What Is 170 in a Fan Oven Explained with Temperature Conversions and Cooking Tips
When a recipe tells you to set your oven to 170 degrees in a fan oven, it’s asking for a lower temperature than you’d use in a regular oven. 170 degrees in a fan oven is roughly equivalent to 190 degrees in a conventional oven, since fan ovens cook more evenly and quickly by blowing hot air around.
You need to tweak temperatures with a fan oven, or you’ll risk burning your food. Getting the conversions right means your recipes actually turn out the way you want.
Let’s dig into what 170 degrees really means for your fan oven, and why it matters for your cooking.
Understanding 170 in a Fan Oven
Setting your fan oven to 170 degrees Celsius means you’re choosing a temperature that’s already adjusted for the oven’s faster, more even cooking style. This changes how you bake, roast, or cook compared to a conventional oven.
It’s worth knowing how this temperature works—makes life in the kitchen a bit easier.
Fan Oven Temperature Conversion Explained
A fan oven uses a fan to circulate hot air, so food cooks faster and more evenly. Because of that, you set fan ovens a bit cooler than conventional ovens.
If your recipe says 170°C in a fan oven, that’s about 190°C in a conventional oven. For regular ovens, that’s around 375°F.
Quick conversion chart:
| Fan Oven (°C) | Conventional Oven (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|---|---|
| 170 | 190 | 338 |
Adjusting temperatures keeps you from overcooking or undercooking. You get cakes that rise, meats that stay juicy, and veggies that aren’t mushy or burnt.
Significance of 170 Degrees Celsius for Baking
Setting your fan oven to 170°C is a sweet spot for gentle baking. You get even heat without burning the outside.
Cakes and pastries rise nicely at 170°C fan, and they cook through without drying out. It’s a solid pick for slow roasting chicken or fish—lets the flavors develop and keeps things tender.
If you’re making custards or meringues, 170°C fan helps keep them stable and moist. No one wants a cracked meringue, right?
How Fan Ovens Differ from Conventional Ovens
Fan ovens push hot air around using a fan and exhaust system. That means fewer hot spots and more even cooking.
With air moving, food bakes faster and more consistently. Conventional ovens rely on radiant heat, which can be a bit unpredictable.
You need to drop the temperature in a fan oven, usually by about 20°C compared to a regular oven. Otherwise, food dries out or burns before it’s done inside.
If you want more details or want to double-check your conversions, here’s a handy oven temperature conversion chart.
Practical Applications of Using 170 in a Fan Oven
Cooking at 170°C in a fan oven gives you steady, reliable heat. That’s great for baking or roasting foods so they come out even, not raw inside and burnt outside.
Best Recipes and Foods for 170°C
Try 170°C for baking cakes, cookies, or pastries that need gentle, even heat to rise well. It’s especially good for dense baked goods like fruitcakes or bread that need a longer bake.
Roasting veggies and chicken at 170°C lets everything cook through and stay moist. If you want tender meat or soft veggies without burning them, this temperature works really well.
Baked dishes like casseroles or lasagna also like 170°C. You get flavors that meld together and cheese that melts without turning into a burnt mess.
Cooking Timing and Adjustments
At 170°C in a fan oven, you’ll usually finish cooking faster than with a conventional oven at 180°C. That’s because the fan moves heat around more efficiently.
Drop the recipe temperature by about 20°C when you switch to a fan oven. It’s a simple tweak, but it makes a difference.
Check for doneness earlier than the original recipe suggests. Say you’re baking a cake that needs 40 minutes at 180°C in a regular oven—it’ll probably be done in about 35 minutes at 170°C with the fan.
Set a timer, but don’t trust it blindly. Test your food a bit before you think it’ll be ready, especially if you’ve never made the recipe in this oven.
Fan ovens do a good job of distributing heat, but every oven and dish is a little different. Sometimes, you’ll need to adjust the timing depending on the size of your dish or even the quirks of your oven.
For quick reference:
| Food Type | Approximate Temp (Fan Oven) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cakes & Pastries | 170°C | Use for gentle even baking |
| Roasted Veggies | 170°C | Keeps vegetables tender |
| Chicken | 170°C | Retains moisture well |
| Baked Casseroles | 170°C | Avoids burning top layers |
