220°C Oven to Air Fryer: Use 200°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 220°C, set a typical basket air fryer to 200°C (200°C / 392°F) and plan on about 80% of the oven time. At this oven setting people usually cook pizza at a shop-style bake, naan, very hot roasting. The 20% rule is a starting point; Thin dough will finish before a thick crust. Conversion is a start, not a pizza oven.
How to convert 220°C to an air fryer
- 1Read the oven recipe: it calls for 220°C (220°C / 428°F).
- 2Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (200°C / 392°F), not 220°C.
- 3Multiply the oven minutes by 0.8. Example: a homemade pizza that would bake 12 minutes at 220°C becomes about 10 minutes at 200°C, watching the cheese rather than the clock.
- 4Cook in a single layer and check early. Thin dough will finish before a thick crust. Conversion is a start, not a pizza oven.
Conversion chart
| Oven time at 220°C | Air fryer time at 200°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 220°C is usually used for
In a conventional oven, 220°C is the setting for pizza at a shop-style bake, naan, very hot roasting. Converting that heat without thinking about the food is why people burn cookies or undercook a joint.
Worked example: a homemade pizza that would bake 12 minutes at 220°C. In the air fryer that is about 10 minutes at 200°C, watching the cheese rather than the clock.
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 220°C in an air fryer would over-brown the outside before the middle caught up. Setting it to 200°C instead gives you the same finish in less time.
What to watch at 200°C
Thin dough will finish before a thick crust. Conversion is a start, not a pizza oven.
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 7 in an air fryer
220°C is roughly gas mark 7. If your recipe is written in gas marks, convert to 220°C / 428°F first, then apply the same drop to get 200°C / 392°F in the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 220°C in an air fryer?
200°C, which is 200°C / 392°F. Reduce the cooking time by about 20% as well, then check early.
What foods are usually cooked at 220°C?
pizza at a shop-style bake, naan, very hot roasting. Example conversion: a homemade pizza that would bake 12 minutes at 220°C becomes about 10 minutes at 200°C, watching the cheese rather than the clock in the air fryer.
Why not just use 220°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.