What is the OSRS Cooking Calculator?
The OSRS Cooking Calculator is an essential tool for any Old School RuneScape player looking to train their Cooking skill efficiently. It helps you determine the most cost-effective or fastest way to achieve your desired Cooking level, from humble beginnings at level 1 to the prestigious 99. By inputting your current and target levels, along with real-time Grand Exchange (GE) prices for raw and cooked food, this calculator provides a comprehensive breakdown of the resources you'll need and the potential profit or loss you can expect.
Who should use it?
- Efficiency Scapers: Players aiming for the fastest XP rates or most profitable methods.
- Budget-Conscious Players: Those who need to minimize costs or even make money while training.
- Goal-Oriented Players: Anyone working towards specific level milestones, like 70 for the Western Provinces Diary or 99 for the skillcape.
- New Players: To understand the basics of Cooking and plan their training path.
Common Misunderstandings:
Many players underestimate the impact of burn rates and fluctuating GE prices. The calculator accounts for a dynamic burn rate based on your current level and the food type, providing a more realistic estimate of items needed and actual profit/loss. Always remember that GE prices can change rapidly, so frequent updates to your input are crucial for accuracy.
OSRS Cooking Calculator Formula and Explanation
Our OSRS Cooking Calculator uses several core formulas to provide accurate estimates. Understanding these will help you interpret your results better:
1. Total XP Needed:
Total XP = Cumulative_XP_to_Target_Level - Cumulative_XP_to_Current_Level
This is the raw experience required to bridge the gap between your starting and ending levels.
2. Burn Chance per Level:
Success Chance(L) = MIN(99, 50 + (L - Food_Required_Level))
Burn Chance(L) = MAX(0, 100 - Success Chance(L))
Where L is your current Cooking level. This formula determines the percentage chance of burning an item at a specific level. Most foods stop burning at Required_Level + 49 (e.g., Lobster at 40+49=89) or level 99 if using Cooking Gauntlets for high-tier foods.
3. Average Effective Burn Rate:
Average Burn Rate = SUM(Burn Chance(L)) / Number_of_Levels_in_Range
This calculator averages the burn chance over your entire training range (from current to target level) to give a realistic overall burn rate.
4. Items to Cook:
Items Needed = Total_XP_Needed / (XP_per_Item * (1 - Average_Burn_Rate))
This formula accounts for both the XP gained per item and the items lost due to burning, giving you the total raw items you'll need to purchase.
5. Total Cost of Raw Food:
Total Raw Cost = Items_Needed * Raw_Food_Price
6. Total Revenue from Cooked Food:
Total Cooked Revenue = Items_Needed * (1 - Average_Burn_Rate) * Cooked_Food_Price
This only considers the items you successfully cook and can sell.
7. Total Profit/Loss:
Total Profit/Loss = Total_Cooked_Revenue - Total_Raw_Cost
8. Estimated Time:
Estimated Time (Hours) = Items_Needed / Cooking_Rate_per_Hour
Variable Explanations:
Key variables used in the OSRS Cooking Calculator.
| Variable |
Meaning |
Unit |
Typical Range |
| Current Cooking Level |
Your starting Cooking skill level. |
Levels |
1-98 |
| Target Cooking Level |
The desired Cooking skill level. |
Levels |
2-99 |
| Food Type |
The specific raw food item you're cooking. |
Item |
Shrimp, Lobster, Shark, Karambwan, etc. |
| Raw Food Price |
Cost of one raw food item on the Grand Exchange. |
GP (Gold Pieces) |
10 - 10,000+ |
| Cooked Food Price |
Selling price of one cooked food item on the Grand Exchange. |
GP (Gold Pieces) |
10 - 10,000+ |
| Cooking Rate |
How many items you can cook per hour. |
Items/Hour |
800-1200 |
| XP per Item |
Experience gained for successfully cooking one item. |
XP |
30-230 |
| Burn Rate |
Percentage chance of burning an item at a given level. |
% |
0-100% |
Practical Examples for the OSRS Cooking Calculator
Let's look at a couple of scenarios to demonstrate how the OSRS Cooking Calculator can be used.
Example 1: Budget Training with Lobsters (Levels 40 to 70)
Suppose you're at Cooking level 40 and want to reach level 70, aiming for a profitable method. You decide to cook Raw Lobsters.
