ore is:
/give @p coal_ore 1
In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11 and 1.12, the /give command for Coal Ore is:
/give @p coal_ore 1 0
Things to Make with Coal Ore
You can use coal ore to make items in Minecraft such as:
 How to make Coal
Things to Do with Coal Ore
Here are some activities that you can do with coal ore in Minecraft:
How to Use a Blast Furnace
Other Ores
There are other ores in Minecraft such as:
How to make Iron Ore
How to make Copper Ore
How to make Gold Ore
How to make Redstone Ore
How to make Emerald Ore
How to make Lapis Lazuli Ore
How to make Diamond Ore
How to make Nether Gold Ore
How to make Nether Quartz Ore
How to make Deepslate Coal Ore
How to make Deepslate Iron Ore
How to make Deepslate Copper Ore
How to make Deepslate Gold Ore
How to make Deepslate Redstone Ore
 How to make Deepslate Emerald Ore
How to make Deepslate Lapis Lazuli Ore
How to make Deepslate Diamond Ore
Other Items Requiring Silk Touch to Gather
The following are other items in Minecraft that you can only gather with a tool enchanted with Silk Touch:
How to make a Small Amethyst Bud
How to make a Medium Amethyst Bud
How to make a Large Amethyst Bud
How to make an Amethyst Cluster
How to make Podzo
How to make Mycelium
How to make Crimson Nylium
How to make Warped Nylium
How to make a Tube Coral Fan
How to make a Brain Coral Fan
How to make a Bubble Coral Fan
How to make a Fire Coral Fan
How to make a Horn Coral Fan
How to make a Tube Coral Block
How to make a Brain Coral Block
How to make a Bubble Coral Block
How to make a Fire Coral Block
How to make a Horn Coral Block
How to make a Red Mushroom Block
How to make a Brown Mushroom Block
How to make Ice
How to make Packed Ice
How to make Blue Ice
How to make Deepslate
How to make a Bee Nest
How to make Sculk
How to make a Sculk Vein
How to make a Sculk Catalyst
How to make a Sculk Shrieker
How to make a Sculk Sensor