The content of this guide only applies when you play using the classic graphics. If you're playing the original game using the CD version, you can follow this guide as well. For tips when using the new graphics, check the new graphics inventory tips guide. Also note this guide does not cover what happens when you get credit early. When getting credit early, the position of the items in the inventory is slightly different, and you'll have to do some adjustments.

The basics

Without a doubt, the trickiest moment in part two is putting all the ingredients inside the cooking pot. You have to use 8 items with the pot plus another one with the hot fire. The keys here are to minimize mouse movement and reduce the amount of inventory scrolling as much as possible. With the route described in this guide, you won't have to scroll the inventory at all while cooking.

There are some key principles to keep in mind here (shout-outs to frozenspade, LeoLitz, zergu12, and probably others, for finding out and/or making guides about how to apply these principles to this part):

1. You can press "U" on the keyboard to select the "Use" verb, which is faster than clicking on "Use".
2. You can use an item with the cooking pot or you can use the cooking pot with an item; which one you click on first doesn't matter and both will result in successfully putting the item in the pot.
3. You can "buffer" a second action while Guybrush is on his way to perform the first one (more on that later).
4. When you get a new item, the inventory automatically scrolls to the bottom.
5. Some items disappear from your inventory after you use them.

Main route

After skipping the initial cutscene, start by going to the kitchen, opening the cupboard and opening the cereal. You don't have to pick up the cereal before opening it; just type "O" (to open) and click on the cereal after opening the cupboard.

Now go and get the Jolly Roger, then open the cabinet, and open and look at the chest. Right after looking at the chest, press the "period" key once to skip one line of dialog. After Guybrush has picked up the cinnamon sticks, pick up the feather pen and the ink. Finally, get the gunpowder and the fine wine (in this order). After picking up the fine wine, and on the way to the kitchen, scroll the inventory to the top while Guybrush is walking.

When you enter the kitchen, click on the pot so Guybrush starts walking to it and, while Guybrush is walking, press "U", click on the cooking pot, and then on the chicken. Now move the cursor back to the cooking pot and, after Guybrush uses the chicken, press "U" again, click on the cooking pot, and then click on the breath mints.

There's a faster way to use the chicken and the breath mints, buffering an action as mentioned above. It's a bit tricky, though, but I'd recommend you to go for it and, if you miss, simply proceed as explained in the previous paragraph. Start as before, clicking on the pot after entering the kitchen. While Guybrush is walking, quickly press "U", click on the cooking pot, and then on the chicken. Now quicky press "U", move the cursor back to the cooking pot, click on it, and move the cursor back to the chicken. Do not click on the chicken again. If you're fast enough, you'll do all this before Guybrush has reached the cooking pot. After Guybrush uses the chicken, it'll disappear from the inventory and your cursor will be on the breath mints. Click on them; since you had already selected "Use cooking pot with" while Guybrush was walking, you'll complete the action.

While Guybrush is putting the breath mints in the cooking pot, move the cursor to the item on the left of the breath mints (the map). This is something you should do every time Guybrush is using an item: use that time to move the cursor to the next place you have to click on.

After Guybrush has finished, press "U", click on the map, and click on the red hot fire. You'll see how the inventory automatically scrolls to the bottom because you got the flaming mass; ignore the flaming mass for now. Instead, press "U", click on the cooking pot, and then click on the ink. Now press "U", click on the gunpowder, and click on the cooking pot. The gunpowder will disappear from you inventory, and the rest of the items you need will become visible!

Now for the home stretch. Press "U", click on the cooking pot, and click on the cereal. Then press "U", click on the Jolly Roger, and click on the cooking pot. Press "U", click on the cooking pot once more and then click on the cinnamon sticks. Finally, press "U", click on the fine wine, click on the cooking pot one last time, and hold Backspace to skip the cutscene. After skipping the cutscene, proceed as explained in the speedrun guide to the original game.

Here's a video showing this route.

Other possible routes

There are many other ways to do this part. You need to open the cereal in order to get the prize to open the cabinet, but you can visit the rest of the rooms in any order. Movement-wise, I haven't noticed any time differences between the routes, but there could be differences of a frame here and there.

Here's another example that also results in no inventory scrolling: open the cereal, open the cabinet, pick up the cinnamon sticks, pick up the ink, pick up the Jolly Roger, and then pick up the gunpowder and the fine wine. When putting the ingredients in the pot, start as usual using the chicken and the breath mints and then burning the map. Then use the ink, the Jolly Roger, the cereal, the cinnamon sticks, the gunpowder, and finally the fine wine.

One more example: do the same as in the previous example, but pick up the wine before picking up the gunpowder. Then, after using the chicken and the breath mints and then burning the map, use the ink, the wine, the Jolly Roger, the cereal, the cinnamon sticks and finally the gunpowder.

All these routes are slightly different and as far as I know there isn't a route that is significantly faster, so use the one that works best for you. The key point that makes it possible to avoid scrolling the inventory is that, in this version, when you open the cereal, the prize will be added to the inventory before the cereal. So, if you start by getting the cereal, the prize will not get in the way while putting all the ingredients in the cooking pot.