Where to get ceramic in Fallout 4

If you’re here because you typed “where to get ceramic in Fallout 4” into the search bar, you’ve come to the right place. Ceramic is a mid-tier crafting material that shows up in dozens of settlement structures, weapon/armor mods, and automated systems — and once you start building generators, turrets, and power pylons, you’ll suddenly discover you need a lot of it. This guide is a deep, practical, research-backed walkthrough covering every reliable source of ceramic in Fallout 4, best farming routes, vendor shipments, scrapping tips, console commands (for PC), and clever tricks to keep your workbench stocked.

I wrote this to be more useful than a list of locations — you’ll get why ceramic appears where it does, which junk items give the highest yield, how vendors replenish shipments, and step-by-step routes that save you hours of scavenging. Let’s get into it.

What ceramic is used for (and why it matters)

Ceramic is a crafting component used across the workshop menu and for a variety of mods and constructions: power pylons, power conduits, some generator components, certain weapon/armor mods, and miscellaneous workshop items. Because many power-related objects and decorative electronics require ceramic (and many of them require several units each), a mid-size settlement build can burn through hundreds of ceramic quickly. Knowing where to get bulk ceramic — rather than grabbing one coffee cup at a time — is crucial for efficient settlement building. (Arqade)

The two basic ways to get ceramic (quick summary)

Scrap junk items that contain ceramic — plates, coffee cups, bowls, vases, teapots, etc. These are everywhere: restaurants, kitchens, police stations, and Vault interiors. Tag “Ceramic” in your junk list or use the scrapper mode to highlight items so you don’t miss them. (Fallout Wiki)
Buy shipments from vendors — many merchants sell “Shipment of Ceramic” (25 or 50 units). This is the fastest legit way to get large stacks without console commands or exploits. Merchants that sell shipments include Myrna/Percy (Diamond City), Trashcan Carla (caravan), Mr. Handy in the Science Center gift shop, and a few others in DLC areas. (Fallout Wiki)

Best junk items for ceramic (what to loot & scrap)

Some junk items give more ceramic per item than others. Focus on the items below when you’re clearing houses, eateries, and kitchens — they’re light to carry and high-yield:

Coffee Cup / Clean Coffee Cup / Souvenir Coffee Cup — a single cup yields 1 ceramic. Coffee cups are extremely common in cafeterias, kitchens, and Vaults. (Fallout Wiki)
Small / Large Plate / Dinner Plate / Serving Plate — plates typically yield 1–2 ceramic depending on variant. Kitchens and dining areas are full of plates. (Fallout Wiki)
Bowls / Teapots — often worth 2 ceramic for small bowls; teapots can be higher (some posts and older guides suggest teapots/coal items are profitable). Treat teapots and decorative ceramic bowls as priority pickups. (GameFAQs)
Vases & Urns — many cemeteries (Wildwood Cemetery, etc.) and fancy houses have multiple vases that scrap into ceramic. Vases can be heavier model items in the environment but often yield several ceramic units total. (The Vault)
Large kitchen items (bathtubs, sinks, urns in certain spots) — sometimes yield ceramic (and other components); check workshop extraction lists and regional loot tables. (Fallout Wiki)

Tip: on PC you can check each junk item’s page (or look at the component breakdown in the Pip-Boy’s junk tab) — press the scrap/inspect key and see the material produced. If you’re on console, hold up in the workshop screen and highlight items to see components. (Fallout Wiki)

High-yield locations (fast farms & map hotspots)

Below are the most consistently fruitful places to farm ceramic, organized by reliability and approximate yield.

1. Vault 95 — coffee cup bonanza

Vault 95 contains dozens of coffee cups and plates inside its living/dining areas; many players report 40+ coffee cups there alone if you clear thoroughly. It’s one of the cleanest one-stop locations for ceramic (and it’s repeatable if you fast travel away and back after vendor/respawn periods). (Fallout Wiki)

2. Vault 114 (Concord & Quincy area) — kitchen cache

Vault 114’s kitchen reportedly contains 55 ceramic in plates and mugs in some rooms; this is another concentrated indoor location — great if you’re already near Concord/Quincy. (Fallout Wiki)

3. Wildwood Cemetery — vases & decorative ceramic

The cemetery area has many decorative vases and urns; clearing the crypt and nearby grounds yields several ceramic units in one run. Great for players who prefer looting outside buildings. (The Vault)

4. South Boston Police Department (and other PD locations) — coffee cups & plates

Police stations in the Commonwealth often have break rooms and cafeterias loaded with coffee cups and plates — an underrated bulk source. (Fallout Wiki)

5. Restaurants, diners, and cafeterias across the Commonwealth

Places like the Diner, Greentop Nursery café areas, and many small diners have stacked plates, cups, and bowls — they’re trivially quick to clear and respawn on cell reset. (Fallout Wiki)

6. Sanctuary Hills — bathrooms and kitchens (settlement scrapping trick)

If you want a repeatable workshop-friendly yield, set up a settlement (Sanctuary is ideal) and scrap every bathroom/kitchen fixture you find when exploring. Bathrooms in prewar houses typically have ceramic sinks/urinals and small items — scrap and bring them back to the workshop. Fextralife recommends checking Sanctuary houses for ceramic items to scrap en masse.

