On an electric stove dial from 1 to 10, high is roughly 8 to 10, medium-high about 5 to 8, medium about 3 to 5 and low 1 to 2, going by Frigidaire’s chart for a range scaled from Lo up to Hi. None of those numbers is a temperature in degrees.
The electric stove temperature 1-10 scale isn’t printed in degrees for a reason. GE’s surface burner settings page says it isn’t possible to tie any setting to one specific temperature, because the cooktop type, the food and the pan all change the result. So what does the number on your knob mean? It’s a power level, not a reading.
Electric stove 1-10: what each number means
Frigidaire’s 2011 electric range manual gives the clearest numbered chart for a dial that runs from Lo through 9.5 to Hi. Its med pad sets the element to 5.0. Here’s what the manual says each band is for:
| Recipe says | Frigidaire setting | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| High | 8.0 to Hi | Start most foods, bring water to a boil, pan broil |
| Medium-high | 5.0 to 8.0 | Keep a rapid boil, fry, deep fat fry |
| Medium | 3.0 to 5.0 | Slow boil, thicken sauces and gravies, steam vegetables |
| Medium-low | 2.0 to 4.0 | Keep foods cooking, poach, stew |
| Low | Lo to 2.0 | Keep warm, melt, simmer |
The bands overlap, and that’s on purpose. Frigidaire calls anything at 2.8 or lower a simmer setting, and below 3.0 the control moves in steps of 0.2 instead of 0.5. That’s the range where you fine-tune a sauce.
Frigidaire also says the chart assumes medium-weight aluminum pans with lids. If you’re cooking in heavy cast iron or a thin pan with no lid, you may need a different number for the same job.
Before you trust a recipe’s number, read the chart in your range’s own Use and Care guide. On service calls, I’d pull that guide before suggesting any setting, since a recipe written on someone else’s stove doesn’t know yours.
The same word, different numbers: two Frigidaire charts
The word in your recipe lands on different numbers even within one brand. Frigidaire’s coil-element range manual puts medium-high at 6 and medium at 4 to 5, while its 2011 digital range spreads medium-high from 5.0 to 8.0.
- Coil range, numbered knob: High is HI or MAX, medium-high is 6, medium is 4 to 5, medium-low is 2 to 3, and low is SIM or MIN.
- 2011 digital range: High is 8.0 to Hi, medium-high is 5.0 to 8.0, medium is 3.0 to 5.0, medium-low is 2.0 to 4.0, and low is Lo to 2.0.
So a 6 is medium-high on both charts. A 4 is plain medium on the coil range, but on the digital range it sits right where medium-low overlaps medium. That’s why a recipe number copied from someone else’s stove can land a step off on yours.
GE’s older ranges skip numbers altogether. A GE electric range manual for its JSP models shows LO, MED and HI on the knob, and calls medium-high the setting halfway between HI and MED. Medium-low is halfway between MED and LO.
Put that on a 1-10 dial and you’ll get the same picture. Medium-high sits in the upper part of your dial, not at the top.
Why there’s no temperature in degrees for each number
No electric stove number has a fixed temperature in degrees. GE says the heat depends on whether you’ve got a coil, radiant or induction cooktop, what food is in the pan and what the pan is made of. Charts that give a degree for every number aren’t from the makers.
GE ties degrees to only two of its own settings. Simmer keeps food at a food-safe temperature of at least 140°F, and Keep Warm holds food above 140°F. Everything else on the dial is described by what it does, like boil, fry or brown.
When the temperature matters to you, GE’s advice is a food thermometer, not the knob. That’s how you’ll know meat has reached the temperature it needs.
Find medium-high on your own stove
To find medium-high on your stove, look up its own chart first, then check how the burner behaves.
Your range’s Use and Care guide has the chart, usually in the surface cooking section, and the model number tells you which guide to get.
- Find the model number on the range’s rating label and download that model’s Use and Care guide. On most ranges I worked on, the label sat on the oven door frame or behind the storage drawer.
- Open the surface cooking section and copy the chart onto a note near the stove.
- Start high and then turn down. Frigidaire says to start most cooking at a higher setting and finish lower.
- Check the food, not the knob. GE says a food thermometer is the way to know the food reached its temperature.
Burners come in different sizes, so pick the one that fits the job. GE suggests melting chocolate or butter on a smaller burner at its low settings.
Why the heat feels slow or keeps clicking
Electric elements are slow to cool, so when you turn the dial down, the pan doesn’t notice right away. GE’s range manual says switching to a higher setting always changes the heat quicker than switching to a lower one.
Clicking is normal. GE says the slight clicks you hear in a quiet kitchen mean the control is holding the setting you picked. On a glass top, Frigidaire says the radiant element cycles on and off even at high, and it cycles more if the pan’s too small or warped.
If the glass itself is damaged, read the page on a cracked glass cooktop before you keep cooking on it.
A cook on r/Cooking put the lag this way:
“What you’re suffering is called heat lag. Unlike gas stoves, electric stoves take a bit more time to heat up and (especially) cool down. You might consider heavier weight cookware (cast iron, all clad, etc) that holds a temperature better. You can also manage heat by moving your pans on and off the stove to get them cooler quicker when you need to.”
– r/Cooking, July 2026 (97 upvotes)
Frigidaire’s manual puts that lag to work. It says you can turn the element off a few minutes before your food’s done and let the leftover heat finish it.
Electric stove temperature 1-10 questions
How hot is 7 on an electric stove?
A 7 on an electric stove is medium-high on Frigidaire’s numbered charts, the setting for a rapid boil or frying. No maker gives 7 a temperature in degrees, so check frying oil with a thermometer.
How hot is 5 on an electric stove?
A 5 on an electric stove sits where medium meets medium-high on Frigidaire’s 2011 chart, and its med pad sets exactly 5.0. On Frigidaire’s coil range, 4 to 5 is medium, used for a slow boil and sauces.
What is 3 on a stove?
A 3 on a 1-10 stove is medium-low to medium, the range Frigidaire lists for poaching, stewing and keeping food cooking. Turn it below 3 for a gentle simmer.
What number is 350 on an electric stove top?
No number on the electric stove temperature 1-10 scale equals 350°F. GE says no setting cooks at one specific temperature, so for oil at 350°F, start around medium-high and watch a frying thermometer, then adjust.
