The Celsius to Fahrenheit formula
Oven temperatures are measured in Celsius (°C) in most of the world and in Fahrenheit (°F) in the United States. Unlike simple weight or length conversions, temperature requires both multiplication and addition because of the different zero points of each scale.
For a faster check, use our free temperature converter — enter any oven temperature in Celsius, Fahrenheit or Kelvin and get all three instantly.
Complete oven temperature conversion chart
This table covers every standard oven setting from very low to very hot, with gas mark numbers for UK ovens:
| Description | °C (Conventional) | °C (Fan oven) | °F | Gas Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very cool | 110°C | 90°C | 225°F | ¼ |
| Very cool | 120°C | 100°C | 250°F | ½ |
| Cool / slow | 140°C | 120°C | 275°F | 1 |
| Cool / slow | 150°C | 130°C | 300°F | 2 |
| Warm / moderate | 160°C | 140°C | 325°F | 3 |
| Moderate ⭐ | 180°C | 160°C | 350°F | 4 |
| Moderately hot | 190°C | 170°C | 375°F | 5 |
| Moderately hot | 200°C | 180°C | 400°F | 6 |
| Hot | 220°C | 200°C | 425°F | 7 |
| Hot | 230°C | 210°C | 450°F | 8 |
| Very hot | 240°C | 220°C | 475°F | 9 |
⭐ 180°C / 350°F is the most common baking temperature for cakes and biscuits.
Temperature guide by cooking task
Different foods need different heat levels. Here’s a practical reference by food type:
Fan oven (convection) adjustments
A fan-assisted oven (also called a convection oven) uses a fan to circulate hot air throughout the cavity. This makes cooking faster and more even — but it also means temperatures run hotter than a conventional static oven at the same dial setting.
Practical examples of fan oven adjustments:
- Recipe says 200°C conventional → set fan oven to 180°C
- Recipe says 180°C conventional → set fan oven to 160°C
- Recipe says 375°F conventional → set fan oven to 340°F (or roughly 345°F)
- Recipe says Gas Mark 6 → set fan oven to approximately Gas Mark 5
Many modern ovens have both conventional and fan modes. If your oven has a fan symbol (often a triangle with a fan inside), that is the fan mode. If you’re baking delicate items like soufflés or choux pastry, a conventional oven is often preferred as the fan can cause uneven rising.
Gas mark explained
Gas mark is a temperature scale used in gas ovens, particularly in the United Kingdom and some other European countries. It runs from ¼ (very cool, ~110°C) to 9 (very hot, ~240°C). Gas marks are rarely used in modern electric ovens.
If you have a gas mark recipe and an electric oven, simply use the °C column from the chart above. The conversion is approximate — gas ovens can have more variation in temperature than electric ones, so using an oven thermometer is always a good idea if precision matters.
Practical baking tips
- Preheat fully. Most ovens take 15–20 minutes to reach the target temperature. Starting baking too early is one of the most common causes of uneven results.
- Use an oven thermometer. Built-in oven dials are often off by 10–25°C. A cheap oven thermometer will tell you what your oven is actually running at.
- Centre shelf for most baking. Heat is most consistent in the centre of the oven. Use a lower shelf for crispier bases (pizza, pastry) and a higher shelf for browning the tops of dishes.
- Don’t open the door too early. For cakes and soufflés, opening the oven before 75% of the cooking time is complete can cause sinking.
- Dark tins absorb more heat. If using a dark or non-stick tin, reduce the oven temperature by 10°C and check slightly earlier than the recipe states.
You may also need to convert volume measurements when adapting recipes — cups, millilitres and fluid ounces all appear in different recipe traditions. Our volume converter handles all common cooking measurements in one place.
Convert any temperature instantly
Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin — all covered by our free temperature converter.