The equipment achieves restaurant-quality pizzas, and I will by no means eat one out once more.
I attempted the best pizza oven that provides ‘restaurant-quality’ pizzas—prepared in 60 seconds (Picture: Getty) This text comprises affiliate hyperlinks, we’ll obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Study extra
Not way back, proudly owning a pizza oven felt like an enormous luxurious—one thing you’d anticipate to see in a high-end backyard setup or at a restaurant. They had been extremely costly and infrequently required a good bit of talent to make use of correctly, however that is modified lately. Due to manufacturers like Gozney, pizza ovens have turn out to be way more accessible and widespread, with extra folks investing in outside cooking.
Whereas pizza ovens nonetheless sit on the premium finish of out of doors cooking, they’re now not area of interest. They’ve turn out to be a practical improve for anybody who enjoys cooking, internet hosting, or loves a restaurant-quality pizza at dwelling. I’ve tried just a few pizza ovens lately, however my latest one has taken issues to a different stage—the Gozney Arc XL.
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The Gozney Arc XL can attain 500C (Picture: Gozney)
At its core, the Gozney Arc XL is a gas-powered pizza oven designed to ship extraordinarily excessive temperatures shortly and constantly. It might attain round 500°C and prepare dinner pizzas in roughly a minute.
That pace isn’t simply spectacular—it’s what creates the traditional pizza texture: a crisp, barely charred base with a light-weight, ethereal crust.
The oven retains warmth properly because of its insulation and thick stone ground, so you possibly can prepare dinner a number of pizzas in a row with out lengthy wait instances for the oven to succeed in temperature.
At round £800, it’s clearly a premium product—however it’s additionally one which’s attempting to justify that value by means of efficiency, usability, and construct high quality.
One standout design alternative is the lateral-rolling-flame system. As an alternative of warmth coming from a single fastened path, the flame strikes throughout the oven roof, making a extra even cooking setting.
This implies the pizza cooks extra uniformly from prime to backside, and whilst you nonetheless have to rotate it throughout cooking, the method feels extra forgiving than many normal gasoline ovens. It’s a function that brings it nearer in behaviour to a conventional wood-fired oven, however with ease.
There’s a digital thermometer on the entrance to observe the oven’s inside temperature. The optimum temperature varies relying on the type of pizza or no matter else you’re cooking. For instance, a thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza can be cooked at a better warmth for a shorter time than a Chicago-style deep-dish model. I discovered my pizzas prepare dinner completely at round 400°C.
By way of measurement, the Arc XL is noticeably extra spacious than smaller fashions. It might comfortably deal with as much as 16-inch pizzas, which makes it higher fitted to households or anybody cooking for teams. It is also nice for internet hosting and impresses visitors each single time; they will actually have a go themselves.
The additional room contained in the oven additionally makes it simpler to launch, rotate, and retrieve pizzas with out feeling cramped. That is a kind of design variations that doesn’t appear important at first, however shortly turns into essential when you begin utilizing it recurrently.
Ease of use is certainly one of its greatest strengths. Being gas-powered means it heats up shortly, begins with minimal effort, and offers you exact management over the flame. There’s no have to handle firewood, modify coals, or consistently troubleshoot temperature swings. For many customers, this makes studying to make use of the pizza oven a lot simpler than with wood-fired ovens, whereas nonetheless delivering wonderful outcomes.
It is so easy to make use of and compact (Picture: Sophie Harris)
Gozney has an array of equipment (Picture: Sophie Harris)
One of many first issues I seen was how simple it was to get began. The setup was simple, and getting all the pieces prepared—together with buying and connecting the gasoline—was easy and hassle-free. The controls and general design are very intuitive, so there wasn’t a lot studying to do. It felt like one thing I might use confidently immediately without having to learn by means of sophisticated directions or watch tutorials for hours.
