Quick answer
Current live-game guidanceWhat to do first
Build the cauldron with ten tin near a Forge, then place it above a working fire. Raise its level by adding different cauldron improvements nearby. If a recipe is missing, check the required level, whether your character has discovered every ingredient, and whether it belongs at the Food preparation table or Mead ketill instead.
The five improvements
| Usual level | Improvement | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Spice rack | 3 dandelions, 2 carrots, 5 red mushrooms, 3 thistles, 3 turnips. |
| 3 | Butcher's table | 2 ancient bark, 4 core wood, 4 fine wood, 2 silver. |
| 4 | Pots and pans | 5 iron, 5 copper, 5 black metal, 10 fine wood. |
| 5 | Mortar and pestle | 8 black marble, 6 fine wood, 4 core wood. |
| 6 | Rolling pins and cutting boards | 8 ashwood, 6 fine wood, 4 flametal. |
Each different connected improvement adds one level. Place it close enough to link to the cauldron and check the station's displayed level after placement. If it does not change, move the improvement closer and make sure you have not built a duplicate.
Match the symptom to the fix
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Cauldron is missing from the hammer menu | Pick up smelted tin and have the required Forge access. Tin ore is not tin. |
| Cauldron exists but cannot cook | Check the fire's fuel, rain protection and smoke clearance. |
| Station level stays the same | Check the improvement's connection, distance and type; extra copies do not stack. |
| A known recipe is absent | Personally pick up all ingredients and verify the recipe's station and minimum level. |
| Bread or an uncooked pie is not listed | Look at the Food preparation table, then bake the uncooked dish in a Stone oven. |
| Mead bases are missing | Use the Mead ketill for the base and the Fermenter to finish the drink. |
Upgrade for the meal you need
Turnips often become the early bottleneck because the spice rack uses them. Keep enough harvest for planting a seed crop rather than cooking every turnip you find.
The Butcher's table needs silver, while later upgrades depend on Plains, Mistlands and Ashlands materials. Do not judge your cauldron by a late-game recipe list when you have not reached its resource tier.
Before dismantling your kitchen, identify the exact missing recipe. If it moved to another station, rebuilding the cauldron will not bring it back. Keep enough clear space around improvements to make future placement and interaction straightforward.
Version & sources
Sources & what may change
- Applies to
- Live 0.221.12 through Ashlands; check world settings and mods.
- Last verified
- September 4, 2026
- When to check again
- Recheck after the September 9 release, a relevant patch, or a change to the linked documentation. This page is not yet verified for 1.0.