Minecraft wiki entry for Bowl, associated text: in Bedrock Edition, bowls are actually more fuel efficient than sticks. If 6 wood planks are crafted into 8 bowls, 8 items can be smelted; but if those are crafted into 12 sticks, only 6 items can be smelted. This can be useful when the player only has access to Nether wood types, which cannot be used as fuel.