Over more than 15 years, Minecraft has picked up plenty of features, and it’s easy for some to slip your mind. Not every item or block can be equally useful, but lots of fun and sometimes extremely practical aspects have faded into the background over time. So we’ve compiled a list that puts those things back in the spotlight! Maybe you’ll bring some of these items and mechanics into your world or your gameplay. We think they’re definitely worth a look and shouldn’t be forgotten.
Minecraft Stonecutter: Save resources when crafting
If you overlook the Stonecutter, you’re literally leaving hundreds of resources on the table in some situations. With it, you don’t need to remember stair, slab, and wall recipes—just pop in a matching stone-type block and you’re done. You can turn full blocks into polished slabs or walls and back again. That saves a ton of effort and especially materials.
You can use the Stonecutter for practically any harder block in the stone family—including Mud Bricks, Copper, Sandstone, and Prismarine. Important: The Stonecutter gives a 1:1 yield for stairs (1 block → 1 stair) and the same efficient yield for slabs (2 slabs per block), whereas crafting in the table often “burns” extra material—especially for stairs. If you build a lot with these blocks, use the Stonecutter, not the crafting table.
Minecraft Granite, Diorite, and Andesite: Build smarter with polished variants
The three stone variants Granite, Diorite, and Andesite have been in the game since 2014, but they’re often underestimated and end up in chests instead of builds. Diorite in particular gets ignored for its busy pattern. But all three can be polished and combined with other blocks—polished variants look cleaner and more modern.
Tips:
- Pair polished Diorite with Quartz or White Terracotta for bright, clean designs.
- Granite works great with Brick and Copper for warm, rustic builds.
- Andesite pairs well with Stone Bricks and Deepslate for industrial looks.
- Use the Stonecutter to switch quickly between slabs, stairs, and walls.
Minecraft concrete: Properly harden concrete powder
Many players don’t realize concrete exists—or avoid it because it’s resource-heavy. For eight Concrete Powder, you need a dye of your choice plus 4x Sand and 4x Gravel. Then you must expose the powder to water to harden it into solid Concrete.
Why it’s worth it: Concrete offers bold, uniform colors and a very clean texture—perfect for modern builds, pixel art, or accents.
Pro tips:
- Build a water contraption: Place concrete powder into a water stream to auto-harden and mine it faster.
- Use a Haste beacon and an Efficiency pickaxe to farm large amounts quickly.
- Even though there are no slabs or stairs made of concrete, you can create fantastic palettes with colored wool, stained glass, or Terracotta.
Minecraft dyeable leather armor: Infinite colors & Powder Snow safety
Most players switch quickly to Iron, Diamond, or Netherite—but leather armor has unique perks. You can dye it freely for a fully custom look. On Java Edition, dye it in the crafting grid; on Bedrock Edition, use a Cauldron. You can mix multiple dyes, giving you practically unlimited shades.
A real gameplay advantage: Leather Boots let you walk on Powder Snow—a potential life-saver in mountain biomes. For explorers and builders, dyed leather gear is also a stylish roleplay element.
Minecraft clock: Tell the time while underground
The Clock is an old-school item that’s still useful—especially underground, when you can’t see the sky. It tells you whether it’s day or night, helping you avoid mob surprises when you surface.
Handy: Place a clock in an Item Frame—it keeps working there and doubles as a decorative wall clock. You can sometimes find clocks in Ruined Portals or Shipwrecks.
Minecraft Note Blocks: Music, instruments, and Redstone tips
Note Blocks are among the most creative blocks in the game. You can tune them across about two octaves (25 pitches) and compose your own melodies. The instrument depends on the block underneath—e.g., harp/piano, guitar, cowbell, chiptune, and many more. There are 15+ instruments available.
Tips for better tracks:
- Tune with right-click; trigger notes with Redstone (e.g., repeaters for timing).
- Use different instruments by changing the block underneath (wood, ore blocks, sand, etc.).
- You’ll find tons of examples on YouTube where entire songs are recreated in Minecraft—great for learning.
Minecraft Book and Quill: In‑game notebook for projects
With a Book and Quill, you can keep your project plans right in the game—no more sticky notes. Perfect for to-do lists, build plans, or coordinates. You can craft one on day one if you have Sugar Cane (paper), Leather, a Feather, and an Ink Sac.
Important:
- Click “Done” after new notes so you can continue editing later.
- Only when you “Sign” the book does it become a Written Book that can no longer be edited—perfect for archived plans or server lore.
Conclusion: Make the most of underrated Minecraft items and features
With so many features, it’s easy for some items and blocks to get overlooked. Take a moment to revisit these forgotten and underrated tools—you never know what might become useful or spark new creativity. Rent one of our Minecraft servers and try out some of the ideas featured here for yourself. Maybe you’ve got your own underused favorites that you value and love to incorporate.
