Cooking

Cooking is one of the most essential skills in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), as it allows players to prepare food that can restore health and boost stats during combat and other activities. Mastering this skill not only provides players with sustenance for their adventures but also opens up opportunities for profit through the cooking and selling of dishes. Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced player aiming for higher levels, Cooking offers a delightful blend of strategy, resource management, and culinary exploration. As players progress through the Cooking skill, they can unlock a variety of recipes, ranging from simple meats to extravagant dishes that provide significant healing or even unique effects. The journey through Cooking can be enhanced with methods like fishin’ and farming ingredients or utilizing cooking-related quests, allowing for a multifaceted experience. Join us as we dive into the techniques, best practices, and tips for honing your Cooking skill in OSRS to create mouthwatering meals that will fuel your adventures and aid your friends on the battlefield.

Getting Started with Cooking

Cooking is one of the most rewarding and useful skills in Old School RuneScape (OSRS). Not only does it provide players with the ability to prepare food that can restore health and boost stats, but it also presents opportunities to generate profits through cooking valuable meals. This guide will help you begin your culinary journey.

Understanding Cooking

Cooking is the skill that allows players to prepare various types of food. Each food item has different healing properties, which can significantly aid you during combat or while training other skills. To start cooking, you will need a few essential materials and tools.

Required Tools

• Cooking Range: A cooking range is necessary for preparing most food items. You can find cooking ranges in various locations, including the Lumbridge Castle kitchen and the Cooking Guild.
• Fire: You can light a fire using logs and a tinderbox. Cooking on an open fire is useful when you do not have access to a cooking range.
• Cooking Utensils: Items like pots, bowls, and pans are needed to cook certain dishes. These items can often be found easily or purchased from general stores.

Gathering Ingredients

To cook, you will need raw ingredients. These ingredients can be obtained through various methods:

• Fishing: Catch fish using a fishing rod or net. Different fishing spots yield different fish types, each requiring a specific Fishing level.
• Farming: Grow crops and herbs that can be used in cooking, such as potatoes and tomatoes.
• Slayer: Defeat creatures that drop raw meat, such as cows, chickens, and other beasts.

Cooking Process

Once you have your ingredients, follow these steps to cook:

1. Open your inventory: Make sure your raw food item is in your inventory.
2. Light a fire (if required): Use a tinderbox on logs to create a fire. If you are at a cooking range, simply approach it.
3. Select your food item: Right-click the raw food item and choose “Cook.”
4. Wait for the cooking animation: Your character will cook the food, and after a few seconds, it will either be successful or burned. The cooking level determines the chance of success.

Experience Points and Levels

Cooking provides experience points (XP) as you successfully prepare dishes. Each type of food offers different XP values:

• Semi-Difficult Cooking Items (e.g., Shrimp): Usually yield around 30 XP.
• Mid-Level Cooking Items (e.g., Tuna): Generally provide more XP, around 70 XP.
• High-Level Cooking Items (e.g., Sharks): Can give up to 210 XP or more!

As you gain experience and level up in Cooking, you’ll unlock the ability to cook more complex dishes that restore more health or provide beneficial effects.

Burning Food

When starting, there is a chance that food will burn while cooking. The burning chance decreases as your Cooking level increases. To minimize burning:

• Choose food items closer to your Cooking level.
• Utilize cooking enhancers such as the “Cooking Gauntlets” which help reduce food burn rates on certain items.

Cooking Locations

There are several ideal locations to cook your food effectively:

• Lumbridge Castle Kitchen: A great place for beginners thanks to its direct access to both a range and a fire.
• Cooking Guild: Accessible after completing the “Cook’s Assistant” quest; includes a bank for easy ingredient and food access.
• Varrock‘s Pub: Offers both a fire and a range, making it a convenient spot.

Conclusion

Cooking is an essential skill in OSRS that not only supports your adventures but can also be a profitable venture. By using the right tools, gathering ingredients, and practicing your techniques, you’ll soon become a master chef in Gielinor. Happy cooking!

