Last reviewed on 8 June 2026.
Table of Contents
Air fryer recipes are written in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, and most machines only display one. This page gives you exact conversions in both directions, gas mark equivalents for UK ovens, the temperatures most foods are actually cooked at, and a clear answer to whether you should drop the temperature when air frying.
How to Convert Air Fryer Temperatures
Most air fryers sold in the United Kingdom display temperatures in Celsius, while the majority of American recipes are written in Fahrenheit. Even within the same country you will regularly encounter both: a US food blog might call for 400°F while the recipe card tucked into your air fryer's manual uses 200°C. Knowing how to move fluently between the two scales saves you from guesswork and prevents under- or over-cooked food.
The exact formulas
To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit:
°F = (°C × 9/5) + 32
Example: You want to know what 180°C is in Fahrenheit. Multiply 180 by 9 to get 1,620, divide by 5 to get 324, then add 32 to arrive at 356°F. In practice, air fryer recipes conventionally round this to 350°F or 360°F.
To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius:
°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9
Example: A recipe calls for 375°F. Subtract 32 to get 343, multiply by 5 to get 1,715, then divide by 9 to arrive at 190.6°C — effectively 190°C on your air fryer dial.
A quick mental shortcut
When you need a rough conversion on the fly, double the Celsius temperature and add 30. So 180°C becomes (180 × 2) + 30 = 390°F — close enough to the conventional 375–400°F range to be a useful starting point. The shortcut loses accuracy at very low or very high temperatures, so use the formula for anything outside the everyday cooking range of 150–220°C (300–425°F).
It also helps to memorise the three most-used air fryer benchmarks: 180°C = 350°F, 190°C = 375°F, and 200°C = 400°F. Almost every mainstream air fryer recipe falls at one of those three settings.
Why your display matters
Some air fryers let you switch the display between °C and °F in the settings menu — check your manual before doing any mental arithmetic. If you cannot switch units, use the charts below to dial in the correct number directly.
Celsius to Fahrenheit Conversion Chart
The table below covers the full range you are likely to encounter in air fryer cooking, from gentle dehydrating temperatures up to the hottest setting on most machines.
| Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 120°C | 250°F | Low heat; dehydrating fruit, vegetables, and herbs |
| 140°C | 275°F | Slow cooking; keeping food warm |
| 150°C | 300°F | Cookies, delicate bakes, reheating leftovers |
| 160°C | 320°F | Cakes, muffins, banana bread |
| 170°C | 340°F | Sponge cakes, light pastry, slow-roasted vegetables |
| 175°C | 350°F | General baking, reheating, fish fillets |
| 180°C | 355°F (rounded to 350°F) | General baking, reheating, fish fillets — the most common mid-range setting |
| 185°C | 365°F | Chicken thighs, pork chops |
| 190°C | 375°F | Chicken pieces, roasting most meats and vegetables |
| 195°C | 385°F | Sausages, burgers |
| 200°C | 390°F (rounded to 400°F) | Chips/fries, crisping, steak, frozen foods |
| 205°C | 400°F | Chips/fries, crisping, steak, frozen foods |
| 210°C | 410°F | Very crispy results, thick-cut chips |
| 220°C | 425°F | High-heat roasting, pizza, browning |
| 230°C | 445°F | Maximum heat on most basket air fryers |
| 240°C | 465°F | Maximum heat on oven-style air fryers |
Conventional air fryer rounding
Air fryer recipes almost universally treat 180°C as 350°F, 190°C as 375°F, and 200°C as 400°F, even though strict maths gives 356°F, 374°F, and 392°F respectively. The real-world difference of a few degrees has no meaningful effect on cooking results, so these rounded conventions are safe to follow.
Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversion Chart
If you are working from an American recipe that lists only Fahrenheit, use this table to find the equivalent Celsius setting on your air fryer.
| Fahrenheit (°F) | Celsius (°C) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 250°F | 120°C | Dehydrating, keeping warm |
| 275°F | 135°C | Slow cooking, warming |
| 300°F | 150°C | Cookies, delicate bakes, reheating |
| 325°F | 160°C | Cakes, muffins, gentle baking |
| 350°F | 175–180°C | General baking, fish, reheating |
| 375°F | 190°C | Chicken, roasting vegetables |
| 400°F | 200–205°C | Chips/fries, crisping, steak, frozen foods |
| 425°F | 220°C | High-heat roasting, pizza |
| 450°F | 230°C | Very high heat, browning |
| 475°F | 245°C | Maximum heat on some models |
Common questions answered
What is 190°C in an air fryer? 190°C is approximately 375°F. This is the standard temperature for chicken pieces, pork, and most roasted vegetables.
What is 175°C in an air fryer? 175°C is approximately 350°F — a widely used general baking and reheating temperature.
What is 200°C in an air fryer? 200°C is approximately 400°F. This is the go-to temperature for chips, crisping, steak, and most frozen breaded foods.
What is 400°F in UK terms? For UK cooks using a Celsius air fryer, 400°F is approximately 200°C. Set your air fryer to 200°C and you will be right on target.
