Reduced iron production method

Disclosed herein is a reduced iron production method enabling heat to be input well into reduced-iron raw materials on a hearth covering material in a reduction-melting furnace to improve the efficiency of treatment thereof. The reduced-iron raw materials are set on the hearth covering material through their falls and reduced on the hearth covering material. The hearth covering material is constituted by carbon materials each having a particle diameter of 5 mm or less. At least 7 mass % of the carbon materials have respective particle diameters each being 0.1 mm or less. This restrains the reduced-iron raw materials from embedment into the hearth covering material.