180°C Oven to Air Fryer: Use 160°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 180°C, set a typical basket air fryer to 160°C (160°C / 320°F) and plan on about 80% of the oven time. At this oven setting people usually cook sheet-pan dinners, pizza, roasted vegetables. The 20% rule is a starting point; Wet vegetables still steam. Dry them or they will not brown even at the converted heat.
How to convert 180°C to an air fryer
- 1Read the oven recipe: it calls for 180°C (180°C / 356°F).
- 2Preheat the air fryer to 160°C (160°C / 320°F), not 180°C.
- 3Multiply the oven minutes by 0.8. Example: a tray of mixed vegetables that roast 25 minutes at 180°C becomes about 20 minutes at 160°C, shaken twice.
- 4Cook in a single layer and check early. Wet vegetables still steam. Dry them or they will not brown even at the converted heat.
Conversion chart
| Oven time at 180°C | Air fryer time at 160°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 180°C is usually used for
In a conventional oven, 180°C is the setting for sheet-pan dinners, pizza, roasted vegetables. Converting that heat without thinking about the food is why people burn cookies or undercook a joint.
Worked example: a tray of mixed vegetables that roast 25 minutes at 180°C. In the air fryer that is about 20 minutes at 160°C, shaken twice.
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 180°C in an air fryer would over-brown the outside before the middle caught up. Setting it to 160°C instead gives you the same finish in less time.
What to watch at 160°C
Wet vegetables still steam. Dry them or they will not brown even at the converted heat.
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 4 in an air fryer
180°C is roughly gas mark 4. If your recipe is written in gas marks, convert to 180°C / 356°F first, then apply the same drop to get 160°C / 320°F in the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 180°C in an air fryer?
160°C, which is 160°C / 320°F. Reduce the cooking time by about 20% as well, then check early.
What foods are usually cooked at 180°C?
sheet-pan dinners, pizza, roasted vegetables. Example conversion: a tray of mixed vegetables that roast 25 minutes at 180°C becomes about 20 minutes at 160°C, shaken twice in the air fryer.
Why not just use 180°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.