v0.31:Container

v50.12 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31.25 · v0.28 · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

Types of containers the game knows are chests, coffers, boxes, cabinets, bags, barrels, large pots and bins. Only chests, coffers, bags, and boxes are explicitly called "container" in game as they can be placed as furniture by building (any of these 4 container types can be used to satisfy the "Needs: X Chests" requirement for nobles). All containers are used to hold items, from personal possessions to gems, alcohol, quarry bush leaves, and even living creatures, but their use is context-sensitive, so you cannot use your barrels for storing coins, but you can build a bag as a dwarf's personal container, analogous to a chest.

Chests, coffers, boxes and bags are subsumed under boxes and bags in the status stocks screen; the other containers have their own entry.

To examine a container's contents when the container is in a stockpile, select the object location with the k key. Then, use + and - until the container is highlighted, then press enter. Press enter again to select the contents, if any. The items command can be used to see items that are stored in a built container. See also, stocks.

Barrels, bins, bags, pots

Barrels are wooden or metal containers that are useful for storing items in a food stockpile and are used to store alcohol, plants, seed bags, meat, fish, dwarven syrup, quarry bush leaf bags, flour bags and dye bags, cooked food in a stack of 10 or less, fat and tallow, and all prepared organs. They are made at a Carpenter's workshop with 1 log or at a Forge with 3 bars of metal. Pots, the stoneware equivalent of barrels, can also be used to store alcohol and other related liquids.

Bins are containers, again made from wood or metal, used for most non-food items. They are sent to all the other stockpiles (with the exclusion of the refuse, stone and graveyard piles) and will hold much larger stacks of items, making organizing those endless piles of +giant cave spider silk socks+ much easier to manage. They are made at a Carpenter's workshop with 1 log or at a Forge with 3 bars of metal.

Bags are used to store seeds, quarry bush leaves, mill products (flour, sugar, dye) and sand ("powders"). They are made from plant fiber (or silk) cloth, leather, or adamantine. Bags are used to gather and transport powders the same way buckets are used to carry water. Bags can be placed inside other containers, such as barrels. Bags can be placed as furniture and then function as coffers (see below). They are made at a Clothier's shop with 1 cloth or at a Leather works with 1 leather.

Empty barrels, bins and bags can all be stored in a furniture stockpile.

Cabinets and "chests"

These two containers are both furniture items only. They must be built in rooms assigned to dwarves in order to function properly. Cabinets are used to store clothing, and chests are used to store everything else.

Also, the hospital needs containers for its supply-storage.

A stone chest is called a coffer, and a glass chest is called a box, but they are used for the same purpose. Bags can also be built as chests.

Their contents can be viewed with the t menu.

Quick Reference

Container	Stockpile	Furniture	Solid Capacity	Liquid Capacity	Stores	Stone	Wood	Glass	Metal	Cloth	Leather	Other
Barrel	Furniture > Type > Barrels	No	10	100	Food, Alcohol4, Extracts4, Milk (25), Lye (10), Bags	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Large Pot	Finished Goods > Type > Tools	No	60000*	60000*	Food, Alcohol, Bags	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Ceramic
Bin	Furniture > Type > Bins	No	10		Items, Jugs, Flasks	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Bucket	Furniture > Type > Buckets	No		?	Milk, Lye, Water2	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Jug	Finished Goods > Type > Tools	No		10000*	Royal Jelly, Honey, Rock Nut Oil	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Ceramic
Flask Vial Waterskin	Finished Goods > Type > Flasks	No		3	Alcohol, Water Vials: Extracts4	No	No	Vial	Flask	No	Waterskin	No
Backpack	Finished Goods > Type > Backpacks	No	3		Food	No	No	No	No	Adamantine3	Yes	No
Quiver	Finished Goods > Type > Quivers	No	?		Ammunition	No	No	No	No	Adamantine3	Yes	No
Bag Chest Coffer Box	Furniture > Type > Boxes and Bags	Special	?		Bags: Seeds, Leaves, Powders Other: Owned items	Coffer	Chest	Box	Chest	Bag	Bag	No
Cabinet	Furniture > Type > Cabinets	Yes	?		Owned clothing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Nest Box	Finished Goods > Type > Tools	Yes	2000*		Eggs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Hive	Finished Goods > Type > Tools	Yes	5000*	5000*	Honey Bees, Royal Jelly, Honeycomb[Verify]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Ceramic
Cage Terrarium Aquarium	Animals	Yes & No	?	?	Creatures, Vermin Aquarium: Water	No	Cage	Terrarium Aquarium	Cage	No	No	No
Animal Trap	Animals	Yes & No	?	?	Vermin, Bait	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Coffin Casket Sarcophagus	Furniture > Type > Coffins	Yes	?	?	Creature/Vermin Corpses/Remains	Coffin	Casket	Coffin	Sarcophagus	No	No	No
Weapon Rack	Furniture > Type > Weapon Racks	Yes	?	?	Weapons	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Armor Stand	Furniture > Type > Armor Stands	Yes	?	?	Armor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No

¹ - Large Pots can be made from any hard material, including wood and metal

² - Used to carry water, can store Milk and Lye but will be emptied into Barrels

³ - Backpacks and quivers can only be made from Adamantine cloth, though ones made from other cloth can be purchased from caravans

⁴ - Brewing and extracting can store any amount of liquid within a barrel or flask

• Large Pots are like Barrels but with different capacities.
• Bins are like Barrels but stores different stuff.
• Buckets are used for temporary storage of Milk, Lye, and Water.
• Jugs are mini containers for jellies and can be stored inside Bins, in this sense they are like Bags.
• Bags are mini containers for powders and can be stored inside Barrels/Large Pots if holding food items.
• Bags are like Chests/Coffers/Boxes made of cloth or leather, can be placed as furniture in the same fashion.
• Flasks/Waterskins/Vials are different names for the same containers depending on the material it's made from.
• Chests/Coffers/Boxes are different names for the same piece of furniture depending on the material it's made from.
• A terrarium can be designated as an Aquarium, a dwarf will use a bucket to fill it with water, if deconstructed it'll stay filled with Water[10] and can even be sold with the water inside, the water costs 1☼ each, so you get 10☼ for the water.
• Hives won't get destroyed if you don't have a stockpile to place on of its products, you could use t on the hive and dump the item to use it.

V · T · E Buildings
Workshops • Furnaces
Rooms	Barracks • Bedroom • Dining room • Dormitory • Jail • Meeting hall • Hospital • Office • Sculpture garden • Tomb • Zoo
Furniture	Animal trap • Anvil • Armor stand • Bed • Bin • Box • Bucket • Cabinet • Cage • Coffin • Restraint • Seat • Statue • Table • Weapon rack
Access	Door • Floodgate • Bars • Grate • Floor hatch • Bridge • Road • Window
Constructions	Fortification • Floor • Stairs • Ramp • Wall
Machine & Trap parts	Axle • Gear assembly • Millstone • Screw pump • Water wheel • Windmill • Lever • Pressure plate • Trap • Support
Other Buildings	Archery target • Kennel • Shop • Siege engine • Trade depot • Wagon • Well
Related Articles	Design strategies • Bedroom design • Cave-in • Computing • Furniture industry