Owning one of the best pizza ovens is a must if you like to spend time outdoors, eat pizza, and cook in a slightly different way than you may be used to.
Gozney is a UK brand. Born out of knowledge and experience, Gozney manufactures and supplies commercial pizza ovens as well as those suitable for at-home use. In their portfolio, you'll find the Roccbox, the world's first and original stone-floored portable live-fire oven, alongside the versatile Dome and compact Arc.
I tried the Gozney Roccbox out for a few weeks over the summer months. It was gas-powered and required very little assembly. I used shop-bought dough (something I'm not ashamed of) and several different toppings, including cheese, ham, and pineapple. I even tried cooking pineapple rings in a glass Pyrex dish to see if I'd get that delicious, sweet, slightly charred edge. Read on to find out how I got on.
Jennifer has been testing home tech, including pizza ovens, over the past few years. She loves food and enjoys prepping, cooking, and eating, although, on this occasion, the dough was shop-bought to save the faff. She tested this pizza oven for a few weeks over the summer months at home, with her kid and husband commenting on what was platted up.
Gozney Roccbox: Key specs
| Model name: | Roccbox |
| Dimensions: | 16.3 x 20.9 x 18.6 inches |
| Pizza size: | 14" recommended |
| Weight: | 20 kg |
| Cooking temperature: | Up to 1000℉ |
| Included accessories: | Detachable propane gas burner, pizza peel (worth $85) and a manual |
| Power | Propane gas / wood burning |
Gozney Roccbox: Price & availability
The Gozney Roccbox is priced slightly higher than its portable competitors. For example, both the Ooni Fyra and Solo Stove have a list price of $350. The Roccbox? $499.
For the money, you'll receive the stone-floored pizza oven, detachable propane gas burner, pizza peel (worth $85), and a manual. You'll essentially get everything that you need to start cooking pizza outside, but you can also add accessories such as the pizza server (from $49.99), dough cutter ($29.99), and/or pizza scraper ($14.99) to your kit.
You can also find the Gozney Roccbox listed on Amazon for $499, where you'll receive the same as you would if you were to buy direct. This means that you'll have the choice of where to buy your (potentially) new pizza oven. Whilst it doesn't appear to be listed with any other reseller, I feel that there is enough availability between Amazon and Gozney to fulfill your craving for pizza oven ownership; the price is just a bit of a flinching moment.
Gozney Roccbox: Setup
My first impression/s of the Gozney Roccbox was that it was heavy. It also came with many separate boxes with the accessories, so "heavy" and "lots of things to figure out how to use" were amongst my first thoughts on this pizza oven.
The size of the box was well utilized. Upon opening it, I noticed a layer of styrofoam that housed a pizza paddle and booklet. Remove this layer, and you'll see the Roccbox, covered in thin protective plastic with the gas canister holder poking up beside it. Sadly, the only packaging that had any element of being recyclable was the cardboard box; all other packaging used was to be thrown into landfills.
Once I had all the boxes unpacked and the packaging in the trash, I began the set-up process. It took less than one minute to position the Roccobox on a suitable base (I made a DIY table off the ground), erect the three legs, and install the gas connecting elements. What threw me a little was connecting the gas, which freaks me out about gas. We have a large gas canister that we use to power our gas BBQ, so I roped in my husband to do the honors of moving the canister across to the Roccobox and fiddling with the connections.
It transpires that the Roccbox has a "clip-on style regulator" that is suited for smaller camping-style canisters. Other larger cylinders, like the one I had, may require a screw-in regulator, which you would need to buy separately. Swapping these over is very straightforward; it just depends on which works best for you and/or what you already have.
Gozney Roccbox: Design
The Gozney Roccbox's design resembles a spaceship; it's on three legs, with a high-top cooking space and jet-type refuelling station. It's certainly not like any other pizza oven I've seen.
Its three legs can be folded underneath the cooking space should you wish to store or move it, and the propane gas burner is detachable to aid portability. There is no handle, so don't be tempted to move it unless you have the cover securely wrapped around it. It weighs 20kg and measures 16.3 x 20.9 x 18.6 inches, so while it may not look like a tank, it's certainly not one to rush to and grab.
The detachable propane gas burner also means the Gozney Roccbox can be used as a wood-burning pizza oven. You will need to buy the Roccbox Wood Burner 2.0 ($99) to swap in with the gas burner, but if you want to master the art of cooking with wood (and/or prefer wood to gas), then it could be a good option for you.
To the right side of the Gozney Roccbox is an underfloor thermometer that fetches a dizzying temperature of 1000F/500C, and to the left side is an embossed "Roccbox" with a logo. The outer shell is available in gray, green, and black (I tested it in gray).
A 14-inch pizza will comfortably fit inside the cooking cavity on the surface of a thick stone floor in front of a gas-powered or wood-fuelled flame.
Gozney Roccbox: Performance
With everything now set up on the Gozney Roccbox, I couldn't wait to get testing. I'd read that this pizza oven can cook a pizza in 90 seconds, so I was curious to see if it did, indeed, cook me a pizza in 90 seconds.
The thing that surprised me the most when preparing for the first cook was the heat-up time. It took 40 minutes (give or take) to reach the recommended temperature of 480C/896℉. It then took a further minute or so to cook the pizza, leaving aside the time it would take to make the pizza dough for the pizza base in the first place.
While I bought pizza dough each time I made and cooked a pizza in the Roccbox, I did find that the overall time it took before it was platted up was a little excessive. It's worth noting, too, that for the first cook, you'll need to let the flame roar away for 30 minutes to "cure" the pizza stone and allow any odors to burn away.