From the very first use, it impressed us. We managed to prepare dinner scrumptious pizzas on our first try, and so they genuinely tasted wonderful—crispy bases, well-cooked toppings, and that traditional barely charred crust you’d anticipate from a correct pizza oven. We had been immediately impressed with the outcomes, which made the expertise much more pleasant and inspired us to maintain utilizing it.
Since then, I’ve used the Arc XL a number of instances, and it’s shortly turn out to be greater than only a pizza oven in my life. I’ve even used it to prepare dinner a full English breakfast, which turned out brilliantly, and it dealt with all the pieces surprisingly properly.
That basically highlighted how versatile it’s past simply pizza. It’s not a one-trick equipment—it could actually genuinely be used for a spread of high-heat cooking, so long as you will have the proper instruments.
There may be additionally a spread of extra equipment and attachments accessible to additional improve the expertise. I’ve a number of of those, together with the stand, which is unquestionably value it because it makes the entire setup extra sensible and cozy to make use of. I even have the Gozney cookbook, a pizza peel, a pizza turner, and a pizza cutter.
Whereas these equipment are on the pricier aspect, they really feel well-made and genuinely enhance the cooking course of, in order that they’ve been definitely worth the funding for us.
Gozney sells an Arc-specific stand on wheels with area for a gasoline canister, fold-out wood cabinets, and utensil hooks for £249.99, which was undoubtedly a should for me. It made the entire cooking expertise a lot smoother, and it was nice to have the rools inside attain. This may also be bought as a part of a bundle that features the oven, stand and a pizza peel for £1,129.97, though it’s at the moment out of inventory.
The pizza was tastier than ones I’ve had in eating places (Picture: Sophie Harris)
There are additionally some limitations value noting. The Arc XL is pricey and firmly within the premium class of pizza ovens. It sits at round £800, which is an funding.
Some critiques agreed, with one studying: “The standard is nice, however I do assume it is overpriced, hopefully my mates should purchase if on low cost.”
A second wrote: “I am an enormous fan of Gozney, however it’s simply too costly.”
Additionally it is gas-only, which implies you miss out on the smoky flavour and ritual of wood-fired cooking. Whereas it’s simple to make use of, it nonetheless requires some method—notably when rotating pizzas throughout cooking to keep away from uneven charring. And due to its measurement and weight, it’s not one thing you’ll be shifting round steadily. Nevertheless, the stand makes this extremely simple because it has wheels.
One evaluation mentioned: “The Gozney Arc XL Pizza Oven is nothing wanting distinctive—a real game-changer for anybody severe about outside cooking. From the second you unbox it, the construct high quality stands out. It feels premium, strong, and thoughtfully engineered, clearly designed to final.”
One other learn: “A implausible pizza oven. By no means made pizza in an oven beforehand, and I made six for my first go. We cherished them, and so did the household. We’re planning a weekly pizza household get-together now.”
The Arc XL may be bought from Gozney direct for £799, and it is available in two colors: a stunning cream or black. Each colors are additionally accessible from John Lewis for a similar value.
There are many pizza ovens available on the market, so it may be arduous to resolve which mannequin to decide on.
The Ooni Koda 16 is commonly seen because the Arc XL’s closest rival. It’s a gas-powered oven that additionally reaches very excessive temperatures (round 500°C) and may prepare dinner giant 16-inch pizzas. It’s recognized for being barely extra simple and minimal in design, with a robust give attention to portability and fast setup.
In comparison with the Arc XL, the Koda 16 is commonly thought of easy, however with a barely much less refined warmth distribution system. It nonetheless produces wonderful outcomes however requires a bit extra consideration when rotating pizzas because of its directional-flame design. By itself, it retails for £499.
For those who’re searching for a extra reasonably priced pizza oven, DeliVita’s Diavolo Gasoline-Fired Pizza Oven is a superb entry-level pizza oven. They’re simple to arrange, warmth up shortly, and are very simple to make use of, making them a preferred alternative for first-time consumers. The oven may be bought for simply £199, far more reasonably priced than different manufacturers.
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