Minecraft wiki entry for Beginner%27s_guide, associated text: In Java Edition, an efficient fuel is charcoal produced by smelting logs using planks as fuel. In Bedrock Edition, slabs smelt twice as many items as the planks they were made from -- this means that smelting items from slabs is actually more efficient than making charcoal from the wood. (You may still need charcoal to make torches.)