But I guess the thing that you really want to know about the Roccbox's performance is how well it cooks a pizza. If you have a well-floured pizza dough base, then this will help you slide the pizza onto the cooking stone with the pizza peel. Without this accessory, I fear you'll really struggle to get the pizza into the Roccbox since the opening doesn't allow for much spare room.
This only happened to me once, which was once too many, but there was a time that the dough became stuck onto the stone base of the Roccbox, and all the pizza topping ended up shoved into the gas flame as I tried to maneuver the pizza. So, a floured base and pizza peel are recommended based on experience.
I tried making several pizzas with various toppings: margarita, Hawaiian, ham, and mushroom. Each time, the cook was even across the base, but the sides and toppings had varying levels of edibleness.
On the first attempt at cooking a pizza, I burnt a side of the ham and mushroom pizza. I put this down to not rotating the pizza enough in the Roccbox with the pizza peel. Once I'd learned this and to time how long the pizza had already been cooking, the other pizzas cooked a lot more successfully - and within one minute (I don't like them too crispy).
I also thought I'd try cooking something a bit different other than pizza in the Roccbox. I love grilled pineapple, so I thought it would be apt to see how well it cooked in this pizza oven. It ended up ruining a Pyrex glass dish, and the pineapple took a long, long time to get any color to it. It was still tasty, but honestly, I'd stick to grilling it in the oven.
If you're feeling adventurous with what you can cook in the Gozney Roccbox, you could also try cooking some meat or veggie dishes. There are loads of recipes on the Gozney website to follow; you may just get varying degrees of success if you have a gas-powered or wood-burning Roccbox.
Then, to clean up the Roccbox, all I simply had to / wanted to do was wipe down the front of the opening - it became sooty- and make sure the pizza stone was clear from the crispy dough and toppings. Make sure that the Roccbox has completely cooled down before any cleaning commences. This can take several hours. I then put on the water-repellent cover to protect it from the elements until I was ready to use it again. I ensured the Roccbox's top was cool-to-touch before securing the cover since it can get super hot.
Gozney Roccbox: user reviews
There's a lot of love out there for the Gozney Roccbox. On Gozney, it has scored 4.8 out of 5 stars, with many reviewers echoing my experience: "Great oven. High quality. Pizzas come out super delicious. "... I have to say it's an incredible pizza oven. Top-class pizza ready in 60 seconds is hard to believe until you actually experience it. Highly recommended!"
I also concur with this comment: "... A Little extra cooking area will also be a nice thing. Lower flame control will be helpful. But I do love this pizza oven." There were no negatives to report.
On Amazon, it has received 4.7-out-of-5 stars from customer reviews. Users, again, have had similar experiences to me; "... our second attempt at cooking pizza was far more successful than our first. This oven is compact but very well-made and easy to use. It is also easy to clean." And this is good to know; "One of the standout features of the ROCCBOX is its incredible versatility. It excels at baking perfect, authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas with a crispy crust and bubbling toppings and can also handle various other dishes. "
Would I buy the Gozney Roccbox?
The Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven scores well in temperature accuracy and heat distribution, which is essential for delivering high-quality pizza results. Despite the oven's initial setup and usability, it's a good tool for pizza lovers. The oven's high operating temperatures require careful handling, but safety features are adequate.
| Attribute | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | fairly straightforward, taking less than a minute to position and connect to a gas canister; need for additional accessories like a screw-in regulator; packaging, while protective, is not environmentally friendly | 7/10 |
| Control Panel and Usability | design that allows for easy switching between gas and wood fuel options; underfloor thermometer helps monitor the internal temperature; lack of a visible control panel | 7/10 |
| Temperature Accuracy | reaches a high temperature of up to 1000°F; takes about 40 minutes to reach optimal cooking temperature; cooks pizzas evenly and quickly, typically within 90 seconds | 8/10 |
| Heat Distribution | provides even cooking across the pizza base; learning curve to rotating the pizza to prevent burning on one side; design ensures a consistently high temperature throughout | 8/10 |
| Safety Features | foldable legs for stability and a detachable gas burner for portability; exterior can get extremely hot; lack of a handle | 7/10 |
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How does the Gozney Roccbox compare?
The Ooni Fyra is similar to the Roccbox (in terms of portability). It measures 29.1 x 15.4 x 28.5 inches, weighs 22 lbs, has neat, foldable legs, and has a removable chimney and hopper. While it doesn't have the flexibility of being fuelled by gas or wood, the Ooni Fyra is $150 less than the Roccbox. This price point makes it a much more affordable option for beginners and for those who simply can not afford $450 for a pizza oven.
The Solo Stove Pi is the same price as the Ooni Fyra ($350), yet it is gas-powered like the Roccbox. It weighs just over 30 lbs, too, so it could make for a good option for taking to a friend or neighbor's house.
If you have the budget and more mouths to feed quickly, let us give the Gozney Arc some attention. It can be bought with a stand ($249), making it a much more permanent feature in the yard. The gas-powered Arc will set you back $599, though, but our reviewer, Jason Cockerham, felt that it'll make you feel like a "professional pizza chef".
How I tested the Gozney Roccbox
I used this pizza oven in my backyard for about four weeks. I set it up and cooked a variety of pizzas and pineapple to assess its cooking performance.
In addition to the included pizza peel and manual, Gozney also sent me their pizza cutter, turning peel, cover, and 14" pizza server. I used all of these accessories while testing the Gozney Roccbox.
Learn more about how we test.
