Oven Temperature Converter

My mother's oven in Karachi has two settings, as far as she is concerned: low and hot. The numbers on the dial wore off years ago, and she bakes her famous sponge cake by opening the door, holding her hand inside, and counting. It works for her every single time. It did not work for me when I tried her method on my first American oven and turned a tray of cookies into charcoal while Saad watched with very wide eyes.

Since then I have learned to love numbers in the kitchen, but I quickly found out they come in different languages. My American recipes say 350°F. The British baking books Zainab loves say 180°C, or 160°C fan, or gas mark 4. Australian blogs use Celsius, my friend in Manchester bakes on a gas cooker, and my husband's new air fryer seems to have its own rules entirely.

So I built this free oven temperature converter to translate all of them in one place. Type a temperature into any box, Fahrenheit, Celsius, fan oven, convection or gas mark, and the rest fill in instantly. It also adjusts cooking times for fan ovens and air fryers, converts every temperature in a recipe you paste in, tells you whether your oven runs hot or cold, and prints a chart for the inside of your cupboard door.

Below the tool, I explain what each of these settings really means, why recipes round their numbers, and the mistakes I made along the way, so you never have to bake by counting with your hand in the oven like my mother does. Unless you want to, of course.

OVEN TEMPERATURE CONVERTER

Type a number into any box, or tap one of the common temperatures. Everything else updates as you type.

HOW TO USE THIS CONVERTER

1. Enter the temperature from your recipe. Use the box that matches what the recipe says: Fahrenheit for most US recipes, Celsius for UK, Australian and European recipes, fan oven if a UK recipe gives a fan setting, or gas mark for older British recipes.
2. Read your setting. The result shows the matching temperature in every system, a description like "moderate oven", and what that temperature is usually used for.
3. Adjust the time for your appliance. In the fan oven and air fryer section, type the cooking time from the recipe to see how it changes in a fan oven or an air fryer.
4. Paste a whole recipe if you like. The recipe translator finds every oven temperature in the text and adds the conversions in brackets, so you can copy it back into your notes.
5. Check your oven. If you own an oven thermometer, enter what it reads against your dial setting, and the tool tells you what to set your dial to from now on.
6. Print the chart. The full chart at the bottom prints on its own, without ads or menus.

FAHRENHEIT TO CELSIUS: THE FORMULA AND WHY RECIPES ROUND

If you want to do the math yourself, the formulas are simple:

• Fahrenheit to Celsius: subtract 32, then multiply by 5 and divide by 9.
• Celsius to Fahrenheit: multiply by 9, divide by 5, then add 32.

Using that formula, 350°F works out to 176.7°C. Yet every British recipe for the same cake says 180°C. That is not a mistake. Recipe writers round oven temperatures to the nearest 5 or 10 degrees, because home ovens cannot hold an exact temperature anyway. Most of them drift up and down by 10 degrees or more as the heating element switches on and off. A difference of 3 degrees will never show up in your cake.

This is why my converter shows the rounded number recipes actually use, with the exact figure underneath. You can trust either one. One warning: the mental shortcuts people use for the weather, like "double it and add 30", are fine for deciding whether you need a jacket, but they are too rough for ovens. Doubling 180°C and adding 30 gives 390°F, which is a hot oven, when the real answer is 350°F.

WHAT IS A FAN OVEN, AND HOW MUCH LOWER SHOULD YOU SET IT?

A fan oven, called a convection oven in the US, has a fan at the back that moves hot air around the food. Moving air transfers heat faster than still air, so food cooks and browns more quickly at the same temperature. That is why most UK recipes give two temperatures, such as "180°C, 160°C fan".

The standard rule is to set a fan oven about 20°C lower, or 25°F lower, than a conventional oven. So a US recipe that says 350°F becomes 325°F on the convection setting, and a UK recipe that says 200°C becomes 180°C fan. Cooking times stay about the same, though food is often ready 5 to 10 minutes sooner, so start checking early.

One thing to check before you convert: some newer ovens adjust the temperature for you when you choose the convection setting. If your oven manual mentions "convection conversion" or "auto conversion", enter the temperature from the recipe as written and let the oven handle the rest. Otherwise you will end up lowering it twice.

GAS MARKS EXPLAINED

Gas marks are numbered settings found on gas cookers in the UK and Ireland, and you will still see them in many British recipes and family cookbooks. Instead of degrees, the dial shows numbers from ¼ up to 9 or 10.

• Gas mark ¼ and ½: 225 to 250°F (110 to 120°C). Very cool ovens for meringues and drying.
• Gas mark 1 and 2: 275 to 300°F (140 to 150°C). Slow ovens for stews and rich fruit cakes.
• Gas mark 3 and 4: 325 to 350°F (160 to 180°C). Moderate ovens for most cakes, cookies and casseroles.
• Gas mark 5 and 6: 375 to 400°F (190 to 200°C). Moderately hot ovens for muffins, bread and roasted vegetables.
• Gas mark 7 to 9: 425 to 475°F (220 to 240°C). Hot ovens for roast potatoes, crusty bread and pizza.

From gas mark 1 upward, each step adds 25°F, which makes the pattern easy to remember once you know that gas mark 4 is 350°F. Gas ovens do not have a separate fan setting, so there is no fan conversion to worry about with gas marks.

WHAT EACH OVEN TEMPERATURE IS FOR

Once you know what temperature ranges are used for, recipes start to make more sense, and you can tell when a converted number looks wrong.

Low Ovens: 225 to 300°F (110 to 150°C)

Low heat dries and cooks gently. It is used for meringues, slow-cooked stews and braises, cheesecakes that need to set without cracking, and rich fruit cakes that bake for hours.

Moderate Ovens: 325 to 375°F (160 to 190°C)

This is where most home baking happens. Cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins and casseroles all bake here, because the outside browns at about the same rate the inside cooks. My coffee cake and nearly every batch of cookies in my house bake at 350°F (180°C).

Hot Ovens: 400 to 450°F (200 to 230°C)

High heat gives crisp, golden outsides. Roasted vegetables, bread, puff pastry and crispy potato wedges all need a hot oven to brown before they dry out.

Very Hot Ovens: 475 to 500°F (240 to 260°C)

The hottest setting in most home kitchens is for pizza and flatbreads, which need a blast of heat to puff and char quickly.

CONVERTING OVEN RECIPES FOR AN AIR FRYER

My husband bought an air fryer last year and now wants to cook everything in it. An air fryer is really a small, powerful fan oven, so the same idea applies, only more so. The basket sits close to the heating element and the fan is strong, so food cooks faster than in a full-size oven.

The rule I use is to lower the temperature by about 25°F (15 to 20°C) and cut the time by about 20%. A recipe that bakes at 400°F for 25 minutes becomes about 375°F for 20 minutes in the air fryer. The converter does this math for you, and it caps the result at 400°F (200°C), since that is the maximum on most air fryers.

• Cook in a single layer and leave space between pieces so the air can move.
• Shake the basket or flip food halfway through.
• Preheat for 3 to 5 minutes if your model allows it, for crisper results.
• Start checking a few minutes before the converted time, especially the first time you try a recipe.

If you are new to air frying, my collection of healthy air fryer recipes is a good place to practice.

IS YOUR OVEN TELLING THE TRUTH?

For years my cookies browned too fast on the bottom, and I blamed the recipes. Then I bought an inexpensive oven thermometer, well under $10, and discovered my oven ran 15°F hot. I had been baking at 365°F every time I set it to 350°F. Ovens drift as they age, and many home ovens are off by 10 to 25 degrees without anyone knowing.

Here is how to check yours:

1. Hang an oven thermometer on the middle rack, in the center of the oven.
2. Set the oven to 350°F (180°C) and let it heat for at least 20 minutes, even after the preheat signal goes off.
3. Read the thermometer without opening the door if you can, then check again 10 minutes later.
4. Enter your dial setting and the thermometer reading in the converter. It tells you how far off your oven is and what to set the dial to for any recipe.

A few other habits help too. Always bake on the middle rack unless the recipe says otherwise, give the oven a full 15 to 20 minutes to preheat, and remember that dark metal pans and glass dishes brown faster than shiny metal ones. Many bakers lower the temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) when using glass bakeware.