Basic Recipes and Ingredients

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), cooking is an essential skill that allows players to prepare a variety of food items. These foods serve various purposes, such as healing health points (HP) and providing temporary boosts to stats. This section outlines some basic recipes and the necessary ingredients to create them.

Raw Fish

One of the most basic ingredients in cooking is raw fish, which can be caught in various fishing spots across Gielinor. Here are some common types of raw fish:

• Shrimp: Caught with a small net. Requires level 1 Fishing.
• Anchovies: Caught with a small net. Requires level 1 Fishing.
• Trout: Caught with a fly fishing rod. Requires level 20 Fishing.
• Salmon: Caught with a fly fishing rod. Requires level 30 Fishing.

Basic Cooking Recipes

Here’s a list of simple recipes along with the required ingredients and cooking levels:

Cooking Shrimp

• Ingredients: 1 Raw shrimp
• Cooking Level: 1
• Healing: Restores 3 HP

Cooking Anchovies

• Ingredients: 1 Raw anchovy
• Cooking Level: 1
• Healing: Restores 2 HP

Cooking Trout

• Ingredients: 1 Raw trout
• Cooking Level: 20
• Healing: Restores 7 HP

Cooking Salmon

• Ingredients: 1 Raw salmon
• Cooking Level: 30
• Healing: Restores 9 HP

Other Basic Ingredients

Apart from fish, there are several other ingredients that players can use to cook various types of food:

Potatoes

• Raw Ingredient: Potato
• Cooking Method: Baked
• Cooking Level: 1 (for baked potato)
• Healing: Restores 5 HP

Bread

• Raw Ingredient: Grain (can be milled into flour)
• Cooking Method: Cooked in an oven
• Cooking Level: 1
• Healing: Restores 5 HP

Cooked Meat

• Raw Ingredient: Raw chicken, raw beef, raw lamb, or raw bear meat
• Cooking Level: 1 (for raw chicken or beef)
• Healing: Varies (Restores 3-7 HP)

Conclusion

These basic recipes and ingredients are your foundation for mastering the cooking skill in OSRS. As you advance in your cooking skill, you will unlock more complex recipes and better healing foods, allowing you to sustain yourself on your adventures across Gielinor.

Happy cooking!

Cooking Methods and Equipment

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), mastering the art of cooking involves understanding various cooking methods and the equipment necessary to execute them effectively. Below, we delve into the various methods and tools that are essential for any aspiring chef in Gielinor.

Cooking Methods

There are several methods of cooking that players can utilize to prepare food:

• Frying: Frying is done on a range. You can cook fish, such as shrimps or anchovies, or certain meats. Players must have a range or fire ready along with the raw ingredients to fry them.
• Baking: You can bake items like pies and bread in an oven. This method is more advanced than frying as it requires specific ingredients and sometimes additional cooking tools.
• Boiling: Boiling is used to make items like stews. Ingredients can be combined with water in a pot over a fire or range. Having the right cooking level is crucial for successful boiling.
• Grilling: Grilling is a method primarily used for cooking certain fish on a grill. This can be done on a range or over a fire.
• Stewing: This method involves combining multiple ingredients in a pot. Players must have all necessary ingredients and a water source. A successful stew can restore health and provide other benefits.

Cooking Equipment

The following equipment is essential for cooking:

• Stove/Ranges: Players can cook food on stoves found in various locations, such as homes, or at cooking guilds. Ranges provide more efficient cooking and reduce the chance of burning food.
• Fire: Players can create a fire by using logs or other combustible materials. Fires are versatile and allow cooking on a spit or in a pot, but carry a higher chance of burning food.
• Cooking Pot: This is used for boiling items like stews. Players often obtain pots from various locations or buy them from shops.
• Frying Pan: A necessary tool for frying certain food items. It can be obtained as loot or purchased from various shops.
• Oven: Found in different locations, ovens are essential for baking foods like bread or pies, requiring players to bring specific ingredients.

Levels and Unlockable Recipes

As you progress in cooking skills, various recipes become available based on your cooking level:

• Level 1: Cook Shrimp, Cook Anchovy
• Level 5: Cook Meat Pie
• Level 10: Cook Tuna
• Level 20: Cook Lobster
• Level 30: Cook Shark
• Level 99: Cook Cavefish or other high-level dishes

It’s essential to check your cooking level frequently as well as ingredient requirements to ensure successful cooking. With practice, you’ll burn less food and unlock a vast array of delicious dishes that can help heal during your adventures in Gielinor!

