Chests have been in Minecraft for… well, forever. But, there have been many variations of the regular chest over the years, like Ender Chests, Shulker Boxes, and Trapped Chests. So, it was surprising to see another storage item added to Minecraft back in 2019 in the form of a barrel. That said, this might just be the best alternative to the regular chest. For now, let’s see how to make a Barrel in Minecraft.
What Is a Barrel in Minecraft
The Barrel was one of the blocks added in the 1.14 Update, which revamped villages. Instead of just being another way to store your items, barrels can also turn a villager into a fisherman, and they come with a couple of perks that make them excel over chests.
That being said, where can you find one of these? Or, better yet, how can you craft one?
Where Can You Find a Barrel in Minecraft
Barrels will spawn naturally inside a village if there’s a fisherman present. But, this profession is somewhat rare, so you’ll likely not find one within the first few villages you come across. Thus, I think that it’s better to make one, considering that it doesn’t require any hard-to-get materials.
How to Craft a Barrel in Minecraft
Barrel Recipe
To craft a Barrel in Minecraft, you can use the recipe shown above, which requires the following materials:
- 6 Wooden Planks
- 2 Wooden Slabs
These are very easy to get, as you’ll only need 2-3 logs to make them. In other words, once you chop down a tree, you can basically make a Barrel.
How to Use a Barrel in Minecraft
Now that you have a barrel let’s see how you can use it.
Store Items
Barrels are, first and foremost, an alternative to chests. They have the same inventory slots, and they can’t be burned by lava or fire. One thing that makes them stand out, though, is that they can be opened even if they have a block on top of them. Plus, you can place them sideways, and they’ll still open up even if they’re surrounded by blocks.
Turn a Villager Into a Fisherman
Once you place a Barrel down inside a village, an unemployed villager will approach it and turn into Fisherman. Even though this profession isn’t that useful, you can still get a couple of pretty good trades, such as trading a boat for emeralds. Yes, you’ll basically trade wood for emeralds.
Conclusion
And that’s how you can make a Barrel in Minecraft. If you’re just looking for a standard way to store your items, barrels are superior to chests just because they can be opened from anywhere. Apart from that, though, they’re pretty much the same. What are your thoughts on the barrels? Were they a good addition to the game? Let us know over on the Minecraft Forum!