The only way to permanently increase your energy in Stardew Valley is to find Stardrops: each one adds 34 to your maximum energy, and there are seven in the game, taking you from the starting 270 to 508. Everything else is temporary, either a food or drink buff that raises max energy for a few minutes, or ways to refill and conserve the bar you already have.
Below we list where all seven Stardrops are, the foods that give a temporary Max Energy buff, the fastest ways to refill energy mid-day, and how to make every point go further.
Which Version This Covers
This guide covers Stardew Valley 1.6, the current version on PC, consoles and mobile. Numbers come from the community wiki’s 1.6 data. The energy system itself did not change in 1.6, but the update added new ways to save energy, including the Statue Of Blessings, which can grant a day of infinite energy, per the official 1.6 changelog and the wiki. The wiki also lists River Jelly, a new fishable item, with a Max Energy buff.
How Energy Works
Your energy bar sits in the bottom right of the screen. Using the Hoe, Axe, Pickaxe, Watering Can or Fishing Pole costs energy; the Scythe, weapons and pans do not. Per the community wiki:
- At 0 energy you become exhausted: you move slowly, tools swing slowly, and you cannot cast a Fishing Pole.
- At -15 energy you pass out and the day ends. Passing out away from home costs you 10% of your money, up to 1,000g.
- Going to bed exhausted halves the energy you get back overnight, and going to bed after midnight trims it further, with a 50% cut at 2:00 AM.
Sleeping by midnight while not exhausted restores you to full. One bonus the wiki notes: the morning after any skill levels up, you wake with full energy no matter how late you went to bed.
How to Permanently Increase Max Energy: Every Stardrop
Stardrops are eaten the moment you find them, so you cannot store one. Each gives +34 max energy and a full refill.
| Stardrop | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Stardew Valley Fair | Buy it for 2,000 star tokens at the fall Fair |
| The Mines | The treasure chest on floor 100 |
| Spouse or roommate | Given at 12.5 hearts with your spouse or roommate |
| Krobus | Sold in the Sewers for 20,000g |
| Old Master Cannoli | Give the statue in the Secret Woods a Sweet Gem Berry |
| Willy | Mailed the day after you earn Master Angler (catch every fish) |
| The Museum | Reward for donating all 95 items |
The easiest early ones are the Fair and floor 100 of the Mines, which our Mines levels guide walks you toward. Krobus needs the Rusty Key, covered in our Sewers guide, and the spouse Stardrop comes naturally once you get married. The Master Angler one is the longest grind; our fishing guide is the place to start.
Temporary Max Energy Boosts
You can run up to two Max Energy buffs at once, one from a drink and one from a food, per the wiki. That pushes the cap as high as 588 with every Stardrop.
| Item | Max Energy | Where the recipe comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Red Plate | +50 | Mail from Emily at 7 hearts |
| Complete Breakfast | +50 | Queen of Sauce, Spring 21, year 2 |
| Lobster Bisque | +50 | Queen of Sauce, Winter 14, year 2, or Willy at 9 hearts |
| Super Meal | +40 | Mail from Kent at 7 hearts |
| Bean Hotpot | +30 | Mail from Clint at 7 hearts |
| Tom Kha Soup | +30 | Mail from Sandy at 7 hearts |
| Green Tea (drink) | +30 | Tea Leaves in a Keg |
Bean Hotpot is the easy one: it only needs two Green Beans. A Max Energy buff only raises the ceiling, so eat something else afterward to fill the new space.
How to Refill Energy During the Day
- Eat food. Put the food on your toolbar, select it, and use the action button: right-click on PC, A on Xbox, Cross on PlayStation, A on Switch. Confirm when asked. Forage is free fuel early on: the wiki notes that Salmonberries (Spring 15 to 18) are a cheap source of energy in year 1, and Blackberries do the same job in fall.
- Relax in the Spa. Once an earthquake opens the Railroad on Summer 3 of year 1, the Spa there restores energy and health quickly while you stand still in the pool.
- Buy a tonic. Harvey’s Clinic sells the Energy Tonic and the Muscle Remedy for 1,000g each. The Muscle Remedy also cures exhaustion, which saves your overnight recovery.
- In co-op, standing in a bed without sleeping slowly refills energy.
Avoid Sap and Void Mayonnaise, which drain energy instead.
How to Use Less Energy
- Level your skills. Each level cuts the energy cost of that skill’s tool by 0.1, so a level 10 farmer tills and waters for half what a beginner pays. Our guides on leveling Farming and leveling Fishing cover the fastest routes.
- Build sprinklers. Watering is the biggest daily drain for most farms, and sprinklers remove it entirely.
- Upgrade tools. A better Axe or Pickaxe breaks things in fewer swings, so the job costs less overall even though each swing costs the same.
- Enchant with Efficient. At the Forge on Ginger Island, a Prismatic Shard and 20 Cinder Shards add a random tool enchantment, and Efficient makes that tool cost no energy.
- Statue Of Blessings (1.6). After Farming Mastery, this statue grants a random daily blessing, and the Blessing Of Energy gives unlimited energy for the day.
For every other topic, see the Stardew Valley hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you permanently increase energy in Stardew Valley? Only by eating Stardrops. There are seven, each adding 34 max energy for a total of 508.
What is the easiest Stardrop to get first? Usually the Stardew Valley Fair Stardrop, bought with star tokens, or the chest on floor 100 of the Mines.
Does sleeping late reduce energy? Yes. Going to bed after midnight trims the next day’s energy, and passing out or sleeping exhausted halves it.
Can you save a Stardrop to eat later? No. A Stardrop is consumed as soon as you obtain it.
What food gives the most max energy? Red Plate, Complete Breakfast and Lobster Bisque each give +50 Max Energy for a short time, and a Green Tea drink can stack on top.