There are many blocks that are meant to be the storage space for other items in Minecraft. The barrel belongs to this category. However, it's not the kind of chests that you usually see in the game. So, what do barrels in Minecraft do? How to craft them? We have all of the answers you need right here!

What are barrels in Minecraft?

The barrel is a block that doubles as both a storage unit as well as a Job Change Site for villagers. Players can store items in barrels, just like they do with chests. Each Minecraft barrel has 27 slots, like a normal chest or an Ender Chest.

However, barrels cannot be placed next to each other to form a doubled variant. Also, a barrel doesn't require space above to open.
You can change a villager to a Fisherman at a barrel.

The barrel also acts as a Job Change Site for jobless villagers. Each house has a small percentage of spawning up to 3 barrels inside (in villages). Barrels in Minecraft can be broken off with any tool, but axes work the fastest.

How to make barrels in Minecraft

Barrels are also craftable. The only required materials to make barrels in Minecraft are wood; wood planks and wood slabs to be exact. Each barrel will cost you 6 planks and 2 slabs of any kind. Place the materials as the recipe below to make a barrel (Java Edition).
  • Place 3 wood planks on two side columns.
  • Place 2 wood slabs in the middle column, leave the middle slot.
Here's how to craft a barrel in Java Edition.

However, the Bedrock Edition's recipe is a little bit different. Instead of wood planks, the recipe use sticks.

  • Place 3 sticks on two side columns.
  • Place 2 wood slabs in the middle column, leave the middle slot.
Bedrock's version is different.

Are barrels better than normal chests in Minecraft?

Technically speaking, making a barrel is cheaper than making a chest in Minecraft. So, how come you don't see many players replacing their chests with barrels for storage units? We think because chests are still a tiny bit better than barrels in Minecraft.

Chests can be merged together to form a double-chest, which barrels cannot. It's also easier to label chests and their content. A barrel can only be labeled with a name tag, something no one wants to waste them for.

You can find barrels in villages, but the chance is slim.

There's another thing with how barrels are present in the game. You can only place 1 in each row, while chests come in two. Once you place a barrel in front, you cannot access the one standing behind it. All in all, chests are still better storage units than barrels in Minecraft.

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