- Inputs:
- Current Cooking Level: 40
- Target Cooking Level: 70
- Food Type: Raw Lobster
- Raw Food Price: 200 GP
- Cooked Food Price: 250 GP
- Cooking Rate: 1000 items/hour
- Expected Results (approximate):
- Total XP Gained: ~410,000 XP
- Items to Cook: ~3,800 Raw Lobsters
- Estimated Burnt Items: ~250 items (due to burn rate at lower levels)
- Total Cost of Raw Food: ~760,000 GP
- Total Revenue from Cooked Food: ~887,500 GP
- Total Profit: ~127,500 GP
- Estimated Time: ~3.8 hours
In this scenario, cooking lobsters from 40 to 70 could be a moderately profitable venture, even with some burnt items at lower levels.
Example 2: Fast XP to 99 with Karambwans (Levels 65 to 99)
You're at Cooking level 65 and want to power through to 99, prioritizing speed and minimizing loss.
- Inputs:
- Current Cooking Level: 65
- Target Cooking Level: 99
- Food Type: Raw Karambwan
- Raw Food Price: 1500 GP
- Cooked Food Price: 1700 GP
- Cooking Rate: 1200 items/hour (high rate due to fast banking)
- Expected Results (approximate):
- Total XP Gained: ~12,900,000 XP
- Items to Cook: ~70,000 Raw Karambwans
- Estimated Burnt Items: ~1,500 items (Karambwans stop burning at 99 with gauntlets)
- Total Cost of Raw Food: ~105,000,000 GP
- Total Revenue from Cooked Food: ~116,450,000 GP
- Total Profit: ~11,450,000 GP
- Estimated Time: ~58 hours
Karambwans are often a highly profitable and fast method, especially when cooking with Cooking Gauntlets and efficient banking. This example shows a significant profit over a long training period, making it an attractive option for many players seeking 99 Cooking.
How to Use This OSRS Cooking Calculator
Our OSRS Cooking Calculator is designed for ease of use. Follow these steps to get your personalized cooking plan:
- Enter Current Cooking Level: Input your current Cooking skill level (e.g., 1, 60, 85). The calculator supports levels 1-99.
- Enter Target Cooking Level: Specify the level you wish to achieve (e.g., 70, 99). This also ranges from 1-99.
- Select Food Type: Choose the raw food item you intend to cook from the dropdown menu. Options include common fish like Shrimp, Salmon, Lobsters, and high-level items like Karambwans and Sharks. The calculator automatically fetches base XP and burn rate data for your selection.
- Input Raw Food Price (GP): Check the Grand Exchange for the current buying price of one unit of your chosen raw food. Enter this value in Gold Pieces (GP).
- Input Cooked Food Price (GP): Check the Grand Exchange for the current selling price of one unit of the *cooked* version of your chosen food. Enter this value in GP.
- Input Cooking Rate (items per hour): Estimate how many items you can cook in an hour. This depends on your setup (e.g., bank proximity, use of a range vs. fire) and attention. Common rates are 800-1200.
- Click "Calculate": The calculator will instantly display your results.
- Interpret Results: Review the primary profit/loss, total XP, items needed, estimated time, and burnt items. The results section also provides a brief explanation of the calculations.
- "Copy Results" Button: Use this to quickly copy all your calculation results to your clipboard for sharing or record-keeping.
- "Reset" Button: Clears all inputs and sets them back to their default values.
Remember that GE prices fluctuate, so for the most accurate results, update the raw and cooked food prices frequently.
Key Factors That Affect OSRS Cooking Efficiency
Achieving optimal efficiency with the OSRS Cooking Calculator and in-game cooking involves understanding several key factors:
- Cooking Level: Your current Cooking level is the most significant factor. Higher levels drastically reduce your chance of burning food, leading to more XP and profit per item. This is reflected in the calculator's dynamic average burn rate.
- Food Type: Different foods offer varying XP rates and have different required levels and burn mechanics. Some foods, like Karambwans, provide high XP and can be highly profitable, especially at higher levels with zero burn. Others, like Sharks, are slower but still valuable.
- Grand Exchange Prices: The fluctuating prices of raw and cooked food directly impact your profit or loss. Always check current GE prices for accuracy. A slight change in price can turn a profitable method into a loss, or vice versa.
