Lifestyle

Oven Temperature Converter

Convert oven temperatures between Celsius, Fahrenheit, gas mark and fan (convection) settings. British recipes often give a gas mark, American ones Fahrenheit, and fan ovens run about 20 °C cooler than the conventional setting — easy to get wrong. Enter a temperature in any scale to see all the others, plus a reference chart of common baking temperatures and what each level of heat is good for.

How to use this tool

  1. Enter a temperature.
  2. Choose which scale you typed it in — Celsius, Fahrenheit, gas mark or fan.
  3. Read the equivalent in every other scale, plus the heat level description.
  4. Use the reference chart to find common baking temperatures at a glance.
  5. Remember that fan ovens run cooler: drop the conventional temperature by about 20 °C, which the tool does for you.

The formula

Celsius and Fahrenheit convert by an exact formula. Gas marks and fan settings are stepped conventions rather than continuous scales, so the tool matches your temperature to the nearest standard mark.

°F = °C × 9/5 + 32 °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9 fan °C ≈ conventional °C − 20
gas mark
A stepped UK oven scale; mark 4 ≈ 180 °C
fan
Convection setting, about 20 °C below conventional

The 20 °C fan reduction is the common rule of thumb. Some manufacturers suggest 10–25 °C, so treat it as guidance and watch your bake.

Worked examples

A British recipe

Given
Gas mark 6
Result
200 °C / 400 °F

Gas mark 6 is a moderately hot oven, about 200 °C or 400 °F; a fan oven would be set near 180 °C.

Converting for a fan oven

Given
180 °C conventional
Result
≈ 160 °C fan

Fan ovens circulate heat, so reducing by 20 °C prevents over-browning.

An American recipe

Given
350 °F
Result
≈ 177 °C, gas mark 4

350 °F converts to about 177 °C, which sits at gas mark 4 — the standard moderate baking temperature.

Frequently asked questions

A fan circulates hot air, so heat reaches the food faster and more evenly than in a conventional oven. To get the same result you lower the set temperature by about 20 °C. Setting a fan oven to the conventional temperature usually over-bakes or over-browns.

It is the numbered scale on British gas ovens, running from ¼ (very cool) up to 9 (very hot). Each mark corresponds to a temperature — mark 4 is about 180 °C, the standard for many bakes. The steps are roughly 14 °C apart in the middle of the range.

Because 180 °C is exactly 356 °F. Recipes round it to 350 °F for convenience, and the reference chart shows that conventional pairing. The tool reports the exact arithmetic conversion as well so you can see both.

No — they are conventional standards. Ovens vary, and manufacturers differ on the exact fan reduction. The chart follows the most widely used equivalents, but your oven’s own manual is the final word.

It helps. Many ovens run 10–20 °C hotter or cooler than their dial, regardless of conversions. A cheap oven thermometer tells you the real temperature, which matters more than any conversion for consistent results.