Gas mark

Gas Mark 3

Gas mark 3 is a moderate oven:

160 °C

Conventional oven

325 °F

Fahrenheit

Fan-forced ovens run about 20 °C hotter than conventional at the same dial setting, so gas mark 3 is 140 °C with the fan on. See the full oven temperature conversion chart.

Gas mark 3 is the gentle setting British recipes use for rich fruit cakes, cheesecakes, baked custards and slow braises — anything that needs the middle to set before the outside colours. It is also the rung conversion charts disagree about most often, so it is worth pinning down.

Quick reference

Gas Mark 3 conversion table

Gas mark	Gas mark 3
Conventional oven (°C)	160 °C
Fahrenheit (°F)	325 °F
Fan-forced / convection	140 °C
Oven description	Moderate

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= gas mark 4

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What temperature is gas mark 3?

Gas mark 3 is 160 °C in a conventional oven, or 325 °F. In a fan-forced oven, set 140 °C instead.

Is gas mark 3 160 °C or 170 °C?

160 °C. Some charts print 170 °C, which is where the confusion comes from, but the standard British oven chart puts gas mark 3 at 160 °C / 325 °F. 170 °C has no gas mark of its own — it falls between gas marks 3 and 4.

What is the difference between gas mark 3 and gas mark 4?

Twenty degrees: gas mark 3 is 160 °C and gas mark 4 is 180 °C. Gas mark 3 is the gentle bake; gas mark 4 is the standard moderate oven for everyday cakes and roasts.

What is gas mark 3 in a fan oven?

Set a fan oven to 140 °C. For long, slow bakes the fan can dry the surface, so some bakers cover the tin loosely as well as dropping the temperature.

More conversions

Gas mark to Celsius conversion chart

Every gas mark with its conventional oven temperature in °C and °F, plus the fan-oven setting. Fan-forced ovens run about 20 °C hotter at the same dial position, so the fan column is 20 °C below the conventional one throughout.

Gas mark	°C	°F	Fan °C	Oven
Gas mark ¼	110 °C	225 °F	90 °C	Very cool / slow
Gas mark ½	120 °C	250 °F	100 °C	Very cool
Gas mark 1	140 °C	275 °F	120 °C	Cool
Gas mark 2	150 °C	300 °F	130 °C	Cool
Gas mark 3	160 °C	325 °F	140 °C	Moderate
Gas mark 4	180 °C	350 °F	160 °C	Moderate
Gas mark 5	190 °C	375 °F	170 °C	Moderately hot
Gas mark 6	200 °C	400 °F	180 °C	Hot
Gas mark 7	220 °C	425 °F	200 °C	Hot
Gas mark 8	230 °C	450 °F	210 °C	Very hot
Gas mark 9	240 °C	475 °F	220 °C	Very hot

Convert a temperature to gas mark

Working the other way — start from the °C in your recipe and find the dial setting.

180 °C in Gas Markgas mark 4 · 350 °F · 160 °C fan 200 °C in Gas Markgas mark 6 · 400 °F · 180 °C fan 190 °C in Gas Markgas mark 5 · 375 °F · 170 °C fan 220 °C in Gas Markgas mark 7 · 425 °F · 200 °C fan 160 °C in Gas Markgas mark 3 · 325 °F · 140 °C fan 170 °C in Gas Markgas mark 3–4 · 150 °C fan 210 °C in Gas Markgas mark 6–7 · 190 °C fan

← Full oven temperature conversion chart