Please teach me how to use my oven

So our landlord just installed a new oven into our place and it is gas which is fine except it just has the numbers 1-9 on the dial- nothing in degrees.  Now I've seen what mark to use on frozen food but how do these marks translate to baking?  I feel like I have zero confidence in what I am doing now and am afraid to try. 

It also has what I am assuming is a grill part.  I thought it was another smaller oven but it turn off as soon as you close the door.  The dial to work it just has a flame that makes it smaller.  Anyway- I've never used a grill like this so have no idea what to do with it.

Any help would be great- especially for baking stuff.

Here is a good chart that gives you gas mark temps for c and f

http://www.helpwithcooking.com/temperature-chart.html

So our landlord just installed a new oven into our place and it is gas which is fine except it just has the numbers 1-9 on the dial- nothing in degrees.  Now I've seen what mark to use on frozen food but how do these marks translate to baking?  I feel like I have zero confidence in what I am doing now and am afraid to try. 

It also has what I am assuming is a grill part.  I thought it was another smaller oven but it turn off as soon as you close the door.  The dial to work it just has a flame that makes it smaller.  Anyway- I've never used a grill like this so have no idea what to do with it.

Any help would be great- especially for baking stuff.

Leave the door open when you grill

What are you afraid of? Convert the gas mark to a temperature and keep checking on it, when you do either your cake will be underdone, in which case put it back and wait, then check it regularly so it doesn't burn. Just check your baked stuff regularly with a skewer and you'll be fine.

For gas ovens, I would probably recommend you buy an oven thermometer and be prepared to properly let the oven heat up and reach a consistent temperature before you stick a cake in there

See this thread for gas mark conversions and all sorts of other kitchen tips! 

Yes, get a thermometer!

ps...do you fancy getting together this week?

Thanks for the help everyone- the link was great and I shall print out the chart. 

I do have a thermometer and it says at Gas Mark 8 is only like 350 degrees F but its older and has travelled some so maybe I will look into getting a new one.

Racheee-- YES!!!  I think anytime this week should be great.  I was thinking of taking the kids to Chorlton Water Park if you like or else shoot me a place and it'll be a date.

We've got a set of fridge magnets that one of them converts F/C/Gasmark

They came from Lakeland

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/5361/Fridge-Magnet-Converters

Also, most British recipes will give you temps in C, F and gasmark. You'll probably find over time that you're using more UK than US recipes. Speaking for myself, I very rarely use any of my US cookbooks these days - though I do have some favourite old recipes, and I've converted all of those to C and metric measurements.

We've got a set of fridge magnets that one of them converts F/C/Gasmark

They came from Lakeland

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/5361/Fridge-Magnet-Converters

Those are amazing! I need to get myself a pair.

My oven drives me insane. First of all its a fan assisted gas oven so I have to adapt all my recipes to using the fan. Secondly...its only got temps in increments of 25. So like 175 and then the next temp is 200. No marks in between so if I recipe calls for 190 its kind of a guess if its on 190 or 185 or 180.

Completely ruined a roast the other day.

Fan ovens are the best! 

Any suggestions on using the grill- silly question- is it just like a broiler?  If so what do you make in it, I've never used the broiler part of an oven for anything. 

I'm just a basic cooking person, I don't mind trying to make new things.  I don't know why this is bugging me so much- I guess it's just one of those things that will come with time and patience.

Any suggestions on using the grill- silly question- is it just like a broiler?  If so what do you make in it, I've never used the broiler part of an oven for anything. 

Yes, it's just like a broiler! I use it for making things with melted cheese on top - toasted sandwiches, nachos, etc. I also use it sometimes for cooking fish and also chicken breasts that have been flattened - it cooks them quite quickly. I do use the ordinary oven much more than the broiler, though.

Fan ovens are the best! 

Oh don't get me wrong, that part is fantastic...once I get used to it. Its just a matter of bringing the temp down a bit.

Oh don't get me wrong, that part is fantastic...once I get used to it. Its just a matter of bringing the temp down a bit.

Again, if you're using UK recipes, many of them will include a fan oven temp in parentheses. They're more and more common these days.