How to Build Your Own Minecraft Cobblestone Generator

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Get all the cobblestone you’ll need for Skyblock or large builds

Co-authored by Zac Churchill and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: May 30, 2025 Fact Checked

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Basic Infinite Cobblestone Generatօr

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Expanded Cobblestone Generatօr

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FAQs

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Cobblestone is pretty common in Minecraft, but if you need a lot—or if you’re playing in an area with limited resources, like Skyblock—it can help to have an infinite cobblestone generator. Making a basic cobblestone generator is super easy, and it doesn’t take up much space. But you can also expand the generator if you need to make more cobblestone at once. We’re here with everything you need to know to make your own cobblestone generator.

Quick Steps

Get a bucket of lava and a bucket of water.
Dig a 1-block deep hole and a 2-block deep hole next to it.
Place water in the 1-block deep hole.
Skip a block, then dig another 1-block deep hole.
Place lava in the new hole.
Break the block between the two holes.
Mine the cobblestone as it appears.

Section 1 of 3:

Basic Infinite Cobblestone Generatօr

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1
Gather a bucket of lava and a bucket of water. If you don’t have any buckets, gather 6 iron blocks—3 for each bucket. You’ll also need to find a source of water and a source of lava.^{[1]
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- You can find iron underground or on the walls of a cave.
- Smelt the iron in a furnace to create iron ingots, then craft a bucket by placing 3 iron ingots in a V shape—two on the outside edges of the center row and one in the center block of the bottom row. Repeat for a second bucket.
- Gather lava from a lava pool on the surface or by going underground below Y:9.
- If you are playing SkyBlock, you may have a block of ice instead of a water bucket. You can place the ice down and break it to get water.
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Dig a 1-block deep hole and a 2-block deep hole next to it. Place the water in the 1-block deep hole. When you do that, it will flow into the 2-block deep hole.^{[2]
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- Be sure to find a flat area to create your generator—you’ll need at least a 4x2 area of flat land, but if you want to expand your generator later, it will need to be even bigger than that.^{[3]
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- If you prefer, you can dig a 4x1 hole, then make the second block in the hole 1 block deeper. The generator will turn out exactly the same.^{[4]
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Leave a gap of one block and dig another 1-block deep hole. Skip the block closest to the 2-deep hole with water in it, then dig a 1-block hole on the other side of it. Place your lava in the new hole you just dug.^{[5]
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- The simplest way to arrange your generator is in a 4x1 row, but you can also make an L-shaped generator if you’d like—just put the lava block off to one side so the water and lava meet in a corner.^{[6]
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Break the block separating the lava and water to create cobblestone. After about a second, there will be a hissing sound, and a cobblestone block will form. Break the cobblestone to gather it.^{[7]
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- If the water turns the lava into obsidian, double-check that you dug the second hole two blocks deep.
- If you’re concerned about falling into the lava, dig a hole next to the cobblestone block and stand in that to mine.^{[8]
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- You can also cover up the lava and water from non-flammable blocks like cobblestone, dirt, or clay. This will keep you from falling into it and will also help prevent the cobblestone from being burned by the lava.
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Continue breaking the cobblestone to get as much as you want. Every time you break the cobblestone block, a new one will appear.^{[9]
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- The generator is a little slow, but it will produce an infinite amount of cobblestone—so the only real limit to how much cobblestone you can mine from the generator is the amount of time you’re willing to spend.

Section 2 of 3:

Expanded Cobblestone Generatօr

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1
Extend the generator by as many blocks as you’d like. If mining the blocks is too slow, try digging out another generator next to the first one. You can even place 3 or 4 rows of generators next to each other.^{[10]
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- We’ll show you how to make a generator that creates 4 cobblestone blocks at a time—but feel free to customize the size to whatever you need.
2
Extend your 2-block deep hole by 3 blocks. Dig a 3-block long, 2-block deep trench in a straight line, starting from the 2-block deep hole in your generator that’s filled with water. You’ll have a 4-block long, 2-block deep trench when you’re finished.^{[11]
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- Be sure this row is 2 blocks deep. If it’s only 1 block deep, the flowing water may turn the lava source blocks into obsidian.
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Dig trenches beside the remaining 3 blocks. Dig 3-block long, 1-block deep trenches straight out from the remaining 3 blocks in your generator. Place these trenches so they’re lined up with the first trench.^{[12]
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- You’ll end up with a 4x4 square.
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Place water in the row of blocks next to the original water block in your generator. Use a water bucket to place water in each block. It won’t spread across this row automatically.^{[13]
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- The water will pour into the second, 2-block deep row of blocks.
Use a lava bucket to place water in each block. Be careful not to fall into the lava as you’re placing it.^{[14]
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Stand on one side of the generator and mine the cobblestone as it appears. The water and lava will flow into each other all the way down your expanded generator, creating a 4x1 row of cobblestone. Stand next to the generator and mine down the row as the cobblestone is created.^{[15]
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- This is faster than waiting for 1 block at a time to appear, so it’s a good option when you need a lot of cobblestone at once—like if you’re building in Skyblock.
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Place hoppers and chests under the generator to mine automatically. Dig two blocks deep under your generator. Place a row of hoppers under the generator, then a row of chests under the hoppers. The cobblestone will go into the treasure chests as it’s created.^{[16]
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- To automatically farm the cobblestone, you’ll need to use an auto-clicker.

Section 3 of 3:

FAQs

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1
Why does my cobblestone generator keep making obsidian? Make sure the second hole in your generator is 2 blocks deep. If it’s only one block deep, the water and lava will interact to create obsidian.
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How many blocks do you need to make a cobblestone generator? To make a basic generator, you need a 4x1 piece of flat ground, a bucket of water, and a bucket of lava.

Community Q&A

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Question

When I built the first one, all of the lava kept melting the cobble when I broke it. How can I stop this from happening?

MelodyTongyu

Community Answer

My suggestion is to dig a hole beside the cobble (where you won't touch any lava or water) and jump in before you mine the cobble. Then, walk into the cobble as close as you can and stay there. When you mine the cobble, it's more likely to go into your inventory. You can also use a hopper under the generator so that when you mine it, the cobble will go into the hopper.

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Question

Could I place cactus so that when I push the piston, the cobblestone is moved next to the cactus, then the cactus makes it break?

CaptianYaya

Community Answer

No. This will break the cactus instead of the cobblestone.

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How do I do it if Tile Drops (console editions only) is disabled?

Frail Hunter

Community Answer

Enable them or use a different version than you're currently on.

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Tips

It's best to keep the generator relatively close to your house so that you don't lose all of your precious cobblestone if you're attacked between the generator and your home.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you want to have the generator in your home, build it in a room that's several blocks under your home. However, don't put it near your house if your house is made of wood.
Try to keep a bucket on you. After the cobblestone’s formed, you can mine the cobble without it burning. Just make sure not to put the chest next to the lava!
Try using fences to avoid the lava while attempting to mine the cobblestone.
Be careful not to fall in the lava unless you have really good armor.

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Warnings

Avoid building the generator on a surface that's above your house or other important items. Lava travels downhill, so if the generator breaks, the lava could run down and set your house or valuables on fire.

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Make sure your generator is away from trees and wooden buildings. The lava can set them on fire from further than you'd think, and you may accidentally spark a wildfire.

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