Taking Inventory: Copper Ingot

Back in the middle of 2021, we gave you some great advice on how to dig up copper ore and turn it into ingots. But then we left you hanging – what are you supposed to do with all the ingots filling up your chests? Well, that's up to you, really, But I do have a personal favorite. Also, I would be out of a job if I didn't tell you about ALL THE ITEMS, so today, we’re aiming our high-powered item-of-the-month laser at copper ingots! ZAP!

Copper ingots were added to Minecraft alongside azalea and amethyst in the first part of the Caves & Cliffs update, released back in June 2021. Copper is the first new ore to be added to Minecraft in a surprisingly long time since Nether Quartz ore was included as part of the Redstone update in 2013.

If you’re into fighting and combat, then the easiest way to get hold of copper ingots is to find some water and start hunting drowned. For every one of these soggy foes that you slay, there’s slightly more than a one in ten chance that you’ll get a copper ingot – with the chance rising to more than one in six with a Looting III weapon.

If you prefer to avoid trouble, then head down your mine – but not too far! Copper ore is largely found near the surface. Put some of the raw copper that you get from breaking the ore into a furnace or blast furnace, and you’ll be overflowing with ingots before long.

There are three things you can do with copper ingots at the time of writing. Put nine of them in a crafting grid, and you’ll get a block of copper that starts out orange but oxidizes into green over time. You can also craft a lightning rod with three ingots or a spyglass with two ingots and an amethyst shard.

In the real world, copper has been a vital part of human history and still plays an enormous role in today’s society. It has been mined by humans since about 8000 BC and was the first metal to be smelted (in 5000 BC), the first to be molded (in 4000 BC), the first to be alloyed (in 3500 BC) – but not the first item to be covered here on Minecraft.net (2022 AD).

Today, copper is used in all kinds of situations – in electronics for its powers as a good conductor of both heat and electricity, in alloys like bronze, cupronickel, and sterling silver, in cooking materials for its antimicrobial properties, and also in buildings for its durable, weatherproof qualities – if you see a green roof on a building, you can bet that it’s copper.

You might be surprised to learn that it’s also a vital ingredient of all living organisms. Your body contains something like two milligrams of copper for every kilogram of body weight – primarily stored in the liver, muscle, and bone, and used to regulate metabolic processes and the proper functioning of organs. It’s available in plenty of foods though, so you don’t need to munch down on it – keep a balanced diet and you’ll be fine.

Back in Minecraft, you definitely don’t need to eat any copper to stay alive. But you will need it if you want to avoid a lightning strike or build a spyglass. So head out and get yourself some ingots!