From killing monsters to securing a base, lava plays a bunch of unique roles in the life of a Minecrafter. But, unless you are in the Nether dimension, there is never enough of it around. Fortunately, a source of infinite lava can take care of all your problems. So, put on your builder hat and discover how to make a lava farm in Minecraft!
How to Make a Lava Farm in Minecraft (2023)
From the ingredients to the steps, our guide covers all aspects of an infinite lava farm in Minecraft. Make sure to follow all mechanics carefully to avoid any issues.
Can You Get Infinite Lava in Minecraft
Dripstone blocks and liquids in Minecraft have a very unique relationship. Whenever there is a source of water or lava right above a Pointed Dripstone, the liquid starts dripping out of its pointed end. As you might expect, if you place a cauldron beneath the dripstone, it slowly collects the liquid.
But, the most interesting part is that this mechanic doesn't affect the source block of lava or liquid. So, you can rely upon it to infinitely farm water or even lava in Minecraft. But, since we already have oceans filled with blue liquid, let's only focus on the fiery lava.
Items Required to Make Lava Farm
You need to collect the following items to make a lava farm in Minecraft:
- Lava (source block)
- Cauldron
- Pointed Dripstone
- Block (any except wool or wood)
As you will discover later, you only need one copy of each item to get infinite lava in Minecraft. But, you can gradually increase their quantity to improve the effectiveness and results of your lava farm.
Find Lava
The process of multiplying lava in Minecraft begins by naturally finding lava in the overworld. It spawns in the form of lakes within caves and even on land in various biomes. You just need to explore your world until you encounter a small pool of lava.
But, if exploration doesn't go as planned, you can instead try to find a village in Minecraft. Savanna, plains, desert, and snowy villages generate blocks of lava as part of weaponsmith huts. Once you find lava, use a bucket in Minecraft to pick it up.
Collect Dripstone
The Pointed Dripstone blocks play the most crucial role in the lava farms of Minecraft. There are two main ways to obtain them:
- Trading: Wandering Traders have a small chance to sell 2 Pointed Dripstone blocks for 1 emerald. But, if you can find a reliable cave biome, this trade usually isn't worth the cost.
- Caves: Pointed Dripstone blocks spawn on the roof and floors of dripstone caves in the overworld. You can use any tool or your hands to break and collect this block. But, if you can't find them, our list of best Minecraft cave seeds might help.
Can You Farm Dripstone in Minecraft
As you expand your lava farm, the amount of dripstone you need will increase too. Luckily, you can farm dripstone in Minecraft to make sure you always have enough supply. First, place a dripstone block 3 blocks above the ground and then place a Pointed Dripstone beneath it.
Then, place some water above the dripstone block and surround it with other blocks. As time passes, the water will drip down from the pointed block and slowly form a new pointed dripstone stalagmite.
Steps to Make Lava Farm in Minecraft
Once you have all the items, follow these simple steps to make your lava farm in Minecraft:
1. First, place four building blocks next to one another in a horizontal lane. All of these blocks need to be fireproof and they will be next to lava. So, you cannot use wool or overworld wood including bamboo wood.
2. Then, create a one-block high boundary above your building blocks. You will end up with a small container.
3. Next, place lava on top of all the building blocks. Keep in mind that you must source source blocks of lava and flowing lava doesn't work in duplication.
4. Then, place a Pointed Dripstone block beneath each of the building blocks. The size of the dripstone doesn't affect its efficiency.
5. Finally, put a cauldron below every dripstone. Slowly, lava will drip from the pointed end of the dripstone and collect inside the cauldron.
6. It takes a complete Minecraft day or 20 minutes in the real world for the cauldron to fill up. Once it is completely filled, you can use a bucket to collect the lava.
Uses of Infinite Lava
Now that you know how to make a lava farm in Minecraft, it's time to figure out what to do with the infinite lava. Here are a few options:
- Fuel: Lava buckets are the most efficient fuel to power furnaces and blast furnaces in Minecraft. Thanks to the lava farm, you can let all the other fuel sources retire.
- Obsidian: You can combine your infinite lava with water to get a bunch of obsidian blocks. They are explosion-proof and offer a fresh look for your builds.
- Traps: If you are playing on the best Minecraft SMP servers, lava can serve as a great way to trap and kill your enemies. Just make sure not to fall victim to your own creation.
- Mob Farm: Lava allows you to quickly kill any mob in the game. You can use this mechanic to create a reliable mob XP farm and even to get cooked meat by killing domestic mobs.
Get Infinite Lava in Minecraft 1.20
Just like that, you now have a source of infinite lava in Minecraft! But, it’s of no use unless you figure out how to craft interesting builds with it. A great place to start is the best Minecraft parkour servers that use lava floors in unique maps. Furthermore, some dynamic Minecraft barn ideas can also incorporate lava for an outstanding look. Though, if you have other ideas, our amazing Minecraft Discord server is a great place to give them wings.