Guides / Enchanting Strategy / Grindstone in Minecraft: Recipe, Uses & How Much XP It Gives
Grindstone in Minecraft: Recipe, Uses & How Much XP It Gives
Published October 24, 2026
The grindstone in Minecraft is a utility block that does three jobs: it removes every enchantment except curses from an item or book and pays you experience (XP) for it, it repairs two damaged tools or armor pieces of the same type by combining them, and it resets the prior work penalty the anvil keeps on an item. To make a grindstone, craft two sticks, one stone slab and two planks at a crafting table. The XP it gives is random but exactly bounded: a grindstone returns between half and all of the combined minimum cost of the enchantments it removes, so a Sharpness V sword gives 23 to 45 XP, 34 on average. This guide has the recipe, the exact XP formula with a table for every enchantment and level, worked examples, and when it is worth grinding a leftover book instead of keeping it (facts checked against the Minecraft Wiki on 2026-10-24).
What a grindstone does
- Disenchants. Put one enchanted item (or enchanted book) in either input slot and the output is a copy with all non-curse enchantments removed. An enchanted book becomes a plain book. Taking the result deletes the input and the grindstone drops XP orbs.
- Repairs by combining. Put two tools or armor pieces of the same type in the two slots (enchanted or not) and the output is one unenchanted item of that type, with the durability of the repair-by-crafting recipe. Both inputs are used up.
- Resets the prior work penalty. The output starts with no anvil history, which is the part that matters for AnvilCalc (see the prior work section below).
It does not remove curses (Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing stay) and it keeps the item's custom name. Items that cannot be enchanted cannot go in. On Java Edition an unenchanted item, and on Bedrock Edition an item with no prior work penalty, shows a red cross over the arrow and gives no output.
Grindstone recipe and where to find one
Craft the grindstone with a stone slab between two sticks on the top row, and one plank at each end of the middle row:
| Slot | Item |
|---|---|
| Top-left and top-right | Stick |
| Top-middle | Stone slab |
| Middle-left and middle-right | Any planks |
Any planks work (oak, spruce, crimson, bamboo and the rest), and the recipe is the same on Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. You can also find grindstones in village weaponsmith buildings and in trail ruins. Mine one with any pickaxe; without a pickaxe it drops nothing. An unclaimed grindstone is the job site block of the weaponsmith villager. On Java a grindstone needs no supporting block, while on Bedrock it breaks if it is unsupported or placed in water.
How to use a grindstone
- Remove enchantments. Put the enchanted item in either slot. The result keeps the item's durability and custom name. Take it from the output slot and the XP orbs appear.
- Repair two items. Put two damaged tools or armor pieces of the same type in the slots. The result's durability is the sum of the two remaining durabilities plus 5% of the maximum durability (rounded down), capped at the maximum. Two iron pickaxes (250 maximum) with 100 uses left each give 100 + 100 + 12 = 212; two with 200 left each give the full 250. The result keeps the armor trim and name of the item in the top slot and is not enchanted.
- Do one item at a time with books. Since Java 1.20.5 a grindstone no longer disenchants two enchanted books at the same time, so put each book in separately.
There is no way to pick which enchantment to remove: a grindstone removes all non-curse enchantments at once.
How much XP a grindstone gives
Add up the minimum modified level of every non-curse enchantment on the item, at its level; call the sum S. The XP drop is a random whole number between ⌈S ÷ 2⌉ and 2 × ⌈S ÷ 2⌉ − 1, every value equally likely. The wiki words this as "between 50% and 100% (rounded up) of all the non-curse enchantments' minimum modified levels combined". Curses add nothing, and the XP is the same for an enchanted book as for an item with the same enchantments.
- Sharpness V: its minimum modified level is 45, so the drop is 23 to 45 XP, 34 on average. (The wiki's text rounds that average to 35; the 23 possible values from 23 to 45 average exactly 34.)
- Mending: minimum 25, so 13 to 25 XP, 19 on average.
- An even sum loses one at the top: a sum of 120 gives 60 to 119, not 60 to 120.
- Two items are added before halving. A grindstone with two enchanted inputs adds both items' minimum levels together and then rounds, so two Unbreaking III books together (21 + 21 = 42) give 21 to 41 XP.
