How to Get the 99 Cooking Cape in OSRS: Your Ultimate Guide
Reaching level 99 in Cooking in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a milestone many players aim for, and the coveted 99 Cooking Cape is the ultimate reward for your efforts. Known for its accessibility, profitability, and relatively fast training methods, Cooking is often the first skill players max out. Whether you’re a free-to-play (F2P) adventurer or a pay-to-play (P2P) veteran, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to earn the Cooking Cape, from training methods to perks and tips for success. Let’s dive into the sizzling world of OSRS Cooking and get you ready to don that purple cape with pride!
The Cooking skill in OSRS is more than just a way to whip up tasty dishes—it’s a gateway to self-sufficiency, profit, and in-game prestige. The 99 Cooking Cape, purchasable for 99,000 coins from the Head Chef at the Cooks’ Guild, symbolizes mastery and offers practical benefits that make it worth the grind.
Benefits of the Cooking Cape
- No More Burnt Food: When equipped, the Cooking Cape ensures you never burn food again, making it a superior alternative to Cooking Gauntlets.
- Cooks’ Guild Access: Use the cape to enter the Cooks’ Guild without needing a Chef’s Hat or Varrock Armour 3.
- Defensive Boosts: Like all skill capes, it provides +9 to all defensive stats, and if trimmed (with another 99 skill), it adds a +4 Prayer bonus.
- Bragging Rights: With over 400,000 players having achieved 99 Cooking as of early 2025, it’s one of the most common capes—but still a proud achievement!
Why Cooking is a Popular First 99
Cooking stands out as a beginner-friendly skill due to its low entry barriers and high experience rates. You can train it AFK (away from keyboard), it pairs well with Fishing, and some methods even turn a profit. For Ironmen, it’s essential for preparing food for bossing, while for regular accounts, it’s a quick way to boost total level and unlock content like Recipe for Disaster (requiring 70 Cooking for Barrows Gloves).
Fastest Methods to Reach 99 Cooking
To hit level 99 and snag that Cooking Cape, you’ll need 13,034,431 experience points. The fastest methods prioritize speed over cost, but they’re worth it if you want that cape ASAP. Here’s how to get there efficiently.
Level 1-30: Early Grinding
Start with the Cook’s Assistant quest for a quick 300 XP, jumping you to level 4. Then, cook basic foods like shrimp (40 XP each) or sardines (40 XP each) until level 15. Switch to herring (50 XP each) until level 25, then trout (70 XP each) to reach 30. You’ll need a fire or range—Rogues’ Den in Burthorpe is ideal with its permanent fire next to a bank.
Level 30-99: 1-Tick Karambwans (P2P)
For P2P players, cooking Karambwans with 1-tick manipulation is the fastest method in the game. After completing the Tai Bwo Wannai Trio quest (requires 15 Agility, 30 Cooking, 5 Fishing), you can cook these mollusks from Karamja. Each successful cook yields 190 XP, and with perfect timing (holding the “2” key and clicking raw Karambwans on a range every game tick), you can hit 900,000-950,000 XP per hour. It’s click-intensive, but you’ll reach 99 in under 15 hours. Expect to cook around 68,600 Karambwans, costing about 25-30M GP if bought from the Grand Exchange.
Level 35-99: Jugs of Wine (F2P & P2P)
A more relaxed alternative is making Jugs of Wine. At level 35, use grapes on jugs of water (200 XP each after fermentation). You’ll need roughly 65,000 wines to hit 99, costing around 3.5-4M GP at current prices (grapes at ~50 GP each). XP rates range from 400,000-500,000 per hour at level 68 when failures stop, making this a budget-friendly, semi-AFK option for F2P and P2P players alike. Cook at a bank like the Cooks’ Guild or Lumbridge Castle.
Profitable Methods to 99 Cooking
If you’d rather make money while training, Cooking can be profitable, especially with fish. These methods are slower but keep your bank account healthy.
Level 25-65: Salmon and Lobsters
Cook salmon (90 XP each) from 25-40, then switch to lobsters (120 XP each) until 65. At the Hosidius Kitchen (requires 100% Hosidius favor), burn rates drop by 5% (10% with Elite Kourend Diary), boosting profits. Lobsters typically yield a small profit—raw lobsters cost ~150 GP, cooked sell for ~180 GP— netting you a few million GP by 65.
Level 65-99: Monkfish and Sharks
From 65-83, cook monkfish (150 XP each), which stop burning at 90 with Cooking Gauntlets (from Family Crest quest). Then, at 83, switch to sharks (210 XP each), which stop burning at 94 with gauntlets. At Hosidius, you can profit ~200-300K GP per hour cooking 1,300 sharks (raw ~900 GP, cooked ~1,100 GP). You’ll need ~50,000 sharks to hit 99, earning around 5-7M GP total.
Table: Profit vs. Speed Comparison
| Method | XP/Hour | GP/Hour | Total Cost/Profit to 99 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Tick Karambwans | 900K-950K | -1.5M to -2M | -25M to -30M |
| Jugs of Wine | 400K-500K | -200K to -250K | -3.5M to -4M |
| Sharks | 250K-300K | +200K to +300K | +5M to +7M |
Best Locations and Gear for Cooking Training
Where and how you cook can make or break your journey to 99. Optimize your setup with these spots and items.
Top Cooking Locations
- Rogues’ Den (Burthorpe): Permanent fire right next to a bank—perfect for AFK training, no requirements.
- Hosidius Kitchen (Kourend): Reduces burn rates by 5% (10% with Elite Diary), close to a bank, requires 100% Hosidius favor.
- Cooks’ Guild (Varrock): Ranges and a bank upstairs, ideal for wine-making, requires 32 Cooking and a Chef’s Hat (or cape later).
- Myths’ Guild (P2P): Ranges with better success rates than fires, requires Dragon Slayer II.
Essential Gear
- Cooking Gauntlets: From Family Crest quest, reduces burn levels (e.g., sharks stop burning at 94 instead of 99).
- RuneLite Plugins: Use the Idle Notifier to stay on track during AFK sessions.
- Bank Access: Stick to spots with nearby banks to minimize downtime.
Tips and Tricks for the Cooking Cape Grind
Maximize efficiency and enjoyment with these pro tips to streamline your path to 99 Cooking.
Boosting Efficiency
- Quest XP: Complete Gertrude’s Cat (1,525 XP) and Recipe for Disaster’s Goblin Generals subquest (1,000 XP) to skip early levels.
- Pair with Fishing: Fish your own raw materials (e.g., sharks or Karambwans) to save GP and train two skills at once.
- AFK Wisely: Use Rogues’ Den or Hosidius for low-effort cooking while multitasking—watch Netflix or quest on an alt!
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
- Don’t Overbuy: Check Grand Exchange prices before bulk-buying raw materials—prices fluctuate!
- Burn Management: Use gauntlets or high-level ranges to minimize losses, especially pre-99.
- Untrimmed Cape: If you want an untrimmed cape (no red trim), make Cooking your first 99—plan accordingly!
Celebrating Your Achievement
Once you hit 99, head to the Cooks’ Guild west of Varrock, buy your cape and hood for 99,000 coins, and perform the emote—a 14-second meat pie-making spectacle, the longest skill cape emote in OSRS. Show it off in the Grand Exchange or your favorite bank!
Final Thoughts: The 99 Cooking Cape is within reach for any dedicated player. Whether you blast through with 1-tick Karambwans, sip your way to 99 with Jugs of Wine, or profit with sharks, the journey is as rewarding as the destination. Start cooking today, and soon you’ll be wearing that purple cape with pride. Happy skilling!