Oven Temperatures and Gas Marks

Recipes in this collection come from all over, so oven settings arrive in four forms. A fan oven cooks hotter for the same dial setting, so set it about 20°C lower than a conventional oven. American recipes give Fahrenheit for a conventional oven.

The table

Very low: 110°C, fan 90°C, 225°F, gas mark ¼. For meringues and drying.

Low: 140°C, fan 120°C, 275°F, gas mark 1. For slow braises and rich fruit cakes.

Moderately low: 150°C, fan 130°C, 300°F, gas mark 2.

Moderate: 170°C, fan 150°C, 325°F, gas mark 3.

Moderate: 180°C, fan 160°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. The usual setting for sponges and biscuits.

Moderately hot: 190°C, fan 170°C, 375°F, gas mark 5.

Hot: 200°C, fan 180°C, 400°F, gas mark 6. Pastry, roast vegetables, bread rolls.

Hot: 220°C, fan 200°C, 425°F, gas mark 7. Roast potatoes and loaves.

Very hot: 230°C, fan 210°C, 450°F, gas mark 8.

Very hot: 240°C, fan 220°C, 475°F, gas mark 9. Pizza and searing a joint at the start.

Knowing your oven

Most ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial says, often by 10 to 20°C. An oven thermometer left on the middle shelf settles the question once and for all, and tells you how long yours really takes to heat up.

Ovens have hot spots, usually at the back and near the element. If one side of a tray always browns first, turn it halfway through cooking.

The top of a conventional oven is hotter than the bottom; a fan oven is more even, which is why it can cook several trays at once.

Good habits

Preheat fully, which takes 15 minutes or so. Pastry, bread and cakes depend on the heat being there from the first minute.

Every opening of the door loses heat. Look through the glass with the light on instead.

When a recipe gives a time and a sign of doneness, trust the sign: golden, risen, springy, or a skewer coming out clean. Times are written for someone else's oven.