So, you want to cook meth in Payday 2, but every time you try, the lab blows up 45 seconds into the mission and you get booted from the lobby. No more. This is your ultimate Cook-Off guide—fast, focused, and foolproof. After this, you’ll never mess up another batch or get kicked again. Let’s get started.

Step One: Know Your Role and Prep Right Before anything else, buy your mission assets. They spawn at predictable locations and are highlighted through walls, so there’s no need to go hunting around. Once that’s done, assign a single player as the cook. That’s right—only one person should be cooking. This prevents chaos and costly mistakes. If you try to multi-cook with uncoordinated players, your chances of blowing up skyrocket.

Gathering Ingredients: A Safe Order As soon as the mission starts, the designated cook needs to gather one set of ingredients from key locations—in this specific order: truck, back shed, front shed, basement, and bathroom. The idea is to grab the farthest ingredients first, working your way closer to the meth lab. This strategy is key because cops won’t spawn until someone enters the house. Take your time outside—there’s no rush before the action begins.

Meth Lab Placement and Ingredient Timing Once you’re inside, locate the meth lab. It can spawn on either the first or second floor unless you’re using a mod to determine its location beforehand. From here, the cook’s job is to stay in the lab and listen very carefully to Bain’s instructions.

Bain will always speak in two sentences. The first sentence names an ingredient, and the second confirms or contradicts it. If the second sentence doesn’t contradict the first, then it’s always correct. For example:

• “Let’s see… hydrogen chloride. That should get things cooking.” = Go ahead with hydrogen chloride.
• “Now we need hydrogen chloride… Sorry, that wasn’t right. It should be caustic soda.” = Ignore the first; go with caustic soda.

Memorize this. Misplacing ingredients is the #1 cause of failed labs. Every batch uses one of each ingredient: caustic soda, hydrogen chloride, and muriatic acid. Use what you’re holding first before grabbing more to avoid confusion and mismanagement.

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Timing is Everything One crucial mechanic: the meth lab won’t start cooking the next batch until the current one is removed. So as soon as the cooked meth appears on the plate, pick it up and throw it somewhere safe. The faster you clear the plate, the faster the next batch begins. Never let cooked meth sit there unless you want to stall your whole run.

Non-Cook Roles: What Everyone Else Should Be Doing If you’re not the cook, your job is just as important:

• Barricade the Windows: Start with the planks located in marked locations, or use mods to find them easier. Don’t barricade every single window—leave a few open for visibility and shooting.
  • First-floor lab: Use a configuration that leaves opposite windows open.
  • Second-floor lab: Use a similar layout with strategic firing lines.
• Eliminate Cops and Snipers: Focus on keeping the area clear, especially from snipers and Winters. There are six sniper spots—two at the front, two on the sides, and two in the back. Learn to recognize the sniper spawn audio cues so you can head to the second floor (best sightlines) and take them out fast. On higher difficulties, Winters will spawn on the left side of the road. Use grenades, RPGs, or a sniper graze shot to clear him quickly.
• Deliver Additional Ingredients: Watch for the flare icon. When it appears, run to it and deploy the flare. Once the drop comes in, grab the bag and either place it near the lab or, if you’re good, toss it through a window directly into the room. Trick shots encouraged.
• Handle the Meth Bags: Once meth is cooked, someone needs to bring the bags to the van when it arrives. The van will park either to the right or left side of the road in front of the house, stay for a bit, and then leave. You must be quick.
• Optional: Keep the Lights On: Light switches spawn across the house. Cops will often turn them off. While this doesn’t impact gameplay significantly, it does make things easier to see. Highlighted switches make it easy to turn them back on—so why not?

Bonus Pro Tips and Cautionary Warnings

• Don’t go on the roof. Just… don’t.
• If you add a wrong ingredient and the lab starts smoking and whistling like a kettle—it’s over. Restart immediately.
• Avoid ingredient confusion by managing your inventory. Only pick up what you need and don’t hoard.
• Cook as many bags as you can until your internet crashes and you lose everything. (Okay, maybe not that last part.)

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Cook-Off in Payday 2 is one of the most rewarding and repeatable missions if done right. With precise roles, clear communication, and respect for the cooking order, you can easily crank out dozens of bags. Don’t be the reason the lab explodes. Know your role, follow Bain, and keep the meth flowing. Happy cooking!