- Burn Rate: As calculated, burn rate directly affects the number of raw items you need to purchase and the number of cooked items you can sell. Minimizing burns is crucial for both XP efficiency (as burnt items give 0 XP) and financial gain.
- Cooking Equipment:
- Ranges vs. Fires: Ranges (like the Lumbridge Castle or Rogues' Den range) have a lower burn rate than fires, especially at lower levels. The Rogues' Den range offers a 0% burn rate for all foods at level 80 Cooking.
- Cooking Gauntlets: These quest-reward gloves (from Family Gauntlets) significantly reduce burn rates for certain high-level fish (Lobster, Swordfish, Shark, Monkfish, Anglerfish, Dark crab), often allowing for 0% burn at level 99.
- Chef's Hat: While not directly affecting burn rate or XP, it's a minor cosmetic.
- Banking Speed & Location: The speed at which you can retrieve raw food and deposit cooked food (or simply drop items) impacts your items-per-hour rate. Locations like the Hosidius Kitchen (with 5% reduced burn rate after Kourend & Kebos achievement diary) or the Cooking Guild (requires 32 Cooking) with a bank nearby are popular for efficiency.
- Attention & AFKability: Some methods are more AFK (away from keyboard) than others. Highly click-intensive methods, like 1-tick Karambwans, yield higher XP/hour but require constant attention, affecting your actual "cooking rate."
- Achievement Diaries: Specific diary rewards can offer benefits, such as the Kourend & Kebos Diary's Hosidius Kitchen bonus, further reducing burn rates.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about OSRS Cooking
Q1: What is "burn rate" in OSRS Cooking?
A1: The burn rate is the chance that your food will turn into a "burnt" version instead of a successfully cooked item. Burnt food gives no experience and is typically worthless. Your Cooking level, the type of food, and the cooking appliance (fire vs. range) all affect this rate. Higher Cooking levels significantly reduce burn chance.
Q2: How accurate are the GE prices in the calculator?
A2: The calculator relies on the prices you input. Grand Exchange (GE) prices in OSRS fluctuate constantly based on supply and demand. For the most accurate results, always check current GE prices just before using the calculator. It's recommended to check both the instant buy and instant sell prices.
Q3: Does this OSRS Cooking Calculator account for Cooking Gauntlets?
A3: Yes, indirectly. The `burnStopLevel` for high-tier foods like Monkfish, Shark, Karambwan, Anglerfish, and Dark Crab is set to 99, assuming the use of Cooking Gauntlets, which allow for 0% burn at level 99 for these specific items. Without gauntlets, some of these would still burn occasionally even at 99.
Q4: Why doesn't the calculator have a unit switcher for time (e.g., minutes/hours)?
A4: For simplicity and clarity, the calculator defaults to displaying estimated time in hours, as this is a common unit for long-term skill training in OSRS. You can easily convert this to minutes by multiplying by 60 if needed.
Q5: What if my current level is below the required level for the selected food?
A5: The calculator will still attempt to provide an estimate, but it will effectively start calculations from the food's required level. If your current level is below the required level, it's implied you would first train to the required level using other foods or by buying levels (not recommended for profit).
Q6: Can I make money while training Cooking to 99?
A6: Absolutely! Many Cooking methods, especially with high-level foods like Karambwans, Monkfish, or Sharks, can be highly profitable, particularly if you have a high Cooking level (reducing burns) and are efficient with banking. The calculator helps you identify these profitable methods based on current GE prices.
Q7: What's the fastest way to 99 Cooking?
A7: Generally, cooking high-XP-per-item foods like Karambwans, Anglerfish, or Sharks as soon as you can cook them without burning (or with minimal burn) is the fastest. Efficient banking setups (e.g., using a bank closest to a range) and minimizing AFK time are also crucial for maximizing XP/hour. This calculator helps you compare the XP rates and costs of different options.
Q8: Why does the chart only show cumulative XP?
A8: The cumulative XP chart provides a clear visual representation of the total experience required for each level, highlighting the exponential increase in XP needed for higher levels. This helps players understand the scale of the commitment to reach 99. Other charts, like XP per item, are static and better suited for tables.
Related OSRS Tools and Internal Resources
Enhance your Old School RuneScape experience with these other helpful tools and guides: