French Oven Thermostat (1-10): Celsius and Fahrenheit Chart
On an oven with a thermostat graded from 1 to 10 (the French standard), each step corresponds to 30°C. Thermostat 6, the most common setting for baking, equals 180°C, or 356°F.
The full chart
- Thermostat 1 = 30°C = 86°F
- Thermostat 2 = 60°C = 140°F
- Thermostat 3 = 90°C = 194°F
- Thermostat 4 = 120°C = 248°F
- Thermostat 5 = 150°C = 302°F
- Thermostat 6 = 180°C = 356°F
- Thermostat 7 = 210°C = 410°F
- Thermostat 8 = 240°C = 464°F
- Thermostat 9 = 270°C = 518°F
- Thermostat 10 = 300°C = 572°F
The °F values are calculated with the same formula used for any Celsius-to-Fahrenheit conversion: multiply by 9, divide by 5, add 32.
Where this scale comes from
The numbered 1-to-10 thermostat system dates back to gas ovens, where the dial didn't display precise degrees but rough steps. The convention stuck around in France and Belgium even on modern electric ovens, while most North American ovens display a temperature directly in °F (or °C on newer models sold in Canada). If you own an oven imported from Europe, or you're following a French recipe that says "thermostat 7," this chart bridges the gap.
Most commonly used reference points
Thermostat 6 to 7 (180-210°C) covers most everyday baking — cakes, cookies, quiches. Thermostat 8 to 9 (240-270°C) means high heat, for pizza or bread that needs a well-developed crust. Below thermostat 4 (120°C), you're into very slow cooking — confits, dried meringues — fairly rare in everyday recipes.
Watch out for half-steps
Some dials show half-graduations, like 6.5 or 7.5. The math stays simple: each half-step adds 15°C to the previous number. Thermostat 6.5, for example, corresponds to 195°C (180°C + 15°C) — a handy reference if your oven offers these in-between settings but the original recipe is given in Fahrenheit or a round Celsius figure.
Thermostat and convection mode are two separate settings
On a European oven with a numbered thermostat, the fan-assisted heat symbol (often a small fan icon) is set independently of whichever thermostat number you've chosen — the two settings don't overlap. If your oven offers both, keep in mind that turning on convection while the oven is already set to a given thermostat has the same effect as it would on an oven with a direct °C display: baking will be faster and more even, and you'll need to adjust downward as explained in our article on convection ovens.
"Slow oven," "moderate oven," "hot oven": recipes without numbers
Older French cookbooks, and many family recipes passed down by hand, give neither thermostat nor degrees but a description. The customary correspondence:
- Very slow oven (four très doux): thermostat 2 to 3 (60 to 90°C) — meringues, drying
- Slow oven (four doux): thermostat 4 to 5 (120 to 150°C) — slow cooking, custards in a water bath
- Moderate oven (four moyen): thermostat 6 (180°C, about 350°F) — cakes, cookies, quiches
- Hot oven (four chaud): thermostat 7 to 8 (210 to 240°C, or 410 to 464°F) — tarts, gratins, roasts
- Very hot oven (four très chaud): thermostat 9 to 10 (270 to 300°C) — pizza, bread
These descriptions are deliberately broad. If a recipe says "moderate oven" with no further detail, 180°C remains the best bet, then adjust by color.
What about the "Gas Mark" in British recipes?
UK recipes still often use a third scale, the Gas Mark, numbered from ¼ to 9. It doesn't line up with the French thermostat: Gas Mark 4 equals 180°C (French thermostat 6), and each step adds about 14°C, much like the American 25°F increments. If you're converting an English recipe, always look for the °C value given in parentheses — nearly systematic in recent publications — rather than attempting a from-memory correspondence between Gas Mark and thermostat: the two scales have different steps and drift apart quickly.
A reference point for traditional French recipes
Many French baking recipes (madeleines, quatre-quarts pound cake, tarts) are calibrated for a thermostat 6-7 oven, or 180-210°C. If you're following an equivalent American recipe that calls for 350-400°F, you'll notice it lines up with exactly the same range — a good sign that both culinary traditions converge on the same temperatures for similar preparations, even though their measurement scales differ.
If your oven has both a thermostat dial and a digital degree display, always trust the digital display when it's available — it's more accurate than the approximate position of a mechanical dial, especially after years of use, when the dial can drift slightly out of calibration.
The temperature correspondences are repeated, with volumes and weights, in the US to metric cooking conversion chart.