If an oven is described as "fast", what does that mean?  I have always assumed it simply means a hotter oven, where the temperature on the dial is lower than the temperature inside the oven.  But a fan-forced oven also cooks faster than a conventional oven, does that count?  What exactly is the definition of a fast oven? 
The idea of a "fast" oven comes from the time when wood-burning stoves without temperature gauges were the most common ones in kitchens. A fast oven is anywhere from 400-425° F.   Conversion to Fahrenheit  Very slow (very low) oven: 300-325° F. Slow (low) oven: 325-350° F. Moderate (medium) oven: 350-375° F. Fast/quick (high) oven: 375-400° F. Very fast/very quick (very high) oven: 400-425° F.  Various "modern" cookbooks that attempt to explain these terms will often give different temperatures, but the degree of difference isn't usually that great (usually about 25 degrees in either direction); what was a fast oven to one cook may only have been a moderate oven to another.  A "pastry," "bread," or "bread-baking" oven generally refers to a temperature range of 360-380° F.   (Rounded) Conversion to Celsius  Very slow (very low) oven: 150-160/170° C. Slow (low) oven: 160/170-180° C. Moderate (medium) oven: 180-190° C. Fast/quick (high) oven: 190-200° C. Very fast/very quick (very high) oven: 200-220° C.  Conversion to Gas Marks  Very slow (very low) oven: 2-3 Slow (low) oven: 3-4 Moderate (medium) oven: 4-5 Fast/quick (high) oven: 5-6 Very fast/very quick (very high) oven: 6-7  Oven To Campfire Temperature Conversion Chart (For Use with Dutch Ovens and Charcoal)  Slow (low) oven: 6-8 briquettes below/ 12-16 on lid Moderate (medium) oven: 8-10 briquettes below/ 16-18 on lid Fast/quick (high) oven: 10-12 briquettes below/ 18-24 on lid 