Iron Furnaces is a technology mod that adds multiple tiers of upgraded furnaces — from iron to the legendary Rainbow Furnace — with faster smelting speeds, configurable input/output sides, and augments for smoking and blasting, available for Minecraft Forge and NeoForge.
Smelting is one of the most fundamental mechanics in Minecraft, yet the vanilla furnace has barely changed since the game launched. Whether you are processing stacks of raw iron after a mining session or cooking food for a long adventure, a single furnace creates a bottleneck that slows everything down. Iron Furnaces solves this by introducing a tiered furnace system inspired by the classic Iron Chests mod — the same idea of progressive upgrades, applied to smelting. With over 7 million downloads on Modrinth and active development for 1.21.x, it has become one of the most trusted utility mods in the Minecraft ecosystem. Created by Qelifern, the mod is open source under the Apache 2.0 license, which means the community can inspect, modify, and contribute to its code freely.
Key Features of Iron Furnaces
- Tiered Furnace Progression — Rather than jumping straight to a top-tier machine, you upgrade step by step through materials like iron, gold, diamond, and beyond. This progression mirrors the natural resource curve of a Minecraft world, so each upgrade feels earned and meaningful rather than overpowered.
- Faster Smelting Speeds — Each furnace tier smelts items faster than the one below it. This means you spend less time standing around waiting for ores to process and more time actually playing the game, which is especially noticeable during large mining hauls.
- Reconfigurable Sides — You can configure which side of the furnace accepts input, outputs finished items, or receives fuel. This is a huge quality-of-life feature for players who use hoppers and automation setups, because it lets you design compact and efficient smelting arrays without awkward hopper routing.
- Smoking and Blasting Augments — Iron Furnaces does not just upgrade the standard furnace — it includes augments that let your upgraded furnaces function as smokers or blast furnaces as well. Instead of building three separate blocks for different smelting jobs, a single augmented furnace handles everything, saving both inventory space and crafting effort.
- The Rainbow Furnace — The ultimate goal of the mod is the Rainbow Furnace, which sits at the top of the upgrade chain. It represents the peak of smelting power in the mod and gives dedicated players a long-term crafting objective to work toward.
- Mod Compatibility — Iron Furnaces has explicit compatibility with JEI (Just Enough Items), so all its recipes show up neatly in your recipe browser. It also integrates with Project MMO for players who enjoy leveling systems alongside their tech upgrades.
- Dual Loader Support — The mod supports both NeoForge (for 1.21.x) and Minecraft Forge (for 1.20.x and earlier). No matter which mod loader you prefer, there is a version available for your setup.
Screenshots
How to Install Iron Furnaces
- Install Minecraft Forge (for 1.20.x) or NeoForge (for 1.21.x), depending on your Minecraft version.
- Download the correct Iron Furnaces file for your Minecraft version from the download section below.
- Open your Minecraft installation folder — press Win + R, type
%appdata%.minecraft, and hit Enter. - Drop the downloaded
.jarfile into themodsfolder. If nomodsfolder exists, create one. - Launch Minecraft using your Forge or NeoForge profile. Iron Furnaces will load automatically and new furnace recipes will appear in JEI if you have it installed.
Requirements & Compatibility
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Mod Loader | NeoForge (1.21–1.21.1) / Minecraft Forge (1.20–1.20.4) |
| Minecraft Versions | 1.21.1, 1.21, 1.20.4, 1.20.3, 1.20.2, 1.20.1, 1.20 |
| Active Development | 1.21.x |
| Known Compatibility | JEI, Project MMO, most mods |
| License | Apache License 2.0 (open source) |
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Clear tiered progression that matches vanilla Minecraft's material curve
- Configurable sides make hopper automation clean and flexible
- Smoking and blasting augments reduce the need for separate blocks
- Over 7 million downloads — well-established and actively maintained
- Open source with Apache 2.0 license for full transparency
- JEI and Project MMO integration out of the box
Cons
- No Fabric or Quilt support — limited to Forge and NeoForge players
- Older Minecraft versions (1.20.x) only support Forge, not NeoForge
- The feature set may overlap with larger tech mods if you already run a heavy modpack
Alternatives to Iron Furnaces
- Iron Chests — The original inspiration for Iron Furnaces. If you enjoy tiered upgrades for furnaces, you will likely want tiered chests to match your storage setup.
- Alloy Forgery — A multi-block forge that lets you smelt alloys and process items in bulk, offering a different approach to furnace upgrades with a focus on alloy crafting.
- Fast Furnace — A lightweight alternative that simply speeds up vanilla furnaces without adding new blocks, ideal for players who want a minimal solution.
Download Iron Furnaces
| Minecraft Version | Forge | NeoForge |
|---|---|---|
| For Minecraft 1.21.1 | — | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.21 | — | Download |
| For Minecraft 1.20.4 | Download | — |
| For Minecraft 1.20.3 | Download | — |
| For Minecraft 1.20.2 | Download | — |
| For Minecraft 1.20.1 | Download | — |
| For Minecraft 1.20 | Download | — |
Always download mods from official sources to stay safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iron Furnaces compatible with JEI?
Yes — Iron Furnaces has explicit built-in compatibility with JEI (Just Enough Items). All furnace recipes, including those for each upgraded tier, appear in the JEI recipe browser so you can look up crafting requirements without leaving the game.
Does Iron Furnaces work with NeoForge?
Yes — the 1.21 and 1.21.1 versions of Iron Furnaces are built for NeoForge. Older versions for Minecraft 1.20 through 1.20.4 use Minecraft Forge instead, so make sure you pick the correct loader for your game version.
Can I use Iron Furnaces on a Fabric server?
No — Iron Furnaces is only available for Minecraft Forge and NeoForge. There is currently no Fabric or Quilt port. If you run a Fabric-based setup, you would need to look at alternative furnace mods designed for that loader.
What is the Rainbow Furnace?
The Rainbow Furnace is the highest-tier furnace in the mod. It sits at the top of the upgrade chain and represents the ultimate smelting machine you can craft. Reaching it requires progressing through all the lower furnace tiers, giving you a long-term goal throughout your playthrough.
Can I automate Iron Furnaces with hoppers?
Yes — each upgraded furnace supports reconfigurable sides, meaning you can set which face accepts items, outputs results, or takes fuel. This makes hopper-based automation straightforward and lets you build compact smelting arrays that fit neatly into your base design.
