How to make a smoker in Minecraft
You're bound to need a smoker quite quickly in Minecraft so here's what it is used for and the recipe for it.Minecraft has an ocean of items and craftables that you can use in the game and one of them is the smoker. If you want to cook meals quickly, especially if you are in survival mode, smoker is a must-have that you can craft and out in your Minecraft house. Mojang made it very easy to craft this item in the game as you only need five items, which can be chosen from a wide catalog. In this piece, we go over everything you need to know about smokers in Minecraft, how to make them, what they are for and more!
What is a smoker in Minecraft?
A smoker is a block that cooks food twice as fast as a furnace. The block works only with food items. It does not process ores, metals, or other items. The smoker uses fuel at twice the rate of a furnace. However, it produces the same amount of cooked food per fuel unit. The block also acts as a job site for villagers who become butchers. When the smoker is active, it lights up.
How to make a smoker in Minecraft
As we mentioned earlier, Mojang made it very easy to make smokers in Minecraft. You only need a furnace and four wood-based items. To craft a smoker, follow these steps using a furnace and wood items:
- Place a furnace in the center of your crafting grid.
- Choose any four wood-based items. You can use logs, stems, or wood blocks in either natural or stripped form.
- Arrange the wood items around the furnace in any order.
- Complete the recipe to upgrade your furnace into a smoker.
- You can choose any log, stem, stripped log, wood, hyphae, or stripped wood.
Don’t forget to put the furnace in the middle and use any wood-based item you have for the rest.

What are smokers good for in Minecraft?
Smokers are mostly for cooking food, but very fast. They cook food items in half the time that a furnace requires. Players use smokers when they need cooked meals quickly. The block turns on as soon as you add food and fuel. It lights up to show that it is active. This speed helps players save time during survival or building sessions.
Is a smoker better than a furnace?
Players often compare the smoker with the furnace. A smoker cooks food twice as fast as a furnace. It works only with food. In contrast, the furnace handles a wide range of items such as ores, tools, and armor. The smoker gives a clear advantage when you need cooked food quickly. However, the furnace remains necessary for many smelting tasks. Each block has a role that suits different needs. For fast food preparation, the smoker is the better choice. For overall smelting and metal work, the furnace is essential.
The smoker is designed only for food items. It does not work with ores, metals, or other non-food items. This design makes it the perfect partner for the blast furnace, which handles metal items and ores. Players who use both blocks can meet all their smelting needs. The smoker uses fuel faster than a furnace, but it still gives the same output. This balance makes the block efficient in terms of both time and resources. Players can collect the cooked food by right-clicking the block or by using a hopper to remove the output.

The smoker also adds extra features to your base. In Java Edition, the block stays in place when pistons push it. It also acts as a workstation for villagers, which helps them choose the butcher profession. The smoker gives off a light level of 13 when active. This light helps brighten dark areas in your base. You can change the default name of the smoker by using an anvil or game commands. In Java Edition, you may also lock the smoker with a specific key. The block can be placed under note blocks to produce bass drum sounds.
Does a smoker work on potatoes in Minecraft?
Yes, smokers do work on potatoes in Minecraft. The block cooks raw potatoes into baked potatoes quickly. You can also use a furnace or a campfire to cook potatoes. The fast cooking time makes the smoker a good option when you need food in a hurry. In Java Edition, players may also obtain baked potatoes by killing a zombie that is on fire.
The smoker proves to be a practical block in Minecraft. It speeds up food preparation and helps players manage resources well. It is one of the items that you will want to craft and put in your house, especially if you are playing in survival mode. Obviously, the smoker supports both survival and creative modes with its clear advantages.
What is the best fuel for a smoker in Minecraft?
A smoker in Minecraft cooks food faster than a furnace. It uses the same fuel types as a furnace. Some common options are coal, charcoal, dried kelp blocks, and lava buckets. Lava buckets smelt 100 items, but they are harder to get and not easy to manage. Coal and charcoal smelt 8 items each. Dried kelp blocks smelt 20 items and are easy to craft. You only need dried kelp, which you can farm from the ocean. This makes dried kelp blocks a good fuel if you want something efficient and renewable. They are useful for players who cook in large amounts and want to save resources. For most players, dried kelp blocks give the best balance of cost and performance.
Is dried kelp better than coal?
Dried kelp blocks and coal both work well as fuel, but they give different results. The table below shows how they compare:
Dried kelp blocks last longer and smelt more items. Coal is good early in the game, but dried kelp is better if you farm it. It gives more value over time and helps save space.
Top Related Guides
All Related Guides
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5











