Defrost (snowflake and drop)
The fan moves air round frozen food so it thaws faster than on the worktop. Depending on the maker the air is unheated (Smeg: cool circulating air) or gently warmed (Siemens: warm air).
What it is for
Meat, poultry, bread and cakes (Siemens). AEG says it roughly halves defrosting time compared with the countertop, and advises the middle shelf, with food out of its packaging on an oven-safe plate.
Makes differ, check your oven’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly which elements run and how hot.
- What it looks like
- A snowflake with a water drop under it. AEG draws drops falling from a snowflake; Hotpoint draws a fan with a drop.
- Names makers use
- Defrost / Defrosting (Bosch, Siemens, AEG, Neff); Fan-assisted defrost (Smeg); Defrost fan (Hotpoint)
Where makes differ
Two lookalikes are not defrost. Siemens’ coolStart shows » arrows with a snowflake and drop, and cooks frozen convenience food without preheating. AEG’s fan in a circle with a drop is Moist Fan baking.
Often confused with
A short cleaning cycle that uses water and gentle heat to soften grime so you can wipe it off. It does not burn residue away like a pyrolytic cycle.
Sources
No single published standard defines oven function icons, so this meaning is taken from 5 makers’ own guides, each fetched and checked on the date shown:
- Siemens: Siemens Home UK — Oven symbols guide — “Defrosting” pictogram (snowflake above a drop): meat, poultry, bread and cakes; the fan circulates warm air round the dish. Checked 2026-09-23.
- Neff: NEFF UK — Oven symbols explained: your complete guide — “Defrosting symbol”: frost with a water droplet below it; a low-temperature setting to defrost frozen food quickly. Checked 2026-09-23.
- Bosch: Bosch UK — Oven symbols guide — “Defrost” settings icon (snowflake above a drop): defrost food more evenly and quicker than on the kitchen counter. Checked 2026-09-23.
- AEG: AEG UK support — Symbols and functions on your AEG oven or cooker — “Defrost” icon (snowflake with drops): fan distributes air, halving defrosting time compared with the countertop; middle level. Checked 2026-09-23.
- Smeg: Smeg UK — A guide to oven symbols and what they mean — “Fan-Assisted Defrost Symbol”: a dripping snowflake; cool circulating air from the oven fan. Checked 2026-09-23.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.