Buy shipments: fastest legit bulk method (vendors & tips)

If you have caps and want ceramic fast without scavenging, buy Shipment of Ceramic packs. These come in 25 or 50-unit shipments and are sold by various merchants on rotation. Important vendor notes:

Myrna and Percy (Diamond City Surplus / Junk shop) — sell shipments (25) and sometimes 50. Wait for their merchant stock to cycle (1–3 in-game days) and check both daytime (Myrna) and nighttime (Mr. Handy takeover) stocks.
Trashcan Carla (caravan near Bunker Hill) — sells shipments of 50 ceramic at times (caravans move, so you may need to track her down).
Mr. Handy vendor (Science Center gift shop, Cambridge) — an unmarked location with a Mr. Handy that sells a shipment of 50 ceramic. This is a very valuable find because the location is fixed and the Mr. Handy sells large shipments.
DLC vendors (Nuka-World & Automatron) — certain DLC NPCs (e.g., Shelbie Chase / Katelyn in Nuka-Town market, the Mechanist if spared in Automatron) can sell shipments of ceramic (50 units). If you own expansions, check those markets.

Vendor restock: vendors reset stock every 48 in-game hours (about 2–3 minutes real-world if using wait/fast-forward tricks), so you can buy shipments, then leave and come back after the rest period. If you don’t want to hunt, set up a save/load routine to buy repeatedly. (Reddit)

Farming routes & efficiency tips (step-by-step)

Here’s an efficient route that blends looting and vendor purchases to gather hundreds of ceramic in under an hour (in-game):

Prep: Tag Ceramic in your junk favorites so component items are highlighted on the HUD (this helps you spot coffee cups/plates). If on PC, open the crafting menu and highlight ceramic components to see map markers.
Vault 95 run: Fast-travel to Vault 95. Clear the vault’s living/dining areas and loot every plate and coffee cup. Scrapping on-site or at your nearest settlement workshop both work — bring the junk home if you need inventory space.
Wildwood Cemetery sweep: Head to Wildwood Cemetery and loot vases and urns. These are often clustered and yield multiple ceramic in one area.
South Boston PD / Restaurant crawl: Visit nearby police stations and diners to clear more plates and cups. You’ll be surprised how quickly cups add up.
Vendor shopping: Head to Diamond City (Myrna/Percy) and buy shipments of ceramic. If you find Trashcan Carla or Mr. Handy at the Science Center, buy 50-unit shipments for instant bulk.
Return & scrap: Go back to a workshop (Sanctuary or other) and scrap the junk — convert it into ceramic units and immediately use or store in workbench inventory.

Repeat the vendor step after a 48-hour restock if you want continuous purchases.

Settlement & workshop tricks

Junk extractors: If you settle a location on top of a junk pile, you can add a junk extractor which increases yield and helps convert world junk into useful materials over time. This is a long-term trick if you plan to run settlements full-time.
Store shipments in workshop inventory: When you buy shipments, move them to the settlement’s workbench inventory for safe storage. Shipments take up less space than raw junk and are easy to use.

PC console commands & spawn IDs (if you only want to cheat)

If you’re on PC and don’t mind using console commands, ceramic has a material item ID and there are shipment IDs you can spawn:

Ceramic ID: 000AEC5E — use player.additem 000AEC5E [amount] to add ceramic.
Shipment of Ceramic (25): 001EC13B — use player.additem 001EC13B 1 to add one shipment of 25 (then open and scrap it).

(Use console commands responsibly — they break achievements and can affect game stability if overused.)

DLC & special-case sources

Automatron & Mechanist: If you play Automatron and pacify/spare the Mechanist, she sells a shipment of 50 ceramic. That’s a handy one-off if you completed that DLC.
Nuka-World: Vendors in Nuka-Town market (DLC) sometimes carry ceramic shipments; check Katelyn and Shelbie Chase if you have Nuka-World installed.

What about exploits and duplication glitches?

Players have historically shared duplication glitches that allow item multiplication. I won’t detail those here — they often rely on bugs Bethesda later patches, and they can corrupt saves. For a stable playthrough, stick to vendor shipments, scrapping, and console commands on PC if you want instant results. If you search community forums, you’ll find duplication methods, but use at your own risk.

Quick FAQ-style recap (mini)

Where is the best single spot? Vault 95 (tons of coffee cups) and Vault 114 kitchen are two of the best concentrated loot zones.
Who sells bulk shipments? Myrna/Percy (Diamond City), Trashcan Carla (caravan), Mr. Handy (Science Center), and some DLC vendors.
What to pick up? Coffee cups, plates, bowls, teapots, vases — those are the highest-yield, lightest-to-carry items.
PC console? player.additem 000AEC5E [amount] for ceramic; player.additem 001EC13B 1 for a shipment of 25 ceramic.

