250°F to Celsius — all four oven scales
The exact conversion is (°F − 32) × 5/9, so 250°F works out to 121.1°C. Recipe writers round this to 120°C — the long-standing pairing that also maps to gas mark ½ — because no home oven holds a fraction of a degree and no dial displays one. The 1.1°C of rounding is far smaller than a typical oven's swing around its set point.
In a fan (convection) oven, use 100°C — the standard adjustment is conventional minus 20°C, because moving air transfers heat faster than still air. Make the temperature adjustment or shorten the bake time by about a quarter, never both. Bake times are otherwise unaffected by converting between scales: 120°C and 250°F are the same heat wearing different units.
Where 250°F sits on the chart
| °F | °C | Fan °C | Gas mark | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 225°F | 110°C | 90°C | ¼ | Very slow |
| 250°F | 120°C | 100°C | ½ | Very slow |
| 275°F | 140°C | 120°C | 1 | Slow |
| 300°F | 150°C | 130°C | 2 | Slow |
| 325°F | 160°C | 140°C | 3 | Moderately slow |
See the full chart on the oven temperature converter →
What bakes at this temperature
250°F / 120°C is the territory of meringues, drying fruit, and holding finished bakes warm. Remember that most home ovens swing ±25°F around their set point and many run permanently hot or cold — a standalone oven thermometer on the middle rack tells you more than any conversion chart can.