Oven Temps for Vintage Recipes

Many vintage cookbooks refer to oven temperatures as 'bake in a slow or moderate oven'. If you guess wrong on that temperature, it can really ruin your dish. Here's a handy list of temperatures you can use for your vintage recipes.

Oven Temps

Very Slow is 250-275 degrees
Slow is 300-325 degrees
Moderate is 350-375 degrees
Hot is 400-425 degrees
Very Hot is 450-475 degrees
Extremely Hot is 500-525 degrees

Here's a vintage recipe from one of my older cookbooks. You'll notice the measurements are not exact!

Pork Chop and Potato Casserole

5 or 6 thick pork chops
5 or 6 red potatoes
cracker crumbs, crushed fine
1 egg, beaten
milk
butter
salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and slice them thick. Place slices in casserole in layers, putting a little butter on top of the potatoes and sprinkling with salt and pepper as you go. Roll the chops in the egg first and then in cracker crumbs. Place chops on top of potatoes. Pour milk in casserole as high as the potatoes. Place in moderate (375 degrees) oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until pork chops are browned on top. Reduce heat and bake until potatoes are done.