Coal: Crafting, Sources, Uses, and More

What’s the importance of coal in Stardew Valley, and where to find it? Can you craft items with it? Read this FULL guide to learn more about this indispensable resource!

The player holding a Coal in Stardew Valley.
Here’s what Coal looks like in Stardew Valley.

Weapon upgrades in Stardew Valley define your farm’s progress to success. Since Year 1 is more on using Grandpa’s rusty equipment, there’s little scaling versus stronger ones you can have in-game. However, getting raw resources for enhancing tools is another challenging part.

From Copper to Iridium Bar, you’ll always experience ease whether you’re mining, farming, chopping, tilling, or watering. However, preparing those ingredients needs a multipurpose Coal – one of the most common resources beginners and advanced players use.

This guide will talk about the combustible rock alongside its uses for crafting and smelting. Short on the resource? We’re also pointing directions to where you can get some!

What is a Coal?

Like its real-life version, coals appear black and are found almost everywhere in Stardew Valley. It sells for 15g, but its functions are more valuable than expected.

Where to Get Coal?

The player breaking rocks, using bombs, killing dust sprites, using Charcoal Kiln, and with Clint's help in breaking an Omni Geode to get Coal.
Aside from these, there are more ways to get the resource.

This indispensable resource is lying across the map, and if you don’t find one, there are more places to look for. Either search or make them, but here are every way to find coal:

  • Breaking Rocks. There’s a reasonable chance of getting the resource and some stones with a pickaxe or any bomb. Luck and the Prospector profession can improve your odds of finding at least one on Pelican Town, Calico Desert, or Ginger Island (and their caves).

  • Digging Artifact Spots. If you spot a “worm-like” protrusion at Backwoods, Farm, or Mountains, till it with a Hoe, and you might get some coal.

  • Brown Miner’s Bag. At some levels inside the Mines and Skull Cavern, you’ll encounter a loot bag full of combustible rock. Interact with it to get eight pieces of the resource. However, you can only do it once per bag unless you’re mining in the Calico Desert.

  • Mine Carts. Some cave floors have long rails that always lead to a ladder or carts full of coal.

  • Killing Black, Purple, and Red Slimes. One of many decent ways to farm the item is by raising slimes on Slime Hutches and slaying them for a 10% drop chance.

  • Killing Dust Sprites. These annoying monsters have a 50% loot drop that you could increase with the Burglar’s Ring. However, Dust Sprites are only available on Level 41 – 79 in the Mines, and your better odds lie on using the elevator.

  • Killing Metal Heads, Shadow Brutes, Shadow Golems, Shadow Shamans, and Wilderness Golems. Same 10% drop as killing Slimes.

  • Breaking open Geodes. For 25g and any Geode, there’s a 1/12 chance to get coal once Clint hammers it down.

  • Panning. Using the Copper Pan to the right water spot will give you coal (50% chance).

  • Charcoal Kiln. Place ten pieces of wood into the refining equipment to get one coal.

  • Fishing Treasure Chests. Get 1 – 24 coal after successfully reeling in a treasure chest from the fishing mini-game (9 – 61% chance).

  • Fruit Trees. A Fruit Tree may produce the resource on rare occasions after getting hit by lightning.

  • Blacksmith’s Shop. 150g in Year 1 and 250g afterward.

  • Traveling Cart. Costs 100g – 1000g

  • Recycling Machine. Placing Driftwood has a 25% chance to produce 1 – 3 of the item. However, it’s 5% higher if you use Trash.

Additional Tips: Synthesizing coal is the most accessible early game with only ten pieces of wood and Charcoal Kilns. The same goes for Recycling, albeit not a 100% chance to get the resources.

Unless you’re planning to farm Staircases, buying basic resources is not advisable. 

Crafting

A chest almost full of craftable items with coal in Stardew Valley.
Here are every item you can craft with Coal.

You can craft different items with a Coal (C.) from refining equipment, decorations, and consumables. Here’s a complete table about every item, recipe sources, and ingredients:

ItemCrafting SourceIngredients
Barrel Brazier800g from Robin’s ShopC. (1)
• Solar Essence (1)
• Wood (50)
Bee HouseLevel 3 FarmingC. (8)
• Iron Bar (40)
• Maple Syrup (1)
• Wood (40)
BombLevel 6 MiningC. (1)
• Iron Ore (4)
Carved Brazier2000g from Robin’s ShopC. (1)
• Hardwood (10)
Cherry BombLevel 1 MiningC. (1)
• Copper Ore (4)
Cookout KitLevel 9 ForagingC. (3)
• Fiber (10)
• Wood (15)
Explosive AmmoLevel 8 CombatC. (2)
• Iron Bar (1)
Gold Brazier1000g from Robin’s ShopC. (1)
• Fiber (5)
• Gold Bar (10)
Preserves JarLevel 4 FarmingC. (8)
• Stone (40)
• Wood (50)
ScarecrowLevel 1 FarmingC. (1)
• Fiber (20)
• Wood (50)
Seed MakerLevel 9 FarmingC. (10)
• Gold Bar (1)
• Wood (25)
Slime Egg-PressLevel 6 Combat• Battery Pack (1)
C. (25)
• Fire Quartz (1)
Stone Brazier400g from Robin’s ShopC. (1)
• Fiber (5)
• Stone (10)
Stump Brazier800g from Robin’s ShopC. (1)
• Hardwood (5)
Warrior RingLevel 4 CombatC. (25)
• Frozen Tear (10)
• Iron Bar (10)
Wicked Statue1000g from Krobus’ Shop.C. (5)
• Stone (25)
Wooden Brazier250g from Robin’s Shop.C. (1)
• Fiber (5)
• Wood (10)

Tailoring

Creating a Black Shirt with a Sewing Machine in Stardew Valley.
Who would’ve thought this item serves a “stylish” purpose in-game?

The combustible rock acts as a Black Dye at the Sewing Machine, coloring a Shirt. However, you’ll need a piece of Cloth to get the outfit.

Smelting

A chest with ores, coals, quartz, and bars.
Here are all smelting ingredients with their outcomes.

For every five metal ores and one Quartz or Fire Quartz, you’ll need Coal to turn it into a bar or Refined Quartz.

Quests

You can use the resource on one quest:

  • Fish Pond Quest. Give ten pieces of the item to expand Fish Pond’s capacity from five to seven. Ice Pip or Stonefish may request it.

Bundles

Not used in any bundle.

Meet the author

Stardew Valley is perhaps the most chill game out there. If you're a new player and hoping to join Pelican Town, we've got your back with all the basics.

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