Gas Mark Conversion Chart
Many older UK recipe books, as well as traditional baking recipes handed down through families, give temperatures as gas marks rather than Celsius or Fahrenheit. If you are adapting one of these recipes for your air fryer, use the table below to find the equivalent temperature.
| Gas Mark | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ | 110°C | 225°F |
| ½ | 120°C | 250°F |
| 1 | 140°C | 275°F |
| 2 | 150°C | 300°F |
| 3 | 170°C | 325°F |
| 4 | 180°C | 350°F |
| 5 | 190°C | 375°F |
| 6 | 200°C | 400°F |
| 7 | 220°C | 425°F |
| 8 | 230°C | 450°F |
| 9 | 240°C | 475°F |
Remember to adjust for air fryer intensity
Gas mark temperatures are calibrated for a conventional oven. If your recipe was originally written for a gas oven, remember to apply the standard air fryer adjustment before you set your machine — see the section below on lowering the temperature.
Recommended Air Fryer Temperatures by Food
Different foods cook best at different temperatures. The table below gives the recommended air fryer temperature for the most common foods, in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. For full cooking times alongside these temperatures, see our air fryer cooking times guide.
| Food | Air fryer temperature |
|---|---|
| Chips / fries | 200°C / 400°F |
| Most vegetables | 190–200°C / 375–400°F |
| Chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, breasts) | 180–190°C / 360–375°F |
| Whole chicken | 180°C / 360°F |
| Steak | 200°C / 400°F |
| Fish (fillets and whole) | 180–200°C / 360–400°F |
| Bacon and sausages | 200°C / 400°F |
| Cakes | 160°C / 320°F |
| Cookies | 150–160°C / 300–320°F |
| Reheating leftovers | 150–160°C / 300–325°F |
| Frozen breaded foods (nuggets, fish fingers, etc.) | 200°C / 400°F |
For baked goods in particular, temperature precision matters more than it does for savoury foods. Our air fryer baking guide covers how to set up your machine for the best results, and if you want to go further with sweet baking, take a look at our guides on air fryer cakes and air fryer cookies for food-specific advice.
Do You Lower the Temperature for an Air Fryer?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions about air fryer cooking, and the answer depends entirely on where the recipe comes from.
When converting a conventional oven recipe
Yes — if you are taking a recipe that was originally written for a conventional fan oven or gas oven and adapting it for your air fryer, you should reduce both the temperature and the time. The standard rule of thumb is:
- Reduce the temperature by approximately 20°C (25°F)
- Reduce the cooking time by approximately 20%
So a conventional oven recipe calling for 200°C / 400°F would be cooked in the air fryer at around 180°C / 375°F. A dish that normally takes 30 minutes in the oven would take roughly 24 minutes in the air fryer.
The reason for the reduction is that air fryers cook more intensely than conventional ovens. The compact chamber means hot air circulates tightly around the food, transferring heat faster and more efficiently. Without the temperature and time adjustment, you risk food that is browned or even burned on the outside before it is properly cooked through.
Check early and adjust
The 20°C / 20% rule is a starting point, not an exact science. Check your food a few minutes before the adjusted time is up. Factors such as basket size, how full the basket is, and the specific model of air fryer will all affect the result. For a detailed walkthrough of the conversion process, see our guide to converting oven recipes to the air fryer.
When the recipe is already written for an air fryer
If the recipe you are following was created specifically for an air fryer, use the temperature and time exactly as stated. The recipe writer has already accounted for the air fryer's intensity, so there is no need to reduce anything further. Reducing the temperature of an air fryer recipe could leave food undercooked or lacking the crispness you are aiming for.
The key question to ask yourself before adjusting anything is: Was this recipe designed for an oven, or was it designed for an air fryer? The answer tells you whether to apply the reduction.
Quick-Reference Temperature Chart
The six temperatures below cover the vast majority of everyday air fryer cooking. Keep this page bookmarked on your phone or take a screenshot to save it to your camera roll — there is no downloadable PDF, but the chart is quick to pull up on any device.
| Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 150°C | 300°F | Cookies, reheating delicate foods |
| 160°C | 320°F | Cakes, muffins, gentle baking |
| 170°C | 340°F | Sponge cakes, light pastry |
| 180°C | 350°F | General baking, fish, reheating |
| 190°C | 375°F | Chicken, roasted vegetables, pork |
| 200°C | 400°F | Chips, steak, crisping, frozen foods |
Save this page for quick access
Bookmark this page in your browser or take a screenshot of the table above to keep the conversions handy while you cook. On most smartphones, adding the page to your home screen gives you one-tap access from your kitchen.
Related Guides
Complete Cooking Times Chart
Times and temperatures for vegetables, meats, seafood, and frozen foods in one chart.
Converting Oven Recipes
A practical method for adapting any oven recipe to the air fryer.
Baking in Your Air Fryer
Cakes, muffins, cookies, and bread — how baking in an air fryer works.