How to Make a Super Smelter (Auto Furnace)

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: A super smelter is a row of furnaces fed automatically: hoppers on top load items to smelt, hoppers on the side load fuel, and hoppers underneath pull the results into a chest. Feed it once and walk away - it smelts stacks while you play.

What you need

Furnaces (any count - 8 to 16 is a good start)
3 hoppers per furnace plus 1-2 input and 1-2 output chests
Building blocks for the frame
Fuel: dried kelp blocks, coal blocks or lava buckets

Step by step

Place a row of furnaces side by side, one block apart or touching - the design works either way.
Run a hopper line into the TOP of each furnace: place hoppers facing down into them and connect the line back to one input chest. This line carries the items to smelt.
Run a second hopper line into the BACK or SIDE of each furnace for fuel. Connect it to a fuel chest.
Place a hopper under each furnace facing into a collection line that ends in the output chest.
Balance the load: hoppers distribute items unevenly - put a minecart-with-hopper track above the top line for even spread, or simply overfill the input chest so every furnace stays busy.
Fuel it efficiently: dried kelp blocks smelt 20 items each and farm themselves; a lava bucket smelts 100. Load the fuel chest and the system runs for hours.
XP trick: furnaces bank the XP of everything they smelt. Pull one item out manually from any furnace after a big run and all the stored XP floods into you.

Java vs Bedrock

Works in Java and Bedrock. Hopper timing differs slightly, which is why the overfilled-input design is recommended for both.

Versions: Hopper-fed furnace arrays work identically in all current versions. Minecart distribution behaves slightly differently per edition - the overfilling method avoids that entirely.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the first furnace get everything?

Hoppers push into the first available slot, so the nearest furnace fills first. Either overflow the input (simple) or use a hopper-minecart on a rail over the furnaces (even).

Is a blast furnace or smoker better for a super smelter?

They smelt their categories (ores / food) twice as fast but only those categories. Mixed input needs regular furnaces; dedicated arrays with blast furnaces for ores and smokers for food are the fastest setup.

How do I collect the XP?

XP accumulates inside each furnace as it smelts. Manually take out any single finished item and the furnace dumps all its stored XP on you - one claim after a long session is a huge level boost.