Better Smelting is a Vintage Story mod by Genhis. Better Smelting refines firepit heating and smelting, improves cooking container heat handling, and extends mined coal pile burn times.
Why this mod is worth installing
This tweak suits players who process large batches of metal or food and want fuel use and heating behavior to feel more consistent. It is especially useful for coal-pile users and long smelting sessions.
What Better Smelting adds
Better Smelting changes how the firepit handles heated stacks. Once items reach their melting temperature, heating no longer suffers the same slowdown, and excess heat contributes more precisely to smelting progress instead of being rounded away. Large batches can therefore finish more efficiently.
Cooking pots and crucibles receive heat based on the contents of their slots, with the behavior configurable. When new items are added, their temperature is combined with the existing contents rather than simply using the coldest slot, making mixed batches less punishing.
The mod also adjusts coal-pile fuel behavior. Burn duration for each layer takes the fuel's burn time and temperature into account, so stronger mined coal types last considerably longer than the standard fixed duration.
Where to download Better Smelting
The official Vintage Story Mod DB page is the right place to get the current release through the in-game mod manager.