OSRS F2P Cooking Guide for 2025 Fastest 1-99 Methods

OSRS F2P Cooking Guide for 2025 Fastest 1-99 Methods

Cooking in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is one of the easiest and fastest skills to train, especially for free-to-play (F2P) players. Whether you’re aiming for level 99, quest requirements, or just want to make some gold, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the best F2P cooking methods. From burning shrimp to mastering swordfish, we’ll cover efficient leveling strategies, profitable techniques, and tips to minimize losses. Let’s fire up the range and get cooking!

Cooking is a low-effort skill that offers decent experience rates and can even turn a profit in F2P worlds. It’s essential for quests like Cook’s Assistant, provides food for combat training, and unlocks access to the Cooking Guild at level 32. Plus, it’s a great way to engage with the community by selling cooked fish on the Grand Exchange (GE). Training cooking also pairs well with fishing, letting you level two skills at once if you catch your own ingredients.

Benefits of Cooking in F2P

  • Fast XP: Cooking offers some of the quickest experience rates in F2P, with methods reaching up to 170k XP per hour.
  • Profit Potential: Cooking items like lobsters and swordfish can yield profit when sold on the GE.
  • Quest Utility: Many F2P quests require cooked food or specific cooking levels.
  • Self-Sufficiency: Cooked food supports combat training, saving you gold on healing items.

Getting Started with F2P Cooking

The Ultimate OSRS F2P Cooking Guide 199 High Ground Gaming

Before diving into training, you’ll need a few basics: raw ingredients (like fish or meat) and a cooking range or fire. Ranges are preferred since they reduce the chance of burning food compared to fires. In F2P, the best ranges are accessible early, and no special equipment like cooking gauntlets is required (unlike P2P). Completing the Cook’s Assistant quest is a great starting point, granting access to the Lumbridge Castle range and a small XP boost to level 4.

Essential Cooking Locations

Choosing the right spot can make or break your efficiency. Here are the top F2P cooking locations, ranked by proximity to a bank:

Location Distance to Bank Notes
Lumbridge Castle (Cook-o-Matic 100) ~20 tiles (upstairs bank) Best F2P range, reduced burn rate, requires Cook’s Assistant.
Al Kharid Range ~22 tiles Close to bank, good for early levels, no requirements.
Edgeville Stove ~10 tiles Door can slow you down, great for high-level cooking.
Cooking Guild ~10 tiles (with requirements) Requires level 32 and chef’s hat, bank access needs Hard Varrock Diary or level 99.

Gathering Ingredients

You can either fish your own ingredients or buy them from the GE. Fishing your own fish (like shrimp, trout, or lobsters) levels up your Fishing skill and saves gold, but it’s slower. Buying from the GE is faster but cuts into profits. Common F2P ingredients include:

  • Shrimp: Level 1 Cooking, 30 XP each, fishable at Draynor Village.
  • Trout: Level 15 Cooking, 70 XP each, fishable at Barbarian Village.
  • Tuna: Level 30 Cooking, 100 XP each, fishable at Karamja.
  • Lobster: Level 40 Cooking, 120 XP each, fishable at Karamja.
  • Swordfish: Level 45 Cooking, 140 XP each, fishable at Karamja.

Fastest F2P Cooking Training Path (1-99)

This section outlines the most efficient route to level 99 Cooking in F2P, focusing on minimizing burns and maximizing XP per hour. The strategy involves cooking progressively higher-level fish as your burn rate drops, using the Lumbridge Castle range for its reduced burn chance. Expect to burn some food at lower levels, so bring extra ingredients or buy 2.5x the amount needed for successful cooks.

Levels 1-15: Shrimp and Anchovies

Start by cooking shrimp or anchovies, both requiring level 1 Cooking and granting 30 XP per successful cook. Shrimp are easier to fish at Draynor Village, while anchovies are slightly faster if bought from the GE. You’ll need about 100-150 shrimp to reach level 15, accounting for burns. Use the Al Kharid range or Lumbridge Castle if you’ve completed Cook’s Assistant.

