Cauldron
Cauldron holds water, lava, or powder snow — used for armour dyeing, banner washing, and the only renewable lava holder.
1.21
Description
Cauldron is crafted from seven iron ingots arranged in a U-shape on the crafting grid, yielding one cauldron per recipe — a heavy iron investment justified by the unique fluid-storage role. The block has four discrete fill levels for water (one-third, two-thirds, full, plus empty), one fill level for lava, and one for powder snow. A water bottle, lava bucket, or powder-snow scoop fills it; an empty bucket or bottle drains a portion.
Unique uses include: dyeing leather armour by right-clicking dyed water with the armour piece (the colour transfers), washing dyed banners back to white, removing patterns from banners, extinguishing fire on burning entities (jumping into a water-filled cauldron), and the only renewable lava source in vanilla — a dripstone block with pointed dripstone over a cauldron with lava above slowly fills the cauldron over time. Generated cauldrons appear in witch huts, swamp huts, and igloo basements as part of natural structures, often pre-filled with relevant fluid.
Unique uses include: dyeing leather armour by right-clicking dyed water with the armour piece (the colour transfers), washing dyed banners back to white, removing patterns from banners, extinguishing fire on burning entities (jumping into a water-filled cauldron), and the only renewable lava source in vanilla — a dripstone block with pointed dripstone over a cauldron with lava above slowly fills the cauldron over time. Generated cauldrons appear in witch huts, swamp huts, and igloo basements as part of natural structures, often pre-filled with relevant fluid.
Java & Bedrock Guide
How to craft and use a Cauldron in Minecraft
-
1
Craft the cauldron
Place seven iron ingots in a U-shape on the 3x3 crafting grid (both sides full, bottom row full, centre and top empty) to make one cauldron.
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2
Fill the cauldron
Right-click with a water bottle or water bucket to add water, a lava bucket for lava, or a powder snow bucket for powder snow. Water has three fill levels.
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3
Dye or wash leather and banners
Add a dye to a water cauldron, then right-click leather armour to colour it, or right-click dyed armour in plain water to remove the colour. Right-clicking a patterned banner removes its top layer.
-
4
Build a renewable lava source
Place pointed dripstone under a dripstone block with a lava source above it, and a cauldron beneath the tip. Lava slowly drips in until the cauldron is full.
Version note
In Java Edition cauldrons fill from rain and dripstone; a lava-filled cauldron emits light level 15. In Bedrock Edition a cauldron can also hold and mix potions.
How to craft this block
Ingredients:
Iron Ingot
x7
Iron Ingot
x7
Crafting
Cauldron
1
Used in crafts
- Powder Snow Cauldron
- Lava Cauldron
- Water Cauldron
Frequently asked questions
Can you craft a cauldron?
Yes. Place seven iron ingots in a U-shape on a crafting table to make one cauldron.
What can a cauldron hold?
A cauldron stores water (three levels), a full block of lava, or powder snow.
Can a cauldron make infinite lava?
Yes. A pointed dripstone under a lava source slowly drips lava into a cauldron, making it the only renewable lava source in vanilla.
How do you remove dye from leather armour?
Right-click the dyed leather piece on a cauldron filled with plain water to wash the colour off.
Does a cauldron collect rain?
In Java Edition a cauldron fills with water during rain and with powder snow during snowfall when open to the sky.
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