Mastering 99 Cooking in OSRS Your Ultimate Guide to Becoming Gielinors Top Chef

You ever stare at that raw fish in your inventory and think, why does it always burn just when you need it most? I know I did, back when I was grinding my way through early levels in Old School RuneScape. As someone whos spent way too many hours hovering over ranges and fires, let me tell you, hitting 99 Cooking changed everything for me. Suddenly, bosses werent as scary because I had stacks of perfect sharks ready to go. If youre eyeing that shiny skillcape or just want to stop wasting food during raids, this guide is your roadmap. Well break it down step by step, mixing fast methods, cheap options, and even some ironman tricks from my own sweaty sessions.

Cooking might seem like just another skill to tick off, but trust me, its a game-changer. Think about it: every time you eat a karambwan in a heated Zulrah fight or chug an anglerfish at ToB, thats your Cooking level saving your run. I remember my first 99 was Cooking, and it felt epic because it opened up money-making doors I didnt even know existed. You can flip cooked lobsters for profit while training, or just AFK at the Hosidius kitchen without babysitting every tick.

Plus, its one of the quickest 99s out there. From scratch, youre looking at under 20 hours if you go all-in on the fastest path. But is speed everything? Nah, sometimes I preferred the chill vibe of slow cooking while chatting in clan discords. What about you, rushing for that cape or building a stockpile for endgame?

The skill itself restores hitpoints when you eat, and higher levels mean better heals from stuff like sharks or brews. Quests love it too Gertrude’s Cat gives a nice XP bump early on. And hey, the Cooking cape? It lets you boost to 100 for those awkward quest requirements. Solid perk.

Essential Gear and Quests to Grab Before You Start

Before diving into the grind, stock up on basics. You dont need fancy setups, but a few items make life way easier. I always swear by Cooking Gauntlets they cut burn rates on high-level fish and add a bit of XP. Get them from the Family Crest quest; its not too bad, just a family drama storyline. Cost me about two hours back in the day, but worth every second.

Heres a quick list of must-haves:

• Hosidius House Tab: Teleport right to the best AFK spot.
• Games Necklace: For quick trips to Burthorpe or Rogues Den.
• Chef’s Ring or Fire Cape: Boosts Cooking slightly, but optional for pure speed.
• Raw supplies from the Grand Exchange obviously.

Quests? Do Tai Bwo Wannai Trio ASAP for karambwans. Its a trek through the jungle, but the rewards? Game-changing. Recipe for Disaster subquests throw in free XP too, like 3,825 from the dwarf and goblin parts. I skipped them once on an alt and regretted it levels flew by slower.

One more tip: Elite Kourend Diary at level 79 halves your karambwan burn chance. Grind that favor in Hosidius early. I did it while cooking trout, multitasking like a pro.

Level 1 to 30 Quick and Dirty Starter Methods

Starting out? Dont overthink it. Shrimps and sardines are your friends here. I burned so many as a noob that I could smell the char from real life. Cook them on any fire or range Lumbridge works fine since its close to a bank.

For the absolute fastest, though, go poison karambwan. Its this weird 1-tick method where you spam raw karambwan on a fire. Levels 1 to 30? Gone in under ten minutes. But fair warning, its clicky and costs a bit due to burns. Buy 500 raws to be safe; youll lose around 200k GP, but hey, speed.

If that sounds too intense, stick to fish. Heres a simple table from my notes on what to cook and how many you need. Prices fluctuate, but this is based on recent GE trends.

See? Straightforward. I did this while watching Netflix on my second monitor. Burns happen, especially under level 20, so buy extras. Quick question: ever tried cooking on a fire in the wilderness? Risky, but the adrenaline is fun. Answer: Only once, and I lost a stack to PKers. Lesson learned.

By level 30, youre set for the real grind. Feels good, right?

Levels 30 to 77 Karambwan Domination and Why Its King

Alright, now we hit the meaty part. Karambwans are the meta for a reason. After Tai Bwo Wannai, buy raw ones cheap theyre like 400 GP each now. Cook them 1-tick style: Hold 1, spam on the range. At Rogues Den, its bank-adjacent perfection.

I grinded this on my main account during a long road trip, phone propped up. Hit 77 in a weekend, pulling 500k XP per hour. AFK version? Hosidius kitchen. Drop inventory, cook, repeat. Slower at 200k XP/h, but you can zone out.

