A method of making metallic iron in which a compact, containing
iron oxide such as
iron ore or the like and a carbonaceous reductant such as
coal or the like, is used as material, and the
iron oxide is reduced through the application of heat, thereby making metallic iron. In the course of this reduction, a shell composed of metallic iron is generated and grown on the surface of the compact, and
slag aggregates inside the shell. This reduction continues until substantially no
iron oxide is present within the metallic iron shell. Subsequently, heating is further performed to melt the metallic iron and
slag. Molten metallic iron and
molten slag are separated one from the other, thereby obtaining metallic iron with a relatively high metallization ratio. Through the employment of an apparatus for making metallic iron of the present invention, the above-described method is efficiently carried out, and metallic iron having a high iron purity can be made continuously as well as productively not only from iron
oxide having a high
iron content but also from iron
oxide having a relatively low
iron content.