Oven temperatures · gas mark guide
Gas Mark ½ in °C, fan and °F
Gas Mark ½ is 120°C in a conventional electric oven, 100°C in a fan oven and 250°F. It is a very cool oven, the usual setting for meringues, pavlova bases and very slow cooking.
Chart checked against Delia Smith and Waitrose on .
Conventional oven
120°C
electric, no fan
Fan oven
100°C
20°C lower
Fahrenheit
250°F
exactly 121°C
Heat
Very cool
gas mark ½
Gas Mark ½ and the settings either side
Conventional and fan temperatures in °C, with °F for American recipes.
| Gas mark | Conventional | Fan | Fahrenheit | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas ¼ | 110°C | 90°C | 225°F | Very cool |
| Gas ½ | 120°C | 100°C | 250°F | Very cool |
| Gas 1 | 140°C | 120°C | 275°F | Very low |
| Gas 2 | 150°C | 130°C | 300°F | Very low |
| Gas 3 | 170°C | 150°C | 325°F | Low |
Fan ovens
If your electric oven has a fan you cannot switch off, set it to 100°C instead of 120°C. Delia Smith's advice is to take 20°C off conventional temperatures, or check your oven's handbook, as some models run hotter than others.
Why the numbers are rounded
250°F is exactly 121.1°C. Recipe charts round it to 120°C because ovens are not accurate to a few degrees anyway. An oven thermometer is the best way to know what your oven is really doing.
Related conversions
- Gas mark ¼ (110°C · 225°F)
- Gas mark 1 (140°C · 275°F)
- 120°C to gas mark (conventional and fan)
- 250°F to gas mark (US recipes)
Common questions
What is Gas Mark ½ in Celsius?
120°C in a conventional oven, or 100°C if your oven has a fan.
What is Gas Mark ½ in a fan oven?
100°C. Fan ovens cook faster because the fan moves hot air around the food, so set them about 20°C lower than a conventional oven.
What is Gas Mark ½ in Fahrenheit?
250°F. That is the figure American recipes use for a very cool oven.
What do you cook at Gas Mark ½?
Meringues, pavlova bases and very slow cooking.
Sources and assumptions
- Conventional means an electric oven with the fan off. Fan settings are 20°C lower.
- Recipe charts round temperatures to the nearest 10°C or 25°F, so exact conversions differ by a few degrees.
- Delia Smith: oven temperatures and conversions (gas marks 1 to 9, fan ovens)
- Waitrose: conversion charts (gas marks ¼ and ½)
Ovens vary. An oven thermometer shows what yours is really doing.