Tuna Potato OSRS: Cooking Guide & Benefits Explained

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), tuna potato is a level 10 cooking recipe that restores 9 Hitpoints when eaten. Players need raw tuna, potatoes, and a knife to prepare this dish, making it an ideal early-game food option for combat training or quest requirements.

Mastering Tuna Potato in OSRS: Your Complete Early-Game Food Guide

For new OSRS players seeking reliable early-game sustenance, tuna potato stands as one of the most accessible and practical food options available. This level 10 cooking recipe provides consistent healing while requiring minimal resources, making it perfect for combat training, quest completion, and general gameplay progression before reaching higher cooking levels.

Why Tuna Potato Matters in Your OSRS Journey

Tuna potato serves as a crucial stepping stone between basic shrimp and more advanced cooking recipes. Unlike lower-level foods that offer minimal healing, this dish provides 9 Hitpoints restoration per serving while maintaining reasonable profit margins for early-game players. The recipe's accessibility makes it particularly valuable during the critical 1-20 cooking range where food options are limited but essential for combat training.

Getting Your Ingredients: Strategic Farming and Fishing

Acquiring the necessary components requires understanding optimal resource locations:

Raw Tuna Sources

• Fishing Spots: The Lumbridge Castle basement offers the most accessible location with minimal competition
• Fishing Level: Requires level 16 Fishing to catch raw tuna
• Alternative Locations: Catherby, Port Sarim, and the Fishing Guild provide additional options with varying competition levels

Potato Acquisition Methods

• Farming: Plant potato seeds at level 1 Farming in allotment patches (most sustainable long-term option)
• General Stores: Purchase from shops like the Lumbridge General Store (1-2 coins each)
• Quest Rewards: Some early quests provide potatoes as rewards

Ingredient	Best Acquisition Method	Time Investment	Cost Efficiency
Raw Tuna	Lumbridge Castle fishing spot	Medium (requires level 16 Fishing)	High (can sell excess)
Potatoes	Lumbridge General Store	Low (immediate purchase)	Medium (1-2 coins each)

The Cooking Process: Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing tuna potato requires precise steps to avoid burning:

1. Obtain raw tuna, potatoes, and a knife in your inventory
2. Right-click a range or fire (level 10 Cooking required)
3. Select 'Cook' option when prompted
4. Maintain focus during the cooking animation (burn rate decreases as you gain experience)
5. Collect your cooked tuna potatoes from the cooking station

Pro Tip: Stand near the cooking station rather than directly in front to minimize burn rate. At level 10 Cooking, expect approximately 50% success rate, improving to 70% by level 15.

Gameplay Benefits and Strategic Applications

Tuna potato offers several advantages that make it worth incorporating into your early-game strategy:

• Healing Efficiency: Restores 9 Hitpoints per serving, outperforming shrimp (3 HP) and trout (7 HP)
• Combat Training: Ideal for low-level monster combat where healing needs are moderate
• Quest Requirements: Required for several early quests including Gertrude's Cat and Sheep Shearer
• Economic Viability: Can be sold for profit when cooking levels are low and demand is high

When Tuna Potato Becomes Obsolete

Understanding the limitations of this food option is crucial for efficient progression. Tuna potato remains useful until approximately level 30 Cooking, when players typically transition to:

• Level 20: Pike (10 HP restoration)
• Level 30: Trout (12 HP restoration) or Lobster (12 HP restoration)
• Level 40: Swordfish (14 HP restoration)

This transition timeline follows the natural progression of OSRS cooking mechanics, where each tier offers approximately 2-3 additional Hitpoints restored per food item.

Advanced Tuna Potato Strategies

For players looking to maximize efficiency with this early-game food:

• Quest Preparation: Stockpile before starting quests requiring cooked food
• Profit Making: Buy low during off-peak hours and sell when new players enter the game
• Training Method: Use bank standing technique at Lumbridge Castle to minimize travel time
• Combination Play: Pair with fishing training to simultaneously level Cooking and Fishing skills

Common Mistakes to Avoid

New players frequently encounter these issues when working with tuna potato:

• Attempting to cook without a knife (required for preparation)
• Standing too far from the cooking station (increases burn rate)
• Not having enough inventory space for multiple attempts
• Wasting time gathering potatoes when shops offer cheaper alternatives

Evolution of Tuna Potato in OSRS Updates

Since its introduction, this cooking recipe has maintained consistent mechanics through multiple game updates:

• 2001 (Original Release): Introduced as part of basic cooking mechanics
• 2007 (RuneScape 2): Healing value standardized to 9 HP
• 2013 (OSRS Launch): Maintained identical properties from RS2
• 2020 (Cooking Overhaul): Burn rates adjusted but recipe mechanics unchanged

This consistency makes tuna potato one of the most reliable early-game food options in OSRS history, with mechanics that have remained unchanged for over a decade.

Practical Implementation: Your Action Plan

Follow this sequence to efficiently incorporate tuna potato into your gameplay:

1. Complete tutorial island and obtain initial coins
2. Purchase potatoes from Lumbridge General Store (10-20 recommended)
3. Train Fishing to level 16 at Lumbridge Castle basement
4. Catch 10-20 raw tuna
5. Proceed to Lumbridge kitchen to cook your first batch
6. Use resulting food during combat training or quest completion

Frequently Asked Questions

What cooking level do I need for tuna potato in OSRS?

You need exactly level 10 Cooking to prepare tuna potato in Old School RuneScape. This makes it accessible shortly after completing the tutorial island.

How many Hitpoints does tuna potato restore in OSRS?

Each tuna potato restores 9 Hitpoints when consumed, making it significantly more effective than shrimp (3 HP) and slightly better than trout (7 HP) at similar cooking levels.

Can I make tuna potato without a knife in OSRS?

No, you must have a knife in your inventory to prepare tuna potato. The game requires this tool for the cooking process, though you don't need to equip it - just having it in your inventory suffices.

Where's the best place to cook tuna potato in early OSRS?

The Lumbridge Castle kitchen offers the most convenient location for new players. It's near the fishing spot in the basement, has multiple cooking ranges, and provides easy access to general stores for purchasing ingredients.

Is tuna potato profitable in OSRS?

Yes, tuna potato can be profitable for players with low Cooking levels (10-20). The cost to make (raw tuna + potato) is typically less than the selling price to other players who need the food for quests or combat training.