Training Levels and Requirements

When training cooking in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), players will progress through various levels as they prepare different food items. Each level unlocks new recipes that provide better experience points (XP). Below is a breakdown of cooking levels, the required experience to reach each level, and the recommended training methods to efficiently raise your skill level.

Levels 1-5: Basic Cooking

• Level 1: Cook Shrimp and Anchovies.
• Level 5: You can cook Sardines and Mackerel.

Experience required: 0-2,400 XP

At these initial levels, players should focus on cooking raw shrimp and anchovies, which can be caught using a fishing rod. This will allow you to quickly reach level 5, unlocking the ability to cook sardines and mackerel.

Levels 6-15: Fresh Fish

• Level 10: Cook Trout and Salmon.
• Level 15: Unlock cooking of the tasty Cod.

Experience required: 2,400-12,600 XP

Continue fishing and cooking trout and salmon, which provide better XP compared to the previous fish. Focus on fishing in rivers and lakes to maximize your time.

Levels 16-25: Comfort Food

• Level 20: Cook the ever-popular Tuna.
• Level 25: Get access to cooking the amazing Lobster.

Experience required: 12,600-38,000 XP

Now is the time to advance your fishing skills; consider training in locations where you can catch lobsters, such as Karamja. Cooking these higher-level fish will yield a significant amount of experience.

Levels 26-35: Meaty Delights

• Level 30: Roast the delectable Chicken.
• Level 35: Cook the impressive Beef.

Experience required: 38,000-85,000 XP

Raising chickens or acquiring raw chicken through other means will help you gain levels quickly as cooking chicken provides a solid experience boost.

Levels 36-50: Savory Meals

• Level 40: Unleash the full potential of Cooked Quail.
• Level 50: Discover the delicious Shark.

Experience required: 85,000-117,000 XP

At this stage, players can start cooking shark if they are fishing at appropriate levels. The experience remains significant, which aids in leveling quickly.

Levels 51-70: Master Chef

• Level 55: Delight in the cooking of the highly sought-after Monkfish.
• Level 70: Finally, access the coveted Swordfish and the Crab.

Experience required: 117,000-200,000 XP

Focus your training on Monkfish; their strong experience yield you will help you to progress rapidly, leading to power-leveling opportunities.

Levels 71-99: Culinary Expert

• Level 75: Cook the exquisite Rocktail.
• Level 99: Master all foods, achieving the Cooking skillcape!

Experience required: 200,000-1,440,000 XP

At these levels, players should continue cooking the most rewarding foods. Rocktails, sharks, and a range of high-level food items will significantly help in achieving level 99, which is considered the ultimate goal for many players.

In conclusion, to improve your Cooking skill, always look for the items that provide the best experience while balancing your access to the necessary ingredients. Enjoy the culinary journey!

5. Profitability of Cooking

Cooking in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is not just a vital skill for survival; it can also be a lucrative source of income. Understanding the profitability of cooking can help players maximize their in-game wealth while improving their cooking levels. Here, we’ll delve into the various aspects that influence the profitability of cooking in OSRS.

1. Cooking Monsters: High-Value Ingredients

One of the most straightforward ways to make a profit through cooking is by preparing meals from high-value ingredients. Monsters such as sharks, manta rays, and anglerfish provide valuable food that can be cooked for resale or personal use. The prices of these items fluctuate in the Grand Exchange, but generally, cooking high-level fish yields a good return on investment. For instance:

• Shark: Cooked sharks are vital for high-level PvM and sell well at the Grand Exchange.
• Manta Ray: Offers decent healing and can be profitable, especially for mid-level players.
• Anglerfish: These are sought after due to their healing properties and can be extremely valuable.

