How to Estimate OSRS Cooking Burns: Burn Rate Formula and Stop-Burn Levels
Calculate OSRS cooking burn rates by food type and cooking level. Find the level where each food stops burning, and estimate food waste during your Cooking XP grind.
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How OSRS Cooking Burns Work
When you cook food at a lower than optimal level, there's a chance of burning it. Burned food has no healing value and can't be sold on the Grand Exchange for significant value. Burn rates affect your food yield and profit margin during cooking training.
The Burn Rate Formula
The probability of burning a food depends on your Cooking level relative to the food's stop-burn level:
Burn Rate decreases linearly from the food's minimum cooking level (very high burn chance) to the stop-burn level (0% burns).
At the stop-burn level, burns become impossible (on fire or range — using a range reduces burns vs. fire).
Range vs. Fire: Cooking on a range reduces burn rate by 5% at all levels. Using the Hosidius Kitchen ranges (Hosidius favor or access) gives an additional 5% burn rate reduction.
Stop-Burn Levels for Common Foods
Key insight: Sharks have a stop-burn level of 94 on a range — meaning even at 93 Cooking with a range, you have some burn chance. The Cooking Cape (requires 99 Cooking) eliminates all burns entirely.
The Cooking Cape Benefit
The Cooking Cape allows you to never burn any food — even at level 99, this is primarily relevant for Manta Rays (stop-burn: 99 range) and Dark Crabs (stop-burn: 100 — theoretically never stops burning without the cape).
For players cooking Sharks at 94+ Cooking on a range, burn rate is 0% without the cape.
Estimating Food Loss During Training
For bulk cooking sessions, use this estimation:
Burned food per 1,000 cooked = Burn Rate × 1,000
At level 80 cooking Sharks on a range: ~15–20% burn rate → Expect 150–200 burned sharks per 1,000 fish
At level 90+ on range: ~5–8% burn rate → 50–80 burned per 1,000
This has significant impact on profit calculation for bulk cooking sessions.
Fastest Cooking XP: Karambwan
Karambwan (cooked at level 30) have a unique mechanic — they cook "instantly" with a 1-tick cooking method. Experienced players can achieve 800,000+ Cooking XP/hr using 1-tick Karambwan cooking at Cooking Range near a bank.
Normal Karambwan burn rate: relatively high; stop-burn requires high Cooking. The XP rate makes it worth the food waste.
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- How to Plan an OSRS Skill Goal: XP Requirements and Time EstimationPlan your OSRS skill goals with XP gap calculations, time estimates at different XP rates, and how to choose efficient training methods for each skill.
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- OSRS Firemaking XP, Cost, and Time: Fastest Methods to 99Plan your OSRS Firemaking grind with XP per log, cost per XP, and time estimates for standard logs vs. Wintertodt. Find the fastest and cheapest path to 99 Firemaking.
Frequently Asked Questions
- At what level do sharks stop burning in OSRS?
- Sharks stop burning at level 94 on a range, or 99 on a fire. On a Hosidius Kitchen range (5% additional bonus), the effective stop-burn is slightly lower. Many players cook sharks at 85+ Cooking on a range where the burn rate is under 5%, making waste minimal for XP or profit.
- Does cooking range vs. fire make a difference?
- Yes — cooking on a range gives a 5% reduction in burn rate at all levels, which shifts the effective stop-burn level lower. The Hosidius Kitchen (Great Kourend) gives another 5% reduction, making it the best cooking location in the game for minimizing burns.
- What does the Cooking Cape do in OSRS?
- The Cooking Cape (awarded at 99 Cooking) eliminates all food burns — you can cook Manta Rays, Dark Crabs, and any other food with a 100% success rate. It also provides a +4 Cooking level boost when worn (similar to chef's hat effects) and has a special emote.
- What is the best food to cook for XP in OSRS?
- Karambwan give the highest XP rates via 1-tick cooking but require setup. For standard training, Sharks and Monkfish give high XP/hr, are cheap relative to other options, and have manageable burn rates at 80+ Cooking on a range. Swordfish is good for mid-levels.
Last updated 7/28/2026