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Conversions

Fan Oven Converter

Turn a conventional oven temperature into the right fan oven setting, or the other way round.

What do you have?
°C

Answer

160°C fan

A moderate oven. Fan ovens circulate hot air, so they are normally set about 20°C lower than a conventional oven.

All equivalents

Conventional oven180°C
Fan oven160°C
Fahrenheit355°F
Gas mark4

UK oven temperature chart

Gas 1/4, Very cool110°C · 90°C fan · 225°F
Gas 1/2, Very cool120°C · 100°C fan · 250°F
Gas 1, Cool140°C · 120°C fan · 275°F
Gas 2, Cool150°C · 130°C fan · 300°F
Gas 3, Warm160°C · 140°C fan · 325°F
Gas 4, Moderate180°C · 160°C fan · 350°F
Gas 5, Moderately hot190°C · 170°C fan · 375°F
Gas 6, Fairly hot200°C · 180°C fan · 400°F
Gas 7, Hot220°C · 200°C fan · 425°F
Gas 8, Very hot230°C · 210°C fan · 450°F
Gas 9, Very hot240°C · 220°C fan · 475°F

Reference and detail

Quick reference

Conventional oven settings and the fan equivalent.
ConventionalFanFahrenheitGas mark
140°C120°C fan285°FGas 1
160°C140°C fan320°FGas 3
180°C160°C fan355°FGas 4
190°C170°C fan375°FGas 5
200°C180°C fan390°FGas 6
220°C200°C fan430°FGas 7
240°C220°C fan465°FGas 9

The fan figure is 20°C lower, rounded to the nearest 5°C.

Time as well as temperature

After lowering the temperature by 20°C, food usually still cooks a little faster in a fan oven. Start checking about 10 minutes before the recipe says, especially for cakes and biscuits.

When not to use the fan

Rich fruit cakes, meringues and some slow-cooked dishes do better without the fan, as the moving air dries the surface.

Questions and answers

Questions about fan oven conversions

How much lower should a fan oven be set than a conventional one?

Enter the conventional temperature in the calculator above for the fan equivalent. As a rule of thumb, fan ovens are set roughly 20°C lower than a conventional recipe temperature.

Does a fan oven cook food faster as well as at a lower temperature?

Yes, the moving air still speeds up cooking even after the temperature is lowered, so start checking food a little earlier than the recipe's stated time, particularly for cakes and biscuits.

Are there dishes that shouldn't go in with the fan on?

Rich fruit cakes, meringues and some slow-cooked dishes can dry out or crust unevenly under moving air, so many cooks turn the fan off for these even if the oven defaults to it.

Guidance

  • Fan Oven vs Conventional OvenWhat a fan actually changes, how to adjust a recipe written for a conventional oven, and when the temperature is not the thing to change.