How to Make Nettle Tea in OSRS: A Step-by-Step Guide
Old School RuneScape (OSRS) offers players a rich world filled with quests, skills, and unique items, one of which is nettle tea. This herbal drink isn’t just a quirky in-game beverage—it heals 3 Hitpoints, restores 5% run energy (if you’re not at full health), and plays a role in quests like Ghosts Ahoy and the Skippy and the Mogres miniquest. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or a newbie exploring Gielinor, learning how to make nettle tea in OSRS is a handy skill to master. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the process, from gathering materials to brewing the tea, while sprinkling in tips to make your journey smoother. Let’s dive into the world of nettles and tea-making!
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of crafting nettle tea, let’s explore why it’s worth your time. Nettle tea might not be the flashiest item in OSRS, but it has practical uses that can enhance your gameplay. Here’s why you should consider brewing it:
Practical Benefits of Nettle Tea
- Health Restoration: Drinking nettle tea restores 3 Hitpoints, making it a lightweight healing option for low-level players or during early-game quests.
- Run Energy Boost: If your Hitpoints aren’t maxed out, it restores 5% of your run energy, perfect for long treks across Gielinor.
- Quest Utility: It’s a required item in Ghosts Ahoy (milky version) and useful in the Skippy and the Mogres miniquest, saving you from last-minute scrambling.
A Fun Cooking Skill Challenge
Making nettle tea requires level 20 Cooking and grants 52 Cooking XP per successful brew. It’s a low-effort way to train your Cooking skill, especially since the failure rate drops as you level up, becoming impossible to fail at level 54. Plus, the process adds a bit of flavor (pun intended) to your skilling routine.
Ingredients and Tools Needed for Nettle Tea
To brew nettle tea, you’ll need a few specific items. Gathering these is straightforward, but preparation is key to avoid hiccups. Here’s what you’ll need:
Required Items
- Nettles: The star ingredient, found in various locations across OSRS.
- Bowl: A simple container to hold water and nettles.
- Water: Fill your bowl from a water source like a fountain or sink.
- Gloves: Essential for picking nettles without taking damage.
Optional Additions
- Bucket of Milk: Turns nettle tea into milky nettle tea, needed for certain quests.
- Empty Cup: Pour nettle tea into a cup for a fancier presentation (no extra benefits, just aesthetics).
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Nettle Tea in OSRS
Now that you’ve got your ingredients, let’s break down the process of making nettle tea. Follow these steps carefully to avoid boiling over and losing your materials.
Step 1: Gather Nettles
Nettles grow in several spots around Gielinor, but you’ll need gloves to pick them safely. Without gloves, you’ll take up to 2 Hitpoints of damage and get nothing for your trouble. Almost any gloves work—leather gloves, ice gloves, or even Slayer gloves—except Beekeeper’s gloves. Here are some prime nettle locations:
- Edgeville: Near the yew trees south of the bank, close to a water source and range.
- Draynor Manor: Southeast corner of the grounds.
- Haunted Woods: East of Canifis, great for members exploring Morytania.
Step 2: Prepare Nettle-Water
Grab a bowl (buy one from a general store for 4-5 coins or find a spawn in places like Lumbridge Castle). Fill it with water from a sink, fountain, or pump—Edgeville’s pump near the nettles is convenient. Then, use the nettles on the bowl of water to create nettle-water. Don’t heat the water first; it won’t work!
Step 3: Cook the Nettle-Water
Take your nettle-water to a fire or cooking range. Use it on the heat source to boil it into nettle tea. You need level 20 Cooking, and there’s a chance of failure (boiling over) until level 54, which leaves you with an empty bowl. At level 20, your success rate is about 56%, improving with each Cooking level.
Step 4: Optional Enhancements
For quests like Ghosts Ahoy, use a bucket of milk on the nettle tea to make milky nettle tea. You can also pour it into an empty cup (found in places like Varrock’s tea stall) for a cup of nettle tea. These variants don’t change the healing or energy effects but are quest-specific or cosmetic.
Where to Find Nettle Tea Ingredients in OSRS
Knowing where to source your materials efficiently can save you time. Here’s a rundown of the best spots for each component:
Nettles Locations
| Location | Details |
|---|---|
| Edgeville | South of the bank, near yews—convenient for water and cooking. |
| Draynor Manor | Southeast corner, near the compost bin. |
| Haunted Woods | East of Canifis, ideal for members. |
Gloves Sources
Leather gloves are the easiest to obtain—craft them with 1 Crafting using leather, buy them from Varrock’s clothes shop, or pick them up as a common drop from monsters like crawlers in the Stronghold of Security.
Water and Bowls
Water sources are everywhere—sinks in Lumbridge Castle, pumps in Edgeville, or fountains in Varrock. Bowls spawn in Lumbridge Castle’s kitchen, Edgeville’s general store (5 coins), or can be bought in bulk from the Grand Exchange.
Tips and Tricks for Brewing Nettle Tea Efficiently
Brewing nettle tea can be a breeze with the right approach. Here are some pro tips to streamline the process and avoid common pitfalls:
Maximize Efficiency
- Use Edgeville: It’s a one-stop shop with nettles, a water pump, and a range nearby.
- Stock Up: Pick multiple nettles and carry extra bowls to make several teas in one trip.
- Bank Gloves: Keep a pair in your bank so you’re always ready to harvest nettles.
Avoid Common Mistakes
- Don’t Skip Gloves: Picking nettles barehanded wastes time and health.
- Check Cooking Level: Below level 54, expect some failures—bring extra materials for quests.
- Avoid Premature Heating: Adding nettles to hot water doesn’t work; follow the order.
Quest Preparation
For Ghosts Ahoy, bring two sets of materials (nettles, bowl, water, milk) in case you boil over. The Old Crone needs milky nettle tea, and failing mid-quest means a trek back to gather more.
By mastering nettle tea crafting, you’ll not only boost your Cooking XP but also have a reliable resource for healing and questing. Whether you’re sipping it by the fire or handing it to an NPC, nettle tea adds a touch of rustic charm to your OSRS adventures. So grab your gloves, fill that bowl, and start brewing—Gielinor’s waiting!