---
title: "Gas mark: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "Gas mark is the oven scale on British gas cookers, from ¼ to 9. Here is the full table in Celsius and Fahrenheit and what each mark is for."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gas-mark"
---

# Gas mark

Gas mark is the oven scale on British gas cookers, from ¼ to 9\. Here is the full table in Celsius and Fahrenheit and what each mark is for.

Also called Gas, Gas mark 4.

Gas mark is a temperature scale used on gas ovens in the UK and Ireland, and in many British recipes. It runs from ¼ (very cool) to 9 (very hot). Most modern recipes give gas marks next to [Celsius and Fahrenheit](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/celsius-and-fahrenheit), often written as "180°C, gas 4".

## How to use it

From gas mark 1 upward, each step adds about 10 to 20°C (25°F).

| Gas mark | Celsius | Fahrenheit | Description    |
| -------- | ------- | ---------- | -------------- |
| ¼        | 110°C   | 225°F      | Very cool      |
| ½        | 120°C   | 250°F      | Very cool      |
| 1        | 140°C   | 275°F      | Cool           |
| 2        | 150°C   | 300°F      | Cool           |
| 3        | 170°C   | 325°F      | Moderate       |
| 4        | 180°C   | 350°F      | Moderate       |
| 5        | 190°C   | 375°F      | Moderately hot |
| 6        | 200°C   | 400°F      | Hot            |
| 7        | 220°C   | 425°F      | Hot            |
| 8        | 230°C   | 450°F      | Very hot       |
| 9        | 240°C   | 475°F      | Very hot       |

Gas mark 4 is the one you will see most, for cakes, cookies (biscuits in the UK) and crumbles. Gas mark 6 and 7 are for roasting.

Gas ovens heat unevenly. The top shelf is usually hotter than the bottom, often by about one gas mark. Use that: put things that need more heat high up and gentle bakes low down. An oven [thermometer](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/thermometer) on the middle shelf shows you what your oven really does.

## Common mistakes

* Turning down a gas mark for a fan. Gas ovens do not usually have a fan, so a gas mark already means conventional heat. Only lower the heat if you are using a [fan oven](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/fan-oven) and converting from gas.
* Treating gas mark ¼ and ½ as off. They are low but real settings, used for drying meringues and slow-cooking.
* Opening the door too often. Gas ovens lose heat quickly and take a while to recover.

## In recipes

You will see "Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6", "gas mark 4" and "gas 3". Older British cookbooks may give only gas marks, so keep the table handy.

## Where it comes from

The scale comes from a thermostat for gas ovens introduced in Britain in the 1920s. The dial was numbered instead of marked in degrees, and the numbers stuck.

## Related terms

* [Celsius and FahrenheitMost of the world cooks in degrees Celsius and the US cooks in Fahrenheit. Here is how to convert, with a table of common oven temperatures.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/celsius-and-fahrenheit)
* [Fan ovenA fan oven blows hot air around the food so it cooks faster and browns more evenly. Turn the temperature down about 20°C (25°F) when you use one.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/fan-oven)
* [Top and bottom heatTop and bottom heat is the classic oven setting where the top and bottom elements heat still air, with no fan. Best for cakes, bread and custards.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/top-and-bottom-heat)
* [ThermometerA kitchen thermometer checks the heat of meat, oil, sugar and your oven, so food is safe and cooked how you want. Here is which type to use and how.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/thermometer)
* [BakeBaking cooks food with dry, hot air in an enclosed oven. It is how bread, cakes, cookies and casseroles go from raw to set, risen and browned.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bake)

[More in measurements](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/measurements)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)