In my experience and from what I have learned, wooden slabs are indeed the most efficient fuel in Minecraft. Allow me to explain why.
Firstly, the process of obtaining wooden slabs is incredibly efficient. By using just three logs, you can craft 12 planks at a crafting table. These 12 planks can then be further crafted into 24 wooden slabs. This means that from just three logs, you can create a substantial amount of fuel.
The efficiency of wooden slabs as fuel lies in their burn time. Each wooden slab burns for 15 seconds in a furnace, which is the same burn time as other wooden items such as planks or sticks. However, when you consider the fact that you can create 24 wooden slabs from just three logs, you can see just how efficient they are.
Compared to other fuel sources, such as coal or charcoal, wooden slabs offer a significant advantage in terms of quantity. For instance, a block of coal can be crafted from nine coal items, and each coal item can smelt eight items. This means that a block of coal can smelt a total of 72 items. On the other hand, with just three logs, you can create 24 wooden slabs, which can collectively burn for 360 seconds (24 slabs x 15 seconds each). This is significantly more fuel efficiency.
Not only are wooden slabs a great fuel source, but they are also readily available. Trees are abundant in Minecraft, and obtaining logs is a simple task. This means that you can easily gather a large amount of wooden slabs without having to venture too far or spend too much time.
I have personally found wooden slabs to be incredibly useful in my Minecraft gameplay. They have saved me a lot of time and effort, allowing me to focus on other tasks instead of constantly searching for fuel. Additionally, their efficiency has helped me smelt large quantities of items without worrying about running out of fuel quickly.
To summarize, wooden slabs are the most efficient fuel in Minecraft due to their high burn time and the ease of obtaining them. With just a few logs, you can create a substantial amount of fuel that will last for a significant duration. So, if you’re looking for an efficient and readily available fuel source in Minecraft, wooden slabs are definitely the way to go.