Iron ore is a crucial resource in Minecraft 1.21, essential for crafting everything from basic tools to advanced machinery. While it’s relatively easy to find, knowing the best places to look can save you time and energy.
The most lucrative elevations for iron ore are Y=16 and Y=232. Keep an eye out for exposed raw iron ore blocks on mountaintops at higher altitudes. You might even stumble upon a rare block of iron inside chests in bastion remnants, trial chambers, and ominous vaults.
To extract iron ore, you’ll need a stone pickaxe or better. Wooden pickaxes will only destroy the block without yielding any raw iron. Consider enchanting your pickaxe with Fortune to increase your haul or Silk Touch to keep the ore intact. Smelt raw iron in a furnace to obtain iron ingots.
Two popular mining techniques are:
- Branch mining: Dig a main tunnel and create offshoots every two blocks.
- Strip mining: Rapidly clear large areas of blocks before moving to the next section.
Iron is vital for crafting your first set of upgraded tools and weapons. An iron pickaxe is required to mine diamonds and other valuable materials. Iron is also used to create:
- Buckets for carrying liquids and aquatic mobs
- Compasses that point to world spawn or lodestones
- Flint and steel for igniting fires
- Shears for harvesting wool from sheep
- Minecarts for transportation
- Blast furnaces for smelting
- Cauldrons for storing water
- Stonecutters for crafting
While iron is an early game necessity, netherite will become your ultimate goal as you progress and conquer new lands. Mastering iron ore mining is the first step on your journey to becoming a Minecraft legend.