2. Cooking for Skill Training

While cooking high-level food for sale can be profitable, many players focus on cooking as a means to level up. This typically involves preparing less profitable food items. Players often choose to cook foods like Trout or Salmon during their training, which can yield some profit or at least minimize losses. To maximize profit during skill training:

• Opt for items that can be sold back to the Grand Exchange with minimal loss.
• Utilize the Cooking Guild and cooking hotspots to quickly prepare meals.
• Regularly check GE prices to find the best selling items at your cooking level.

3. Special Cooking Events and Bonuses

Sometimes, special events or quests offer boosts to the profitability of cooking. For example, during festivals or specific promotions, certain food items may have increased demand. Additionally, completing quests that unlock features such as the Cooking Gauntlets can reduce burn rates, thereby increasing profitability. Players should keep an eye on updates and events to capitalize on these opportunities.

4. Cooking as a Complementary Skill

Cooking is often paired with other skills such as Fishing and Farming. By balancing these skills, players can create a self-sustaining cycle of gathering and processing food. For example:

• Fishing for your own raw fish reduces cost and can even convert into a steady income stream.
• Gathering ingredients through farming can lead to the creation of potions or food that result in substantial profits.

Using cooking in conjunction with other skills not only increases your overall profitability but also enhances your gameplay experience.

5. Conclusion

Overall, the profitability of cooking in OSRS heavily relies on the player’s knowledge of the market trends, level of cooking, and the strategic use of related skills. Whether players are looking to maximize their wealth, improve their combat effectiveness, or simply enjoy a relaxing in-game activity, cooking offers a flexible and rewarding pathway. As players advance and discover new recipes, the potential for profit only increases, making cooking a must-try for anyone seeking success in Gielinor.

Cooking Quests for Experience

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), cooking is not only a vital skill for skilling and survival but also plays a significant role in various quests throughout the game. Many quests offer valuable cooking experience as a reward, helping players level up their cooking ability quickly and efficiently. Below are some key quests that provide cooking experience upon completion:

The Cook’s Assistant

Requirements: None

Experience Reward: 1,000 Cooking experience

This quest is one of the first you can complete in OSRS. You assist the cook in preparing a meal for the Duke of Lumbridge. You will gather ingredients such as flour, eggs, and a bucket of milk. Completing this quest not only boosts your cooking experience but also unlocks the ability to cook various dishes in Lumbridge.

Gertrude’s Cat

Requirements: None

Experience Reward: 1,000 Cooking experience

In this quest, you are tasked with finding Gertrude’s missing cat, which involves cooking tuna for the cat and feeding it. Completing this quest will not only grant you valuable cooking experience but will also reward you with the ability to have a pet cat, which can help protect you while training your skills.

Recipe for Disaster

Requirements: Varies (depends on the sub-quests completed)

Experience Reward: Up to 12,750 Cooking experience (depending on the sub-quests)

This is one of the most extensive quests in OSRS, divided into multiple sub-quests. Players can earn significant cooking experience by completing these sub-quests, culminating in a large amount of cooking experience upon the quest’s completion. Questers will help characters like the Lumbridge cook and face various challenges to restore the culinary glory of the cook’s kitchen.

Animal Magnetism

Requirements: 10 Cooking

Experience Reward: 1,000 Cooking experience

In this quest, you assist Ava to reclaim her lost abilities by helping her with various tasks, including cooking. This quest not only provides experience for cooking but also gives you access to the ability to retrieve a variety of arrows when hunting, making it valuable for players interested in both cooking and ranged combat.

Sea Slug

Requirements: None

Experience Reward: 1,500 Cooking experience

During this quest, players aid in resolving a problem involving sea slugs, which ties back into the cooking aspect as players need to cook certain items throughout the quest. The cooking experience gained here can be beneficial for progressing in the cooking skill while also diving into the storyline of RuneScape.

The Giant Dwarf

Requirements: None

Experience Reward: 1,000 Cooking experience

This quest features a variety of tasks, including some cooking challenges that will aid in increasing your cooking level. It blends aspects of cooking with adventure and exploration in the Dwarven mines, making it an engaging quest for players interested in the culinary arts.

Completing these quests not only enhances your cooking skills but also provides engaging content and storylines within OSRS. Utilize the cooking experience gained from these quests to help craft better dishes, level up faster, and enjoy the depths of the game with improved culinary skills!

