160°C Oven to Air Fryer: Use 140°C
Drop the temperature by 20°C and cut the time by 20% as a starting point.
Published by the RecipeAirFryer editorial team · How we source times · Updated
Times and temperatures come from our reviewed cooking database. Explanatory text on each page is generated from that entry so the numbers stay consistent.
If a recipe says 160°C, set a typical basket air fryer to 140°C (140°C / 284°F) and plan on about 80% of the oven time. At this oven setting people usually cook cookies, scones, bread rolls, salmon at a gentle finish. The 20% rule is a starting point; Cookies spread less in a tight basket. Leave gaps or they fuse.
How to convert 160°C to an air fryer
- 1Read the oven recipe: it calls for 160°C (160°C / 320°F).
- 2Preheat the air fryer to 140°C (140°C / 284°F), not 160°C.
- 3Multiply the oven minutes by 0.8. Example: a batch of cookies that take 12 minutes in the oven becomes about 10 minutes at 140°C, pulling them while the centres still look soft.
- 4Cook in a single layer and check early. Cookies spread less in a tight basket. Leave gaps or they fuse.
Conversion chart
| Oven time at 160°C | Air fryer time at 140°C |
|---|---|
| 10 min | 8 min |
| 15 min | 12 min |
| 20 min | 16 min |
| 25 min | 20 min |
| 30 min | 24 min |
| 40 min | 32 min |
| 45 min | 36 min |
| 60 min | 48 min |
What 160°C is usually used for
In a conventional oven, 160°C is the setting for cookies, scones, bread rolls, salmon at a gentle finish. Converting that heat without thinking about the food is why people burn cookies or undercook a joint.
Worked example: a batch of cookies that take 12 minutes in the oven. In the air fryer that is about 10 minutes at 140°C, pulling them while the centres still look soft.
Why the temperature drops
An oven heats mostly by radiation from its elements and by slow convection. An air fryer is a small chamber with a fan driving air across the food at speed, so heat transfers into the surface much faster at the same dial setting.
That is why 160°C in an air fryer would over-brown the outside before the middle caught up. Setting it to 140°C instead gives you the same finish in less time.
What to watch at 140°C
Cookies spread less in a tight basket. Leave gaps or they fuse.
Dense items such as a whole chicken may need close to the original oven time because heat still has to travel to the centre. Go by internal temperature, not only the converted clock.
Gas mark 3 in an air fryer
160°C is roughly gas mark 3. If your recipe is written in gas marks, convert to 160°C / 320°F first, then apply the same drop to get 140°C / 284°F in the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 160°C in an air fryer?
140°C, which is 140°C / 284°F. Reduce the cooking time by about 20% as well, then check early.
What foods are usually cooked at 160°C?
cookies, scones, bread rolls, salmon at a gentle finish. Example conversion: a batch of cookies that take 12 minutes in the oven becomes about 10 minutes at 140°C, pulling them while the centres still look soft in the air fryer.
Why not just use 160°C in the air fryer?
You can, but the outside will brown or burn before the inside is cooked. The fan transfers heat into the food far faster than an oven does, so the lower setting gives a more even result.
Do I need to preheat the air fryer?
A 2-3 minute preheat helps for anything breaded, frozen or that you want crisp. For longer cooks it makes little difference.