How to get Coal in Stardew Valley

Whether you’re trying to craft your first Scarecrow to protect your crops in Stardew Valley, or you want to get yourself a Dark Piano from the Desert Trader, there are a huge number of uses for Coal. But where do you get it?

There are actually a lot of sources that will give you Coal, but not all of them are equal. Some may only be possible at later stages, while others just don’t drop enough coal to make it worthwhile. 

Every way to get Coal in Stardew Valley

Before we move on to the best or easiest ways to get Coal, let’s break down every way you can get Coal in Stardew Valley:

• Can possibly drop from any rock when Mining
• Mining Coal nodes in the Quarry, Quarry Mine, and Volcano Dungeon
• Opening Coal-filled mine carts and brown bags, found on random floors of the Mines and Skull Cavern
• Breaking Crates and Barrels within the Mines, Skull Cavern, or the Volcano Dungeon
• Using Charcoal Kilns to convert 10 Wood into 1 Coal
• The following items can drop Coal when placed into a Recycling Machine
  • Trash (30% chance)
  • Driftwood (25% chance)
• Killing Dust Sprites between floors 41 and 79 of the Mines
• Each of the following Monsters has a 10% chance to drop Coal
  • Red, Purple, or Black Slimes
  • Stone, Wilderness, or Iridium Golems
  • Metal Heads
  • Shadow Brutes and Shamans
• Digging up Artifact Spots in the Backwoods, Mountains or Farm
• Panning in any area
• Found in regular or golden Fishing Chests
• Opening a Geode
• Sold at the Blacksmith for 150 Gold in year one, then 250 Gold from year two onwards
• Trade one copy of Mining Monthly with the Bookseller for 20 Coal
• Sold at the Traveling Cart for between 100 and 1,000 Gold
• If Clint has a stall at the Desert Festival, you can purchase Coal for 5 Calico Eggs each
• Possible drop from rummaging in the Garbage Can outside the Blacksmith
• If a fruit tree is struck by lightning, it will produce Coal for four days
• Trains passing through can drop Coal

The best ways to get Coal in Stardew Valley

Of all the options mentioned above, there are three which are more worth it than others:

Charcoal Kiln

At a cost of 10 Wood, which is easy to get if you don’t mind doing some deforestation every once in a while, producing Coal in a Charcoal Kiln is possibly the easiest way to get Coal. It’s also quick, taking just 23 seconds per Coal. 

The recipe for a Charcoal Kiln is obtained upon reaching Foraging level 2, so you can get it pretty early, and you can also get a Charcoal Kiln for completing the Construction Bundle in the Crafts Room of the Community Center. 

Dust Sprites

If you’ve unlocked any number of floors between floor 41 and 79 of the Mines, you can simply take the elevator down to any of them and farm the Dust Sprites there to get a good supply of Coal. Each Dust Sprite has a 50% chance to drop Coal, so you’re guaranteed to walk away with at least some. 

Purchase from the Blacksmith

If you’re pretty deep into a play through and money isn’t much of an issue, the easiest way to get Coal is by purchasing it from Clint at the Blacksmiths. This is not a cheap option by any means, but it is guaranteed and quick, so you can get straight to crafting.

How to use Coal in Stardew Valley

Coal isn’t really a gift item in Stardew Valley, with most villagers actively disliking it and only Clint feeling neutral towards it. However, it is used in a lot of crafts. 

Crafting

Trading

There are two vendors in Stardew Valley who will take Coal off of your hands in return for other, more valuable items:

• Mrs. Raccoon will take 20 Coal in return for one Mahogany Seed
• The Desert Trader will sell you a Dark Piano for 999 Coal

Tailoring

Coal can be used in the spool of a Sewing Machine to create a shirt, and can also be used as a black dye when used in the Sewing Machine.