Advanced Cooking Techniques

As you master the basics of Cooking in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), the next step is to explore advanced cooking techniques that can significantly enhance your culinary skills and efficiency in the game. This section delves into various advanced methods, strategies, and tips that will elevate your cooking experience.

1. Using Cooking Gauntlets

Cooking Gauntlets are a pair of gloves that increase your cooking success rate when preparing certain dishes. When wearing these gauntlets, you will not burn specific items like sharks, dark crabs, and anglerfish, allowing you to maximize your experience gain without the fear of failure. To obtain Cooking Gauntlets, players must complete the Family Crest quest and choose the cooking option.

2. The Role of Cooking in Herblore

Certain dishes can enhance your Herblore skill indirectly. For example, preparing special dishes such as the Overload or Super Restore potions requires various cooked ingredients. Understanding the synergy between Cooking and Herblore can save you valuable time and resources.

3. Efficient Cooking Locations

Choosing the right location for cooking can greatly influence your efficiency. The following locations are commonly used for high-level cooking:

• Hosidius Kitchen: This kitchen provides a cooking range that does not burn food. It’s ideal for cooking high-level dishes.
• Resource Area: Near the woodcutting guild, this area has a cooking range and is close to a bank, facilitating an efficient cooking loop.
• The Lumbridge Castle Kitchen: Though it’s less efficient than other locations, many players opt for it due to its proximity to a bank and the presence of a cooking range.

4. Using the Cooking Range vs. Fire

While cooking over a fire may seem attractive due to its initial accessibility, using a cooking range can often result in less food being burnt. Cooking ranges typically offer a higher success rate, especially for high-level dishes. Always consider upgrading your cooking apparatus when aiming to minimize waste and improve experience gains.

5. Understanding Cooking Equipment

Several items can enhance your cooking effectiveness:

• Chef’s Hat: This hat provides a +1 cooking bonus. While it might seem minimal, every little advantage helps, especially in higher-level cooking.
• Spinning Wheel: Use it to create items like bow or dough before cooking, improving your resource management.
• Cooking supplies: Having a steady supply of raw fish or ingredients is essential. Utilize Fletching and Fishing to gather your needs efficiently.

6. The Use of Tropical Wagtails

Tropical Wagtails, obtainable through birdhouses and other means, can add a unique flair to your dishes. Additionally, many high-level players utilize them to gain an edge in Cooking-related quests or events. Make sure you stock up on these beneficial items.

7. Skill Boosts and Temporary Enhancements

Many items and potions can be consumed to temporarily boost your Cooking level, enabling you to cook higher-level dishes with a reduced risk of burning them. Some effective options include:

• Cooking Potions: Temporary boosts can help when cooking high-level items.
• Spicy Stews: Use to raise your Cooking level when attempting challenging recipes.

8. Cooking for Profit

Cooking isn’t solely for skilling; it can also be a profitable venture. High-demand items, such as sharks, monkfish, and wine, can be cooked and sold on the Grand Exchange for significant profit. Keep an eye on market trends to identify the most and least profitable items to cook and sell.

By mastering these advanced cooking techniques, you will not only enhance your status as a skilled Cook in OSRS but also enjoy the benefits of efficiency and profit. Happy cooking!

Food Buffs and Effects

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), food plays a vital role in sustaining players during their adventures, enhancing their performance, and providing various buffs. Understanding the different types of food and their effects can greatly improve your efficiency in combat, skilling, and PvP scenarios.

Types of Food

• Healing Foods: These are the most common types of food, used primarily for healing health points (HP). Examples include Pizza, Food Items, and Sharks.
• Stat-Boosting Foods: Some dishes offer temporary boosts to player stats such as strength, defense, and attack. Notable examples include Dwarven Rock Cake and Wild Pie.
• Special Effects: Certain foods provide unique effects beyond healing, like restoring run energy or providing Slayer experience. The Airuts’ special drops are worth mentioning here.

Healing Mechanics

The amount of health restored by food varies widely. For instance, Cooked Sharks restore up to 20 hitpoints, making them a favorite among players engaged in combat. Players should consider their current hitpoints and potential incoming damage when selecting food for healing.

