200°C Oven to Air Fryer: Use 180°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 200°C, set a typical basket air fryer to 180°C (180°C / 356°F) and plan on about 80% of the oven time. At this oven setting people usually cook roast potatoes, oven chips, fish fingers, cookies on a hot tray. The 20% rule is a starting point; Parboiled potatoes still need space. Conversion does not fix a piled basket.
How to convert 200°C to an air fryer
- 1Read the oven recipe: it calls for 200°C (200°C / 392°F).
- 2Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (180°C / 356°F), not 200°C.
- 3Multiply the oven minutes by 0.8. Example: roast potatoes that take 45 minutes at 200°C becomes about 36 minutes at 180°C, shaken every 10 minutes.
- 4Cook in a single layer and check early. Parboiled potatoes still need space. Conversion does not fix a piled basket.
Conversion chart
| Oven time at 200°C | Air fryer time at 180°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 200°C is usually used for
In a conventional oven, 200°C is the setting for roast potatoes, oven chips, fish fingers, cookies on a hot tray. Converting that heat without thinking about the food is why people burn cookies or undercook a joint.
Worked example: roast potatoes that take 45 minutes at 200°C. In the air fryer that is about 36 minutes at 180°C, shaken every 10 minutes.
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 200°C in an air fryer would over-brown the outside before the middle caught up. Setting it to 180°C instead gives you the same finish in less time.
What to watch at 180°C
Parboiled potatoes still need space. Conversion does not fix a piled basket.
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 6 in an air fryer
200°C is roughly gas mark 6. If your recipe is written in gas marks, convert to 200°C / 392°F first, then apply the same drop to get 180°C / 356°F in the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 200°C in an air fryer?
180°C, which is 180°C / 356°F. Reduce the cooking time by about 20% as well, then check early.
What foods are usually cooked at 200°C?
roast potatoes, oven chips, fish fingers, cookies on a hot tray. Example conversion: roast potatoes that take 45 minutes at 200°C becomes about 36 minutes at 180°C, shaken every 10 minutes in the air fryer.
Why not just use 200°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.