BAKING DESI FAVORITES IN A HOME OVEN

Pakistani and Indian cooking traditionally uses a tandoor, which reaches temperatures no home oven can match. You can still get very close at home if you use the hottest setting you have.

• Naan: heat the oven to its maximum, usually 500°F (260°C), with a pizza stone or an upside-down heavy baking sheet inside for at least 30 minutes. The naan puffs in 2 to 4 minutes.
• Tandoori chicken or tikka: roast at 425 to 450°F (220 to 230°C), then finish under the broiler (grill in the UK) for charred edges.
• Baked samosas: 400°F (200°C), brushed with oil or ghee, until golden.
• Nankhatai: these crumbly cardamom cookies like a moderate 350°F (180°C) oven, so they stay pale on top.

When my mother visited us, I made naan this way, and she declared it "almost like the bazaar". Coming from her, that is the highest compliment possible.

CANDY, SUGAR AND FRYING TEMPERATURES

Oven temperatures are not the only ones that need converting. Candy and sugar recipes depend on exact stages, such as soft ball for fudge at 235 to 245°F (113 to 118°C) and hard crack for brittle at 300 to 310°F (149 to 154°C). Deep frying usually happens between 350 and 375°F (175 to 190°C), which is the range I use for pakoras and samosas. You will find full charts for both below the converter, ready to print with the rest.

MY TIPS FOR GETTING OVEN TEMPERATURES RIGHT

• Read the whole recipe first. Check whether the temperature is for a conventional or fan oven before you convert anything.
• Convert once and write it down. Pencil the converted temperature onto your printed recipe so you never have to work it out again.
• Trust doneness signs over timers. A clean toothpick, golden edges or an internal temperature tell you more than the clock does.
• Do not open the door too often. Every peek lets out heat, and the oven can drop 25°F or more in seconds.
• Rotate pans halfway if your oven has hot spots, which you can spot when one side of your cookies always browns first.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

These are the oven questions I get asked most, especially by readers in the UK and Australia.

What is 350°F in Celsius?

350°F is 176.7°C, which recipes round to 180°C. In a fan oven, use 160°C. On a gas cooker, use gas mark 4.

What is 180°C in Fahrenheit?

180°C is 356°F, which recipes round to 350°F. It is a moderate oven, used for most cakes, cookies and casseroles.

How much lower should a fan oven be?

Set a fan or convection oven about 20°C or 25°F lower than a conventional oven. For example, 200°C becomes 180°C fan, and 400°F becomes 375°F convection. Check your manual first, because some ovens make this adjustment automatically.

What gas mark is 180°C?

180°C is gas mark 4, which equals 350°F. Gas mark 5 is 190°C (375°F) and gas mark 6 is 200°C (400°F).

How do I convert an oven recipe to an air fryer?

Lower the temperature by about 25°F (15 to 20°C) and reduce the cooking time by about 20%. Cook in a single layer, shake or flip halfway, and start checking a few minutes early.

Why does my food burn even though I follow the recipe temperature?

Your oven may run hot. Many home ovens are off by 10 to 25 degrees. Use an oven thermometer to check, then set your dial higher or lower to make up the difference.

Is 200°C a hot oven?

Yes. 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6) is considered a hot oven. It is used for roasting vegetables, baking bread and cooking puff pastry.

What temperature is a moderate oven?

A moderate oven is 350 to 375°F, or 180 to 190°C, which is gas mark 4 to 5. Most cakes and cookies bake in this range.

HAPPY BAKING, IN ANY OVEN

Whether your recipe speaks Fahrenheit, Celsius or gas mark, and whether you bake in a fan oven in London, a gas cooker in Lahore or an air fryer on a busy weeknight, I hope this converter makes every recipe feel like it was written for your kitchen. Bookmark the page, print the chart, and buy that oven thermometer. Your cookies will thank you.

Ready to turn the oven on? Here are a few of my family favorites to try:

• Classic Coffee Cake
• Garlic Knots
• Eggnog Snickerdoodles
• Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges
• 27 Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

Happy baking from my kitchen to yours! 🔥🧁