Probably Stolen how to smelt: Furnace & Ingot Guide

Your scrap pile can become useful inventory while you sleep. If you’re searching for Probably Stolen how to smelt, the basic recipe is simple: power a Furnace, add two compatible metal materials, and leave it overnight to produce one Metal Ingot. The important choices are what you feed it and whether you want cheaper production, higher purity, or more ingots.

This Probably Stolen how to smelt guide covers the free Furnace unlock, material sources, purity bonuses, and upgrades that change your production options. Start with the standard recipe before spending credits on ore introductions or specialized modules.

Probably Stolen how to smelt: The Basic Recipe

Smelting converts Scrap Metal and Metal Ore into Metal Ingots. A standard Furnace takes two material items per batch, consumes 8 power per night, and produces one ingot overnight.

Official screenshot · Source: Steam store

You can use two pieces of scrap, two pieces of ore, or a mixed pair. All three combinations work, but they do not produce the same quality.

Your first batch, step by step

1. Insert an Energy Cell. Make sure it has enough charge to cover the Furnace’s overnight consumption.
2. Load two valid materials. Use Scrap Metal, Metal Ore, or one of each.
3. Add a Flux Smelting Agent if desired. Flux is optional, not a requirement for basic production.
4. Let the night pass. Smelting is an overnight process rather than an immediate crafting action.
5. Collect the Metal Ingot. Check its purity before deciding whether to sell it or keep it for another trade.

The shortest answer to Probably Stolen how to smelt is therefore: two metal inputs, 8 power, one night, one ingot. Furnace modules can change that formula, so treat it as the baseline rather than a rule for every upgraded machine.

The launch-build details here follow Bonus Action’s guide to Probably Stolen trades and unlocks, published October 28, 2026.

How to Unlock the Furnace and Find Materials

You do not need to buy a trade introduction to begin basic smelting. Dr. Jackson gives you a Furnace on day 6, making the machine itself free to obtain.

After that introduction, Dr. Jackson stocks Furnaces, the Metallurgy Manual, and furnace modules. Materials and power still matter, of course: a free machine does not mean every batch costs nothing.

Where to get your supplies

Wild’s Network becomes available on day 7. That matters because the free Furnace arrives before the listed introduction to your ore supplier.

You can therefore start with scrap rather than waiting to establish an ore supply. If you already have two Scrap Metal and sufficient power, you have the ingredients for a first batch.

Should you buy the mining introduction immediately?

Not necessarily. The 250-credit introduction gives you access to Caulson at GP Mining Coop; it is not a payment that makes all future ore free.

Before buying it, consider whether you can afford both the introduction and a continuing supply of materials. Scrap is a practical way to learn the production cycle without committing to that extra supplier cost.

For anyone approaching Probably Stolen how to smelt with a tight early-game budget, the sensible starting point is the free Furnace and available scrap. Move into ore when its better purity fits your sales or crafting plans.

Ingot Purity, Flux, and Value Bonuses

The main decision in ordinary smelting is input quality versus material cost. Scrap works, but ore produces a more valuable ingot before additional upgrades enter the picture.

These percentages describe ingot value adjustments, not guaranteed profit. Your actual return depends on the cost of the inputs, power, additives, and any upgrades you purchase.

A simple value example

Imagine an ingot has a hypothetical base value of 100 credits. The listed purity adjustments would produce these values:

• Low: 85 credits.
• Fair: 100 credits.
• High: 125 credits.
• Very High: 150 credits.
• Perfect: 300 credits.

Those are illustrative numbers, not confirmed in-game base prices. They show why purity matters without assuming what a particular ingot will sell for.

The jump from High to Very High adds 25 percentage points of base value. In the example above, that is 25 credits. If your Flux Smelting Agent costs more than the additional value it creates, using it solely for resale would reduce your margin.

When to use flux

Flux is optional for making an ingot. The documented quality recipe is two Metal Ore plus a Flux Smelting Agent, which produces Very High purity before considering quality modules.