Final tips — save time and inventory

Tag ceramic in the junk menu so it’s highlighted on the HUD. That saves time and prevents missed pickups.
Use a companion to carry — if you’re over-encumbered but near a settlement or vendor, have a companion carry ceramic junk back.
Plan an efficient route — combine Vault runs with vendor stops (e.g., Vault 95 → Diamond City → Science Center) to turn looting into a one-hour circuit.

Sources & further reading

This guide compiled items and vendor lists from the Fallout Wiki (Fandom), Game8’s ceramic farming guide (which includes item and shipment IDs), Fextralife’s ceramic summary, Dot Esports’ farming tips, and community knowledge from forums and Reddit — all of which confirm Vault 95, vendor shipments, and the common junk items (coffee cups, plates, vases) as the most reliable sources.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the easiest way to get ceramic in Fallout 4?

The easiest and most reliable way to get ceramic in Fallout 4 is by scrapping common junk items like Coffee Cups, Dinner Plates, and Teapots. You can find them all over Diamond City, Covenant, or most kitchens and offices in the Commonwealth. For large-scale collection, buy ceramic shipments from vendors like Trashcan Carla, Percy, or Deb at Bunker Hill.

Q2. Can I buy ceramic shipments directly?

Yes — several vendors sell Shipments of Ceramic, which are an excellent way to stock up without endless scavenging. Some reliable sellers include Trashcan Carla, Percy at Diamond City Surplus, Myrna, and Deb in Bunker Hill. Shipments automatically convert into individual units when stored in your Workshop inventory.

Q3. What junk items give ceramic when scrapped?

Items like Coffee Cups, Ashtrays, Dinner Plates, Bowls, Vases, Teapots, and Lanterns all yield ceramic when scrapped. You can find these in kitchens, cafeterias, schools, and offices across the map. Hospitals and restaurants also tend to be gold mines for ceramic-based junk.

Q4. Where can I farm ceramic early in the game?

For early-game farming, visit Sanctuary Hills, Lexington, or Covenant. Sanctuary’s abandoned houses are full of household junk like mugs and plates. You can also raid Super Duper Mart or Medford Memorial Hospital for even more ceramic-laden items.

Q5. How much ceramic do I need for crafting in Fallout 4?

The amount varies, but you’ll need plenty. Ceramic is used for building turrets, generators, and power armor station upgrades. Players who love settlement building or crafting advanced mods should aim to keep at least 100–200 ceramic units in storage for long-term projects.

Q6. Is there a mod that helps track ceramic in Fallout 4?

Yes — mods like Component Tracking or Workshop Plus can highlight items that contain specific materials, including ceramic. This makes scavenging faster and more efficient since you’ll instantly see what’s worth picking up.

Q7. Does ceramic respawn in Fallout 4?

Yes, most locations respawn loot after a few in-game days, especially cleared areas. That means you can revisit places like Super Duper Mart, CIT Ruins, or Covenant to find new ceramic items after the cells reset.

Q8. Is ceramic used in power armor or weapons?

Definitely. Ceramic is crucial for Power Armor upgrades, especially for modding the internal and external plating. It’s also required in some energy weapon mods and turret construction, so having a steady supply will always pay off.

Q9. Can settlers collect ceramic for you automatically?

Not directly — settlers can’t scavenge specific materials like ceramic on command. However, setting up Scavenger Stations can help increase your overall junk collection rate, indirectly giving you more ceramic over time.

Q10. Does ceramic have a weight or encumbrance issue?

Each ceramic-containing item has a weight, but shipments don’t — making shipments the best option for carrying large amounts of ceramic without slowing down your character. Always store junk in your workshop rather than carrying it around to stay light on your feet.

Conclusion

When it comes to where to get ceramic in Fallout 4, the Commonwealth is overflowing with possibilities — if you know where to look. Whether you’re a meticulous scavenger or a settlement-building enthusiast, ceramic is one of those humble yet essential resources that powers your entire game progression.

For casual players, looting coffee cups, ashtrays, and dinner plates from homes and offices can keep your ceramic stock healthy without breaking immersion. For power players and builders, vendor shipments from Trashcan Carla, Percy, or Deb provide an easy, bulk solution.

What makes ceramic so valuable isn’t just its abundance — it’s how integral it is to Fallout 4’s crafting ecosystem. From defense turrets and power armor mods to generator setups and settlement upgrades, this simple white material helps you build, defend, and survive in the post-apocalyptic world.

So next time you’re exploring a pre-war diner or ransacking a raider base, don’t overlook that dusty mug or broken bowl. Each one could be the piece of ceramic you need to reinforce your next settlement or fine-tune your armor.

In the harsh wasteland of Fallout 4, every cup counts — and every bit of ceramic keeps your civilization alive.