It’s important to note that poisoning and venom can affect healing. Players who are poisoned can eat specific foods, such as Antipoison, or drink an Antidote to negate the damage.

Stat Buffs

Food items that grant stat buffs are particularly useful in combat situations. For example, the Wild Pie offers a temporary boost to Strength, which can greatly enhance damage output against enemies.

• Boost Duration: Most stat-boosting foods provide effects that last for a limited time, typically around 5 minutes, but may vary.
• Stacking Effects: Players need to remember that stat boosts from food do not stack with those from potions. If a player consumes a potion after eating buff food, the potion’s effects will take precedence.

Special Effects

Some foods offer unique benefits that can help players in specific scenarios:

• Restoring Energy: Items like Summer Pie restore run energy, making it incredibly useful for long travels or encounters in wilderness.
• Special Slayer Benefits: Certain foods provide unique buffs for Slayer tasks, like the Black Dragonhide, which enhances damage against dragons.

Choosing the Right Food

Players should always consider their health, potential dangers ahead, and their skill requirements when selecting food. Carrying a mix of healing food and stat-boosting options allows flexibility in various scenarios, from PvM to skilling tasks.

Ultimately, mastering the use of food buffs and effects will elevate your OSRS gaming experience, providing the necessary edge to tackle the dangers of Gielinor!

Best Practices for Efficient Cooking

Cooking in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is an essential skill for players looking to sustain themselves through food that restores health and provides various buffs. To maximize your efficiency while training Cooking, consider implementing the following best practices:

1. Choose the Right Ingredients

Selecting the right food items to cook is crucial. Focus on items that offer high experience points (XP) per hour. Some of the more efficient options include:

• Fish: Cooking fish such as Sharks or Anglerfish yields high XP and good healing properties.
• Meat: Cooking Cooking Runners or Karambwan also provides significant XP.
• Pizza: While slightly less efficient, making pizzas can spread your training across multiple items and provide more consistent XP gains.

2. Utilize Cooking Gauntlets

The Cooking Gauntlets, obtainable from the Family Crest quest, significantly reduce the chance of burning food while cooking. Wearing these gauntlets can help you save both time and resources, allowing you to focus on gaining XP.

3. Use the Optimal Cooking Range

Cooking at a range (rather than a fire) can be more effective, especially when using the Hosidius range in Zeah, which provides a 10% cooking boost and eliminates burning chances for certain foods.

Additionally, consider using other locations with bonus XP or those that suit your needs, depending on how far you are in the game.

4. Efficient Inventory Management

Organize your inventory to minimize the time spent clicking on items. Consider these methods:

• Keep all the raw materials close to the cooking interface.
• Use the ‘left-click’ option for cooking if possible.
• Avoid unnecessary items that may clutter your inventory and slow down your cooking speed.

5. Quests for Cooking Experience

Completing quests can provide significant experience boosts in Cooking. Notable quests that reward Cooking XP include:

• Cook’s Assistant – 1,000 XP
• Recipe for Disaster (subquests) – up to 7,500 XP
• Sea Slug – 3,000 XP

Make sure to check your quest log for any Cooking-related quests you’ve yet to complete.

6. Track Your Progress

Monitor your Cooking progress to evaluate your efficiency. Use tracking tools or simply keep record in a journal of how many items you’ve cooked and how much XP you have gained. Adjust your strategy as necessary to maximize your yield.

7. Join a Community

Engage with the OSRS community on forums or social media to exchange tips and tricks. Other players often share valuable insights that can enhance your Cooking experience and speed. Consider joining in-game clans that focus on leveling skills as well.

8. Have Fun with the Cooking Mix

While training efficiently is important, don’t forget to enjoy your time in OSRS! Experiment with different foods, explore new recipes, and perhaps even cook items that you traditionally wouldn’t focus on. This blend of efficiency and enjoyment will enrich your overall gaming experience.

By utilizing these best practices, you can streamline your Cooking training, optimize your time spent in-game, and hone your culinary skills to become a master chef in OSRS!