Why karambwan over lobster? Less burns with diary done, and they stack nice for PvM. Downside: Quest req. No quest? Lobsters it is. From 40-77, cook about 30k raw lobsters. Burns minimal with gauntlets.

Let me share a personal flop. First time 1-ticking, I fat-fingered the keys and burned half my stack. Laughed it off, but lost 500k GP. Pro tip: Practice on cheap fish first.

Heres how rates stack up:

• 1-Tick Karambwan: 464k XP/h at 30, up to 800k by 77. Profit: +12m total to 99.
• AFK Lobster: 200k XP/h, costs 5m but super relaxing.

Mix them if youre like me half active, half chill.

77 to 93 Fancy Fish and Profitable Twists

Past 77, sharks tempt you, but hold up. Swordfish or monkfish bridge nicely. I switched to swordfish here because they sell cooked for a tidy profit. At Hosidius, zero burns with gauntlets. Pulled 260k XP/h while making 300k GP per hour. Not bad for skilling.

Monkfish? If youve got Fishing levels, catch em yourself. From 74-93, about 20k raw needed. I did this on an ironman alt, fishing in Piscatoris while cooking on the spot. Tedious, but self-sufficient vibes.

Ever wonder if wine is worth it? Jugs of wine from grapes level 35-68 super fast, 400k XP/h. But grapes crash prices sometimes. I tried it once, made 65k wines to 99. Cost me 3m, but flew through levels. Short answer: Yes, if youre F2P or broke.

For profit chasers, heres a list of flips I used:

1. Buy raw swordfish low (200 GP), cook, sell at 300 GP.
2. Monkfish same deal, but rarer.
3. Avoid tuna; burns too much.

Long story short, this phase is where Cooking starts paying dividends. I banked enough for a new BIS weapon just from leftovers.

93 to 99 The Home Stretch with Sharks and Anglers

Ninety-three? Youre basically a chef god now. Sharks all the way. No burns past 94 with gauntlets, 300k XP/h easy. Need 24k raw? Stock up; theyre 1k each. I blasted through this in Rogues Den, Emeril the dwarf cheering me on. Felt like a victory lap.

Anglerfish if you want max heals later. From 91-99, 25k raw. Creepy looking, but heal 22 HP. Perfect for Vorkath runs. My final push? Mixed sharks and anglers, hit 99 mid-raid prep. The ding? Pure joy.

AFK tip: Myths Guild range, close bank, zero hassle. Total time from 93? Under five hours if focused.

One last table for the endgame:

Boom. Youre there.

Ironman Special Tips Because Self-Sufficiency Rocks

Ironmen, this ones for you. No GE? Fish everything. Trout and salmon to 58, then lobsters from Catherby. I hit 99 on my iron by dissecting sacred eels 20k XP/h combined with Fishing. AFK gold.

Sweetcorn from 28? Note em with leprechauns, cook later. Quests mandatory for XP lamps. My iron took longer, but stocking food for 1k+ total levels? Priceless.

Question: Hate fishing? Answer: Power-bury half-cooked fish for half XP. Hacky, but works in a pinch.

F2P Folks Dont Sweat It You Can 99 Too

Free-to-play? No karambwans, but wine and fish carry you. Level 68 wine jug spam 490k XP/h, costs 3m but fast. Then swordfish to 99, 40k raw. Al-Kharid range is prime, bank nearby.

I started F2P, hit 99 pre-membership. Flipping cooked swords made starter cash. Proud moment.

Common Mistakes I Made and How to Dodge Them

Burns. Oh man, the burns. Always wear gauntlets. And dont cook in crowded spots; lag kills ticks.

Overbuying raws? Check GE first. I once hoarded 50k sharks, prices tanked, ouch.

Forgetting diary? Do Kourend early. Halves burns, saves millions.

Short para: Rest your wrists. This grind clicks hard.

Wrapping Up That Sweet Skillcape Moment

There you have it, from burnt shrimps to 99 glory. I still get chills teleporting with that cape on. Whats your plan now, stockpile for Tombs or flip for bond cash? Drop a comment if this helped; Id love to hear your stories. Now go light that range and cook like the boss you are. Happy scaping!