About the Oven Temperature Converter
This oven temperature converter translates a recipe temperature between the four systems you are likely to meet: Fahrenheit (US), Celsius (most of the world), gas mark (UK and Ireland gas ovens) and fan or convection settings. Enter the temperature and the scale it is written in, choose the scale you need, and you also get every other equivalent plus a plain-English description such as “moderate oven”.
It is useful when you bake an American recipe in a European kitchen, follow a British cookbook that lists gas marks, or use a fan-assisted oven for a recipe written for a conventional one. Fan and convection ovens circulate hot air, so recipes usually lower the temperature by about 20°C or 25°F to get the same result.
Fahrenheit and Celsius conversions are exact. Gas marks follow the standard UK chart — gas mark 4 is 350°F / 180°C, and each mark above 1 adds 25°F — while recipes typically round Celsius to the nearest 10 degrees. Ovens often run hot or cold, so an inexpensive oven thermometer is the best way to be sure.
How to use the oven temperature converter
- 1Enter the temperature from your recipe.
- 2Choose the scale the recipe uses: °F, °C, fan °C, convection °F or gas mark.
- 3Choose the scale your oven uses.
- 4Read the converted setting and the other equivalents below it.
- 5If your oven has a fan, use the fan or convection figure.
Formula and method
Every input is first converted to conventional Fahrenheit and then to the other scales. Fahrenheit and Celsius use the exact linear formula. Fan (fan-assisted) ovens in Celsius are set 20 degrees lower than conventional ovens, and US convection settings are 25°F lower, because moving air transfers heat faster.
Gas marks follow the UK standard chart: from gas mark 1 (275°F) upwards each mark adds 25°F, so gas mark = (°F − 250) ÷ 25. Below mark 1 the chart uses ½ (250°F) and ¼ (225°F). The gas mark shown is rounded to the nearest standard setting.
- °F
- Degrees Fahrenheit (conventional oven)
- °C
- Degrees Celsius (conventional oven)
- GM
- Gas mark
Worked examples
350°F to Celsius
(350 − 32) × 5/9 = 176.7°C, usually written as 180°C in recipes. In a fan oven use about 157–160°C, and on a gas oven use gas mark 4.
Gas mark 6 to Fahrenheit
Gas mark 6 is 250 + 6 × 25 = 400°F, about 204°C (recipes say 200°C). A convection oven would be set to 375°F.
180°C fan to conventional Fahrenheit
A fan oven at 180°C matches a conventional oven at 200°C, which is 392°F — set a US oven to 400°F, or gas mark 6.
Frequently asked questions
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, and on a gas oven use gas mark 4. It is the most common baking temperature for cakes and cookies.
How do I convert a recipe for a fan oven?+
Reduce the conventional temperature by 20°C — for example 200°C becomes 180°C fan. For US convection ovens, lower by 25°F. Alternatively keep the temperature and shorten the time by about 10–25%.
What temperature is gas mark 4?+
Gas mark 4 is 350°F, or 180°C in most recipes (176.7°C exactly). Gas mark 5 is 375°F / 190°C and gas mark 6 is 400°F / 200°C.
What does a moderate oven mean?+
Older recipes describe ovens by heat: a moderate oven is about 350–375°F (180–190°C, gas mark 4–5). A slow oven is around 300–325°F and a hot oven 400–425°F.
Why does my oven temperature seem wrong?+
Many home ovens are off by 10–25°F and heat unevenly. An oven thermometer placed on the middle rack shows the real temperature so you can adjust the dial.