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350°F to Celsius: The Baker's Most Important Conversion

·4 min read
*Quick answer: 350°F = 176.67°C. Set your oven to 180°C (or 175°C if it runs hot). Gas mark 4. Fan/convection oven: 160°C. Need more conversions? Use the unit converter.

I moved to a country where ovens use Celsius. Pulled up a brownie recipe that said "preheat to 350°F" and stared at the dial like it was written in another language. Technically, it was.

That one conversion — 350 to Celsius — is the single most common oven temperature question on the internet. Here's exactly how it works, why 350°F is the default, and what temperatures to use for everything nearby.

350°F to Celsius — The Exact Math

The formula to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius:

°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9

Step by step for 350°F:

    • 350 − 32 = 318
    • 318 × 5 = 1590
    • 1590 ÷ 9 = 176.67°C
No oven on earth is accurate to a fraction of a degree. In practice:
  • Metric ovens — set to 180°C. This is the standard rounding used in every cookbook published outside the US.
  • If your oven runs hot — set to 175°C. Get a $6 oven thermometer if you're not sure.
  • Gas mark — 4. Common in UK recipes.
  • Fan/convection oven — set to 160°C. Convection ovens circulate hot air, so they cook faster and more evenly. You always reduce the temp (more on this below).

Common Oven Temperatures Near 350°F

You don't need a chart with every temperature from 100°F to 500°F. You need the six temperatures that cover 90% of recipes:

°F°CGas MarkCommon Use
3001502Slow roasting, meringues
3251633Cheesecakes, custards
3501774Cakes, cookies, casseroles
3751905Pies, roasted vegetables
4002046Bread, roasted chicken
4252187Pizza, high-heat roasting
That's it. Bookmark this table or use the unit converter for anything outside this range.

Why 350°F Is the Default Baking Temperature

It's not arbitrary. There's chemistry behind it.

The Maillard reaction — the chemical process that makes baked goods golden brown and delicious — kicks in around 280–330°F (140–165°C). At 350°F, you're comfortably above that threshold. Your cakes brown. Your cookies develop flavor. The edges get color while the center finishes cooking.

What happens if you go lower? Below 325°F, many baked goods stay pale and don't develop that toasted flavor. Custards and cheesecakes work at low temps because you don't want browning — you want gentle, even heat.

What happens if you go higher? Above 375°F, the outside browns faster than the inside cooks through. Great for bread crusts and pizza. Terrible for a layer cake — you get burnt edges and a raw center.

350°F sits in the sweet spot: hot enough for browning, low enough for even cooking. That's why every recipe defaults to it.

What to Bake at 350°F

This isn't a recipe site, but here's what belongs at 350°F so you know you're in the right ballpark:

  • Cakes — layer cakes, pound cakes, sheet cakes. The classic temperature for nearly every cake recipe.
  • Cookies — especially if you want chewy results. Higher temps (375°F) give crispier edges.
  • Quick breads — banana bread, zucchini bread, muffins.
  • Casseroles — anything assembled and baked in a dish.
  • Brownies — fudgy or cakey, both work at 350°F.
  • Meatloaf — the one savory outlier that lives at this temperature.
If a recipe doesn't specify a temperature, 350°F / 180°C is a safe starting point for almost anything baked.

Convection Oven Adjustment

Convection ovens have a fan that circulates hot air around food. This makes them cook roughly 25% faster than conventional ovens.

The standard adjustment:

  • Reduce temperature by 25°F (about 15°C)
  • 350°F conventional = 325°F / 160°C convection
Or keep the same temperature and reduce cooking time by about 25%. Most bakers prefer lowering the temp because it's easier to set and forget.

One exception: don't use convection for delicate items like soufflés or anything with a loose batter. The fan can blow the surface around before it sets.

FAQ

Is 180°C the same as 350°F?

Close enough. 350°F is technically 176.67°C. Ovens fluctuate by 10-15°C anyway, so 180°C is the correct setting. Every metric cookbook in the world uses 180°C as the equivalent of 350°F.

What is 375°F in Celsius?

375°F = 190.56°C. Round to 190°C. Gas mark 5. This is the go-to for pies and roasted vegetables.

What is 400°F in Celsius?

400°F = 204.44°C. Round to 200°C*. Gas mark 6. Used for bread, roasted chicken, and anything that needs a crispier exterior.

How do I know if my oven temperature is accurate?

Buy an oven thermometer (under $10). Set your oven to 350°F / 180°C, wait 15 minutes, then check. Most ovens are off by 10-25°F. Once you know the offset, you can adjust every time.

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