The Cauldron transforms items: official achievements prove Plank → Oblivion Essence, Vitality Essence → Oblivion Essence, plank production in the Cauldron and wood produced by Cauldron. It is unlocked through Cauldron research (Steam: “Traditional Alchemy”). Other combinations are community leads until reproduced on the current build.
Community sites describe the Cauldron as a “formula” machine with multiple input slots, heat management and stable-feed behavior. That model matches the achievements and the game’s own description of magical devices. The mechanics guide How the Cauldron works covers feeding and heat; this page is the formula table.
Verified formulas (official evidence)
Plank → Oblivion Essence
Vitality Essence → Oblivion Essence
Inputs → Plank
Inputs → Wood
What the formula table will hold
While each combination is re-verified, the reference table below covers the confirmed cells. Every unlocked cell is linked to its item and machine page.
| Input A | Input B | Output | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plank | — | Oblivion Essence | OFFICIAL |
| Vitality Essence | — | Oblivion Essence | OFFICIAL |
| Various | — | Plank | OFFICIAL |
| Various | — | Wood | OFFICIAL |
| Sulfur + … | — | ? | COMMUNITY |
| Other community combos | — | ? | PENDING |
Community evidence suggests alternative combinations, extra input slots and behavior that depends on heat and stable feeding. Until reproduced on the current build, community explanations of the Cauldron algorithm are research leads only.
Highest-value targets
Players search most for “best cauldron recipes” — the decision guide is on Best Cauldron recipes. Short answer: prioritize formulas whose outputs feed Philosopher’s Stone progress or unlock sell value, but wait for the verified table before optimizing around exact quantities.
The Steam achievement “What are you doing?” requires throwing an Automatic Cashier into a Cauldron with a Catapult — the Cauldron accepts more than raw materials.
Independent fan reference for Alchemy Factory. Game data refers to the current official 1.0 build (Steam, PC). Field-level evidence is flagged on each page with OFFICIAL / OBSERVED / COMMUNITY badges; amounts shown without a badge come from the official 1.0 patch notes or store descriptions.