Use that recipe when you deliberately want better output. Do not assume you must consume flux in every scrap batch just to get the Furnace working.

The useful takeaway from Probably Stolen how to smelt is not simply “always use the best ingredients.” It is “choose ingredients whose extra value justifies their extra cost.”

Furnace Modules: More Ingots or Better Quality?

Once basic production is reliable, modules let you specialize. The important distinction is between improving purity, increasing output, and processing another type of material.

Blast module: prioritize quantity

The Blast module changes the standard material ratio from two inputs for one ingot to three inputs for two ingots.

For a straightforward comparison:

• A standard setup uses six material items to make three ingots.
• The Blast recipe uses six material items across two batches to make four ingots.
• That is approximately 33% more ingots per material item.

However, Blast lowers purity by one level. More ingots do not automatically mean more sales revenue, especially if your ordinary setup produces a valuable purity grade.

Also, this material-efficiency comparison does not establish upgraded power consumption or processing time. Check the module’s in-game details before budgeting a larger operation.

Junk Processing: make scrap first

Junk and Scrap Metal are different inputs. The ordinary ingot recipe uses Scrap Metal, not arbitrary Junk.

The Junk Processing module converts six Junk into four Scrap Metal. That gives you enough scrap for two standard scrap-only ingot batches.

Think of it as a separate preparation step:

Junk → Scrap Metal → Metal Ingots

Quality modules: prioritize value

Quality modules can raise output as far as Perfect, which carries the listed +200% value adjustment. The available reference does not specify an exact module count or complete configuration for reaching that grade.

Buy with the in-game descriptions in view rather than assuming one module guarantees Perfect output.

An older Steam Community discussion about smelting mechanics also contains proposed copper, brass, steel, and carbon recipes. Those are community suggestions, not verified crafting instructions. Do not confuse those proposed systems with the documented Metal Ingot recipes above.

Practical Smelting Tips and Troubleshooting

A dependable smelting routine matters more than buying every upgrade immediately. Keep your materials, charge, and intended use aligned before ending the day.

For a standard, unmodified setup, two Furnaces require 16 power per night in total; three require 24. That is a planning calculation based on the listed 8-power consumption per Furnace, not a claim about modified machines.

Keep some metal for other trades

Smelting supports more than direct ingot sales:

• Gunsmithing: Some 3D Printer chips require Metal Ingots or Scrap Metal. Check the chip before committing your stock.
• Rat ranching: Metal Ingots expand Animal Cages, while Scrap Metal repairs them.
• Future batches: Holding some raw material avoids an idle Furnace when suppliers are unavailable.

Do not turn every piece of scrap into ingots if you also need cage repairs or printer materials.

A useful Probably Stolen how to smelt routine is to check charge, load a complete recipe, choose any additive deliberately, and inspect the result the next morning. Expand only when you can keep the extra machines supplied.

Player experience: One participant in the Steam discussion described running multiple smelting setups in the background for trading. That supports treating smelting as a supplementary production activity, but it does not establish a guaranteed profit rate or a specific automation setup.

FAQ

Probably Stolen how to smelt: What is the easiest first recipe?

Put a sufficiently charged Energy Cell into the Furnace, load two Scrap Metal, and leave it overnight. The standard batch uses 8 power and produces one Low-purity Metal Ingot. Flux is not required.

When do you get the Furnace?

Dr. Jackson gives you a Furnace on day 6. Afterward, he stocks additional Furnaces, the Metallurgy Manual, and furnace modules. You do not need the GP Mining Coop introduction to begin smelting scrap.

How do you make higher-purity Metal Ingots?

Use two Metal Ore for High purity, or add a Flux Smelting Agent to that pair for Very High purity. Quality modules can raise purity further, up to Perfect. Check your configuration carefully because the Blast module lowers purity by one level.

Can you smelt Junk directly into ingots?

Not through the ordinary two-material recipe. The Junk Processing module turns six Junk into four Scrap Metal. You can then use that scrap in standard ingot production, keeping the processing step separate from the final smelting recipe.