Dried kelp block vs Coal block in Minecraft: Which fuel is better?

There are tons of different fuel sources in Minecraft. Coal is the most common and easily found source, but there are others, ranging from blaze rods to wooden blocks. Each source has varying levels of fuel time, making certain ones better than others. However, the two primary fuel sources in Minecraft are coal blocks and dried kelp blocks.

They're both great fuel sources, but one is a little bit better. Since they both have their pros and cons, here's everything players need to know about the two fuel sources.

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Coal blocks and dried kelp blocks: Comparing two Minecraft fuel sources

Ironically enough, these two fuel sources are two of the best in the entire game. In fact, there's only one fuel source that is better than these two blocks: a lava bucket. The lava bucket will last 20,000 ticks, making it the longest-lasting fuel source in the game.

Lava buckets are the best fuel source in the game (Image via Minecraft)

The second and third entries on that list are coal blocks and dried kelp blocks, in that order. Coal blocks last for 16,000 ticks and dried kelp blocks last for 4,000. Behind them is blaze rods at 2,400 ticks and a single coal at 1,600.

Clearly, coal blocks are the longest-lasting fuel source between the two, but there are other factors. One coal block is made of nine coal, translating to 14,400 ticks, making one coal block an efficient fuel source and a long-lasting one.

For dried kelp blocks, they're pretty easy to get, depending on where a Minecraft player is located. They spawn in oceans and there are usually tons of kelp just waiting to be broken. It's much easier to get a lot of kelp quickly than it is to do so for coal.

However, the kelp then has to be dried, which takes a fuel source. It's ultimately not as efficient or as long-lasting as a coal block to go that route. With all that in mind, it can safely be stated that coal blocks are a significantly better fuel source than dried kelp blocks.