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    4. Composter recipe in Minecraft: Step-by-step guide

    Composter recipe in Minecraft: Step-by-step guide

    Making a composter will come in handy during your Minecraft adventures.

    ON THIS PAGE:

    • What does a composter do in Minecraft?
    • How to make a composter in Minecraft
    • Benefits of Minecraft composter
    • What is the best item for a composter in Minecraft?
    • Why put composters on hoppers?
    • Can a hopper fill a composter?
    • Do composters help plants grow in Minecraft?
    • What happens when a composter is full in Minecraft?
    • How to get bone meal from a composter
    composter minecraft
    Written By Onur Demirkol

    (Content Writer)

    Reviewed by: Naim Rosinski

    (Content Manager & Editor)

    Last UpdatedApril 6, 2025 at 06:27PM
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    Composter is one of those Minecraft items that many beginners find hard to understand. While it is very easy to craft, some players find it hard to use it in their villages. It turns plant items into bone meal and gives villagers a workstation. This block helps players save extra resources and build efficient farms. How? This piece covers the composter recipe in Minecraft and everything you need to know about it!

    What does a composter do in Minecraft?

    A composter turns plant items into bone meal, which helps crops grow faster. The composter also acts as a work block for farmer villagers. It supports both farming and technical builds. Additionally, players can use it to recycle organic items into a resource that speeds up crop growth.

    How to make a composter in Minecraft

    You need a crafting table to create a composter. Follow these steps to make one:

    Items needed for composter

    • 7 Wooden Slabs
    Here is how to make wooden slabs, remember that you need 7 of them in this recipe (Image Credit: Screengrab via Minecraft)
    Here is how to make wooden slabs, remember that you need 7 of them in this recipe (Image Credit: Screengrab via Minecraft)

    Now that you have all the necessary items, here is how to craft a composter in Minecraft:

    1. Open your crafting table to see the 3x3 grid.
    2. Place the items in the grid following the correct pattern.
    3. Look at the result box. The composter appears when you fill the grid correctly.
    4. Take the composter from the result box and move it to your inventory.
    5. Now it is time to use your new block.
    6. Place the composter in your world.
    7. You can connect it with other blocks like hoppers.
    8. Enjoy the benefits of turning plant items into bone meal.
    Here is the complete composter recipe in Minecraft (Image Credit: Screengrab via Minecraft)
    Here is the complete composter recipe in Minecraft (Image Credit: Screengrab via Minecraft)

    Benefits of Minecraft composter

    The composter brings several useful benefits. It converts extra plant items into bone meal. Bone meal speeds up plant growth. This block also plays a role in village work assignments.

    • Resource Saving:
      • The composter lets you recycle food and plant items that you might not use.
      • It helps you avoid waste and use your resources wisely.
    • Village Support:
      • Farmer villagers use the composter as their work block.
      • Villagers may choose farming as their job when they see an available composter.
    Villagers use composters in their farms (Image Credit: r/Minecraft)
    Villagers use composters in their farms (Image Credit: r/Minecraft)
    • Redstone Use:
    • A redstone comparator can read the composter.
    • The block sends a signal based on how full it is.
    • You can use this signal to build simple or advanced redstone circuits.
    • Additional Functions:
    • The composter can serve as fuel in a furnace to smelt items.
    • It also works with note blocks to create a bass sound.
    • The block supports many ways to add creativity to your builds.

    What is the best item for a composter in Minecraft?

    The best items for the composter are those that are fully cooked. Small pieces of food or certain items like cake and bread work very well. This makes the process efficient. Players can get bone meal with less waste. Using these items helps you maintain a steady supply of bone meal for your crops. They also allow you to use your extra food or plant parts better.

    Cake is one of the best items to put inside a composter in Minecraft (Image Credit: Minecraft)
    Cake is one of the best items to put inside a composter in Minecraft (Image Credit: Minecraft)

    Why put composters on hoppers?

    A hopper checks first for a container above it. When it finds one, it skips a more demanding search for loose items. This extra search takes more computer power because loose items do not follow a fixed grid. When you place a container above a hopper, the hopper finds that container quickly. It minimizes the number of checks a hopper must perform and speeds up item transfers. Ultimately, it creates a more efficient system for automated builds in Minecraft.

    The game checks every available slot in the container above to find an item. A container with few slots speeds up this search. For example, a furnace has only one output slot. A chest has many slots, which makes the check slower. This is why players once preferred furnaces over droppers to reduce lag. 

    Can a hopper fill a composter?

    Yes, a hopper can fill a composter. A hopper above the composter pushes items into it. A hopper below the composter takes out bone meal when it is ready. The hopper must be connected properly. When the composter is full, it stops accepting new items. You can add another hopper under the composter to help collect the bone meal automatically.

    Do composters help plants grow in Minecraft?

    Composters do not plant or grow crops directly. They turn plant items into bone meal. Bone meal helps crops grow faster when you use it. Players can speed up their farming by using bone meal on crops. The process lets you turn excess food or plant parts into a useful resource. In addition, farmer villagers work at a composter. This support helps villages run their farms more efficiently. 

    What happens when a composter is full in Minecraft?

    When a composter is full in Minecraft, white particles come out of it. This shows that the composting process is complete. Bone meal is now inside. You can get the bone meal by right-clicking or tapping the composter. After that, the composter becomes empty and ready to use again.

    To fill a composter, you need to add compostable items. These include seeds, vegetables, and certain food items. Each item gives a small chance to increase the compost level. The composter has eight levels. When it reaches level 7, one more item can fill it and produce bone meal.

    How to get bone meal from a composter

    You can get bone meal by filling a composter with compostable items. These items include wheat seeds, carrots, potatoes, leaves, and even cakes. Each item you add gives a chance to raise the compost level.

    When the composter reaches level 8, bone meal appears inside. You can take it by interacting with the composter. This is an easy way to make bone meal without fighting skeletons.

    If you are looking to automate your harvests and enjoy the game more, you have try crafting a composter. The block fits in automated builds and works well with hoppers and redstone circuits. It reduces lag and speeds up item transfers.

    Check out these Minecraft guides too:

    • Saddle recipe in Minecraft: Is it craftable?
    • Get your Minecraft shield recipe before heading into danger
    • Minecraft barrel recipe: A better storage option than chests?
    • Minecraft anvil recipe & 5 reasons it's worth the iron
    • Cake recipe in Minecraft: How to make and all other details

    Featured Image Credit: Minecraft

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    Onur Demirkol

    Onur Demirkol here, content writer for THESPIKEGG. I have been around for a very long time now, you may have seen me in the comments.

    I started writing here in 2021, but my first gig was back in 2018. That was when I realized people actually get paid to write about games. I’ve written thousands of articles for different media outlets, led teams, and conducted interviews with players.

    When I’m not behind the keyboard, I’m watching Galatasaray, following the NBA, or pretending I’m still good at basketball. I also work full-time at AnyDesk, writing serious things in not-so-serious ways.

    If you want to reach out, feel free to contact me on X, LinkedIn, take a look at my work at MuckRack or send me an email at [email protected].

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