What is 170 C in a Fan Oven? Accurate Temperature Conversion and Cooking Tips
When your recipe says 170°C in a fan oven, you might wonder how that stacks up against a regular oven. For a fan oven, 170°C usually means you should set your oven to around 150°C, since fan ovens cook more efficiently by circulating hot air.
This helps you avoid overheating your food and gives you more even results.
Getting this difference right can save your dinner from being undercooked or burnt. Adjusting your oven temperature properly really matters, especially with baking—precision is everything there.
If you want to know why this adjustment matters or how to convert temperatures for different ovens, stick around for a few practical tips and conversion guides. For more detailed conversions, you can check out this oven temperature conversion guide.
Understanding 170°C in a Fan Oven
170°C in a fan oven isn’t the same as 170°C in a conventional oven. This difference changes how you set your oven and how your food turns out.
You’ll want to know how to convert this temperature to other scales and how the fan oven spreads heat around.
Converting 170°C to Other Temperature Scales
170°C in a fan oven is roughly the same as 150°C in a conventional oven. Fan ovens usually run about 20°C cooler than regular ones.
If you’re thinking in Fahrenheit, 170°C comes out to about 338°F for a conventional oven. For a fan oven, you’d drop that by 20°C, so it’s about 302°F.
Here’s a quick comparison table:
| Oven Type | Temperature (°C) | Temperature (°F) | Gas Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional Oven | 170°C | 338°F | 3–4 |
| Fan Oven | 150°C | 302°F | 2–3 |
If your recipe asks for 170°C but you have a fan oven, set it to 150°C instead. That way, you won’t overcook or burn your dish.
How Fan Ovens Distribute Heat
Fan ovens use a fan and exhaust system to push hot air around the food. This means your food gets cooked faster and more evenly than in a regular oven.
Because the heat moves around so well, you can either cook at a lower temperature or shave some time off your recipe. That’s why you usually set fan ovens about 20°C lower than conventional ones.
The fan helps smooth out hot spots, so your food cooks evenly on every side. If you’re baking or roasting, you’ll notice better texture and color—plus, you won’t need to rotate trays as much.
If you want more details on temperature differences and conversions, the oven temperature conversion chart is worth a look.
Baking and Cooking at 170°C in a Fan Oven
Cooking at 170°C in a fan oven means your food cooks more evenly and often a bit quicker than in a regular oven. You’ll want to pick dishes that suit this temperature and tweak times or temps for recipes made for traditional ovens.
Recommended Dishes for 170°C
170°C in a fan oven works well for baking cakes, roasting veggies, and cooking casseroles. You can bake sponges and muffins without drying them out.
It’s also a solid choice for roasting chicken or fish—you’ll get a crisp outside without burning. For veggies, this temperature gives you a gentle roast that keeps them tender and caramelized.
Stick to moderate cooking times to avoid overdoing it. Probably best to skip this temp for delicate pastries that need low heat or for broiling, which calls for something hotter.
Adjusting Recipes for Fan Oven Temperatures
Most recipes give oven temperatures for conventional ovens. If you’re using a fan oven, drop the temperature by about 20°C.
So, if a recipe says 190°C, set your fan oven to 170°C instead. Easy enough, right?
Watch out for cooking times, too. Food can finish 5 to 10 minutes faster.
Here’s the basic rule:
- Conventional oven temp minus 20°C = fan oven temp
If you skip the adjustment, you might end up with burnt or dried-out food. For more precision, check out this oven temperature conversion table.