Worked examples, computed with AnvilCalc's own code (the same numbers on Java and Bedrock; the wiki gives one rule and one table for both editions, and we found no edition difference):
| Item | Enchantments | Sum of minimum levels | XP range | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpness V book | Sharpness V | 45 | 23–45 | 34 |
| Mending book | Mending | 25 | 13–25 | 19 |
| God sword | Sharpness V, Looting III, Sweeping Edge III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 147 | 74–147 | 110.5 |
| God pickaxe | Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Fortune III, Mending | 120 | 60–119 | 89.5 |
What that is worth in levels depends on where you are: a level costs more points the higher you go (see XP Levels in Minecraft). The 34 XP of a Sharpness V book is level 3 from a fresh start but only about a third of one level at level 30, where each level takes 112 points. Even the god sword's 147 XP maximum is only a little over one level at level 30.
XP per enchantment and level
The table shows the XP range for one enchantment at one level (the sum S is that enchantment's minimum modified level). For several enchantments, add their minimum levels first as above; this table gives the range of each on its own, taken from the wiki's grindstone table and recomputed from the minimum-level data. A dash means the enchantment has no such level.
| Enchantment | I | II | III | IV | V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Affinity | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Bane of Arthropods | 3–5 | 7–13 | 11–21 | 15–29 | 19–37 |
| Blast Protection | 3–5 | 7–13 | 11–21 | 15–29 | — |
| Breach | 8–15 | 12–23 | 17–33 | 21–41 | — |
| Channeling | 13–25 | — | — | — | — |
| Density | 3–5 | 7–13 | 11–21 | 15–29 | 19–37 |
| Depth Strider | 5–9 | 10–19 | 15–29 | — | — |
| Efficiency | 1 | 6–11 | 11–21 | 16–31 | 21–41 |
| Feather Falling | 3–5 | 6–11 | 9–17 | 12–23 | — |
| Fire Aspect | 5–9 | 15–29 | — | — | — |
| Fire Protection | 5–9 | 9–17 | 13–25 | 17–33 | — |
| Flame | 10–19 | — | — | — | — |
| Fortune | 8–15 | 12–23 | 17–33 | — | — |
| Frost Walker | 5–9 | 10–19 | — | — | — |
| Impaling | 1 | 5–9 | 9–17 | 13–25 | 17–33 |
| Infinity | 10–19 | — | — | — | — |
| Knockback | 3–5 | 13–25 | — | — | — |
| Looting | 8–15 | 12–23 | 17–33 | — | — |
| Loyalty | 6–11 | 10–19 | 13–25 | — | — |
| Luck of the Sea | 8–15 | 12–23 | 17–33 | — | — |
| Lunge | 3–5 | 7–13 | 11–21 | — | — |
| Lure | 8–15 | 12–23 | 17–33 | — | — |
| Mending | 13–25 | — | — | — | — |
| Multishot | 10–19 | — | — | — | — |
| Piercing | 1 | 6–11 | 11–21 | 16–31 | — |
| Power | 1 | 6–11 | 11–21 | 16–31 | 21–41 |
| Projectile Protection | 2–3 | 5–9 | 8–15 | 11–21 | — |
| Protection | 1 | 6–11 | 12–23 | 17–33 | — |
| Punch | 6–11 | 16–31 | — | — | — |
| Quick Charge | 6–11 | 16–31 | 26–51 | — | — |
| Respiration | 5–9 | 10–19 | 15–29 | — | — |
| Riptide | 9–17 | 12–23 | 16–31 | — | — |
| Sharpness | 1 | 6–11 | 12–23 | 17–33 | 23–45 |
| Silk Touch | 8–15 | — | — | — | — |
| Smite | 3–5 | 7–13 | 11–21 | 15–29 | 19–37 |
| Soul Speed | 5–9 | 10–19 | 15–29 | — | — |
| Sweeping Edge | 3–5 | 7–13 | 12–23 | — | — |
| Swift Sneak | 13–25 | 25–49 | 38–75 | — | — |
| Thorns | 5–9 | 15–29 | 25–49 | — | — |
| Unbreaking | 3–5 | 7–13 | 11–21 | — | — |
| Wind Burst | 8–15 | 12–23 | 17–33 | — | — |
Grind it or keep it? Grindstone versus anvil
The question that comes up after a long enchanting session is what to do with the leftovers: the Sharpness V book you no longer need, the second Fortune III book, the old sword you replaced. A grindstone turns them into XP, but it never gives back what the same enchantment costs to apply. This table compares, for one single-enchantment book, what the anvil charges to put it on a fresh item of the right type (the cheapest plan, computed with AnvilCalc's solver; identical on Java and Bedrock) with what the grindstone pays for the same book:
| Leftover book | Anvil cost to apply it | XP points of that cost, paid from level 30 | Grindstone drop (average) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpness V | 5 levels | 485 | 23–45 (34) |
| Efficiency V | 5 levels | 485 | 21–41 (31) |
| Protection IV | 4 levels | 398 | 17–33 (25) |
| Fortune III | 6 levels | 567 | 17–33 (25) |
| Unbreaking III | 3 levels | 306 | 11–21 (16) |
| Mending | 2 levels | 209 | 13–25 (19) |
| Thorns III | 12 levels | 954 | 25–49 (37) |
So grinding is not a way to recycle XP: the Sharpness V book returns about 7% of the 485 points it costs to apply at level 30. Even paying from the cheapest point (level 5 down to 0, 55 points) it returns only about 62% on average. Use these rules of thumb:
- Keep a book you will use. If an item in your plan still needs it, put it on the item. Applying it is almost always worth far more than the XP.
