160°C — all four oven scales
The exact conversion is °C × 9/5 + 32, so 160°C works out to 320°F. Recipe writers don't use the exact figure: the long-standing pairing puts 160°C alongside 325°F and gas mark 3, and published conversion charts (Which?'s among them) treat the paired values as the same setting. Follow whichever scale your dial shows.
For a conventional recipe in a fan (convection) oven, use 140°C — the standard UK adjustment is conventional minus 20°C (a 36°F difference), because moving air transfers heat faster than still air; the oven isn't hotter than its dial, it just cooks faster at the same setting. Hoover also says long cooking times can be shortened by up to 10 minutes per cooking hour — check the food is cooked. Bake times are otherwise unaffected by converting between scales: 160°C and 325°F are the same setting.
Where 160°C sits on the chart
| °F | °C | Fan °C | Gas mark | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275°F | 140°C | 120°C | 1 | Slow |
| 300°F | 150°C | 130°C | 2 | Slow |
| 325°F | 160°C | 140°C | 3 | Moderately slow |
| 350°F | 180°C | 160°C | 4 | Moderate |
| 375°F | 190°C | 170°C | 5 | Moderately hot |
See the full chart on the oven temperature converter → · Fan oven conversion chart →
What bakes at this temperature
325°F / 160°C is the territory of cheesecakes, shortbread and gentle sponges. Home ovens cycle above and below their set point and many run hot or cold from the factory — a standalone oven thermometer on the middle rack tells you more than any conversion chart can.