This oven temperature converter translates between the three dialects recipes speak — Fahrenheit, Celsius and Gas Mark — with the fan-oven adjustment that UK and European recipes quietly assume.
One Oven, Three Languages
°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9 handles the American–metric pair exactly. Gas Mark (British ovens) is a ladder, not a formula: GM 1 = 140 °C / 275 °F, each mark ≈ +13–14 °C (+25 °F), with GM ½ at the bottom for slow ovens. And the fan rule: convection ovens cook hotter at the same setting — drop 20 °C (about 25–30 °F) when a conventional recipe meets a fan oven. General temperature work: our Temperature Converter. Part of our Food Calculators collection.
Worked Examples (Verified)
- 350 °F (the American default) = 176.7 °C mathematically, 175 °C / Gas Mark 4 on the recipe ladder, 155 °C in a fan oven
- 200 °C (the European default) = 392 °F → written as 400 °F / Gas Mark 6 — yes, the ladder rounds that far; ovens forgive it
- "Moderate oven" in a 1920s cookbook = 350–375 °F; "quick oven" = 400–425 °F — the converter's description card translates the old prose too
- Broiler/grill settings don't convert — they're full-power radiant heat in both dialects ("as hot as it goes")
The Standard Ladder
| °F | °C | Gas Mark | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 130 | ½ | Very slow |
| 300 | 150 | 2 | Slow |
| 325 | 165 | 3 | Gentle |
| 350 | 175 | 4 | Moderate |
| 375 | 190 | 5 | Moderately hot |
| 400 | 200 | 6 | Hot |
| 425 | 220 | 7 | Hot |
| 450 | 230 | 8 | Very hot |
| 475 | 245 | 9 | Very hot |
Related Tools
- Temperature Converter — all scales, all contexts
- Turkey Cooking Time Calculator — where the converted number gets used
- Food Calculators — the full collection
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 350 °F in Celsius and Gas Mark?
Exactly 176.7 °C by formula; on the standard recipe ladder it's 175 °C, Gas Mark 4. In a fan oven use about 155 °C. The rounding is conventional, not error — ovens cycle ±10 °C around any setting anyway.
How do Gas Marks work?
Gas Mark 1 = 275 °F / 140 °C, and each full mark adds 25 °F (about 13–14 °C): GM 4 = 350 °F, GM 6 = 400 °F, GM 8 = 450 °F. Below GM 1 sits GM ½ (250 °F) for the slowest ovens. The full ladder is tabulated on this page.
How much do I reduce temperature for a fan oven?
About 20 °C (roughly 25–30 °F) below the conventional setting — 350 °F/175 °C conventional becomes ~155 °C fan. Many modern ovens display the fan temperature directly, and UK recipes written "180 °C fan" have already done this subtraction for you.
Why don't converted temperatures match my cookbook exactly?
Because cookbooks round to the ladder (multiples of 25 °F / ~10 °C / whole Gas Marks) — 392 °F becomes 400 °F in print. Baking tolerates it; delicate work (sugar syrups, sous vide) shouldn't use oven conversions at all but a thermometer on the food itself.
What temperature is a "moderate oven"?
350–375 °F (175–190 °C, GM 4–5) in historical recipe prose. "Slow" is 300–325 °F, "quick/hot" 400–450 °F. This converter's description card gives the prose for any setting you enter.
Is this oven temperature converter free?
Yes — free, instant, no sign-up.