XP Rate: ~30k-40k XP/hour
Tip: Fish your own shrimp to train Fishing simultaneously.

Levels 15-30: Trout

Switch to trout at level 15, which gives 70 XP per cook. Trout are fishable at Barbarian Village, and powerfishers often drop raw trout, letting you cook for free in busy worlds. You’ll need around 300-400 trout to hit level 30. Stick to Lumbridge Castle to reduce burns.

XP Rate: ~50k-70k XP/hour
Tip: Check Barbarian Village on populated worlds for free raw trout drops.

Levels 30-40: Tuna

At level 30, move to tuna (100 XP per cook). Tuna can be fished at Karamja’s Musa Point, but catching is slow, so buying from the GE is recommended for speed. Cook around 400-500 tuna to reach level 40. The Lumbridge range remains your best bet.

XP Rate: ~80k-100k XP/hour
Tip: Pick up dropped tuna at Karamja from powerfishers to save gold.

Levels 40-74: Lobster

Lobsters (120 XP per cook) are your go-to from level 40. They’re fishable at Karamja, requiring level 40 Fishing. Burns are high until around level 60, so cook extra (about 5,000-6,000 lobsters total to level 74). At level 74, you stop burning lobsters at Lumbridge Castle, making this a profitable range.

XP Rate: ~100k-130k XP/hour
Tip: Sell cooked lobsters on the GE for a small profit (~100-150 GP each).

Levels 74-99: Swordfish

From level 74, cook swordfish (140 XP per cook) until 99. Swordfish require level 45 Cooking, but waiting until 74 ensures minimal burns at Lumbridge. You’ll need around 70,000-80,000 swordfish, depending on efficiency. This method yields the highest F2P XP rates but can be slightly loss-making unless you fish your own.

XP Rate: ~150k-170k XP/hour
Tip: Use Edgeville stove for faster banking if burns are no longer an issue.

Profitable F2P Cooking Methods

If you’re looking to make gold while training, cooking can be surprisingly lucrative in F2P. Here are the best money-making methods, based on recent GE prices (April 2025):

Cooking Plain Pizzas

Plain pizzas are the most profitable F2P cooking method, yielding about 143k GP per hour. You’ll need level 35 Cooking to make them by combining a pizza base, tomato, and cheese (all bought from the GE). Cook around 540 pizzas per hour at Al Kharid or Lumbridge.

Profit: ~143k GP/hour
XP Rate: ~77k XP/hour

Cooking Lobsters

Lobsters offer a balance of XP and profit. At level 74+, you stop burning them at Lumbridge, netting around 100-150 GP profit per lobster. Cooking 1,300 lobsters per hour can earn you up to 130k GP while gaining 156k XP.

Profit: ~104k GP/hour
XP Rate: ~156k XP/hour

Cooking Swordfish

Swordfish are less profitable but still viable, especially at higher levels. At 86+ Cooking, burns are minimal, and you can cook 1,300 per hour for about 92k GP profit and 182k XP.

Profit: ~92k GP/hour
XP Rate: ~182k XP/hour

Tips for Efficient Cooking

Maximize your cooking efficiency with these practical tips:

  • Use the Right Range: Lumbridge Castle’s Cook-o-Matic 100 is ideal for most levels due to its low burn rate.
  • Bank Smart: Position your camera to click the bank and range with minimal movement, especially in Al Kharid.
  • Avoid Fires: Fires have a higher burn rate and require logs, slowing you down.
  • Buy in Bulk: Purchase raw ingredients in large quantities to stabilize costs and save time.
  • Check Burn Rates: Wait a few levels above the minimum requirement for each fish to reduce burnt food (e.g., cook swordfish at 74+).

With this guide, you’re ready to blaze through Cooking in OSRS F2P. Whether you’re chasing the level 99 cape, stocking up on food, or making some extra gold, these methods will get you there efficiently. Grab your ingredients, head to Lumbridge, and start cooking your way to greatness!