- Grind a book you cannot use. A duplicate, a lower level than the item already has, or an enchantment that conflicts with the item's build is dead weight, and its XP is free.
- Grind gear you replaced. An old sword with Sharpness V, Looting III and Mending has a minimum-level sum of 45 + 33 + 25 = 103, so it pays 52 to 103 XP and leaves a plain sword.
- Do not grind an item you still want enchanted. The enchantments are gone, and rebuilding them costs levels again (see Enchanting Strategy for why the order matters).
- Treat it as a tidy-up, not a farm. The drop is small next to the levels an anvil plan costs. For real XP, see XP Farm Minecraft.
Grindstone and prior work
Every anvil operation adds to an item's prior work penalty, which makes the next operation cost more and eventually triggers "Too Expensive!" (see Why Does My Anvil Say Too Expensive and Minimum Prior Work). The wiki states that the grindstone resets the prior work penalty of the item or book it outputs. That makes it the one way to bring a heavily used item back to a clean state, at the price of its enchantments: after grinding, the item is as good as new for the calculator. A diamond pickaxe with Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Fortune III and Mending costs 23 levels from a fresh pickaxe on Java Edition 1.21.11, and the same from a ground one.
It is worth doing when an item has become too expensive to improve and its enchantments are not worth keeping, for example a pickaxe at a high prior work count that you want to rebuild with a better set. For an item you still want enchanted, plan the order of your anvil steps instead (see Minimum Prior Work and the master book myth).
Plan a pickaxe from scratch in the calculator →
See also: XP Levels in Minecraft turns XP points into levels and lists every other XP source, How to Make an Anvil in Minecraft covers the other block you need for enchanting, and Do Anvils Break in Minecraft? explains why an anvil wears out.
Frequently asked questions
How much XP does a grindstone give?
A random whole number from half to all of the combined minimum modified levels of the non-curse enchantments on the item, rounded up: with S as the sum of those minimum levels, anything from ceil(S / 2) to 2 x ceil(S / 2) - 1, each value equally likely. A Sharpness V item gives 23 to 45 XP, 34 on average, and a Mending item 13 to 25 XP.
What does a grindstone do in Minecraft?
It removes all non-curse enchantments from an item and returns XP, turns an enchanted book into a plain book, repairs two damaged tools or armor pieces of the same type by combining them, and resets the prior work penalty of the output.
What is the grindstone recipe?
A stone slab in the top-middle slot, a stick in the top-left and top-right slots, and planks of any kind in the middle-left and middle-right slots. The recipe is the same on Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. Grindstones also generate in village weaponsmith buildings and trail ruins.
Does a grindstone remove curses?
No. Curse of Binding and Curse of Vanishing stay on the item, and they give no XP. A grindstone also keeps the item's custom name.
Can a grindstone remove just one enchantment?
No. It removes every non-curse enchantment at once, and you cannot choose which ones.
Does a grindstone reset the prior work penalty?
Yes. The Minecraft Wiki states that the grindstone resets the prior work penalty (the repair cost) of the item or book it outputs. The enchantments are removed in the process, so the item restarts as an unenchanted item with no anvil history.
How does a grindstone repair items?
Put two tools or armor pieces of the same type in the two slots. The result has the sum of both remaining durabilities plus 5% of the maximum durability (rounded down), capped at the maximum, and it is not enchanted. Two iron pickaxes with 100 uses left each give an iron pickaxe with 212 of 250.
Is a leftover enchanted book worth grinding?
Only if you cannot use it. Applying a Sharpness V book to a fresh sword costs 5 levels, which is 485 XP points from level 30, while grinding it gives 23 to 45 XP (34 on average). Keep books an item still needs and grind duplicates, lower levels and conflicting enchantments.