Gozney Arc XL review: Compact oven for authentic pizza at home
The brand behind the beloved portable Roccbox and the luxe Dome pizza oven have finally brought out an oven for the average home user. But does it live up to the hype?
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When it comes to pizza, I’ve eaten a fair few in my life. That’s what happens when you grow up in a small town – pizza and Thai are usually the only takeaway options. Even now after moving to the city, pizza will always be my go-to for a quick, easy dinner.
These days, while I wouldn’t call myself a pizza snob by any means (pineapple on pizza is definitely allowed in my house), I do appreciate a quality, authentic, Neapolitan-style pizza. That’s why I’ve been so impressed with everything Gozney has been doing in the past few years. My friends have the portable Roccbox and another has the premium Dome so I’ve tried both a few times but the release of the Arc and the bigger Arc XL and its collaboration with Hedley & Bennett has got me very excited.
Gozney claims the Arc XL is the “world’s most advanced compact oven” so I’ve decided to put it to the test. Does it live up to this claim and is it worth the fairly hefty price tag?
1-MINUTE REVIEW: GOZNEY ARC XL
Gozney Arc XL, $1499.99 at Gozney
What You Need To Know:
If you’re looking for a high-quality pizza oven with all the bells and whistles, the Arc XL is the way to go. Perfectly slotting in between the brand’s well-known Roccbox and the large Dome, the Arc XL is ideal for those looking to make family-sized pizzas but who don’t want to spend the extra cash or don’t have the space for the Dome.
While I’ve eaten pizza from other Gozney products multiple times, this was the first time I was the head chef and I was happily surprised at how easy it was. I had already written the first pizza off thinking it would just be a test run but it came out almost perfect. But I did do my first attempt with a premade base which did make things a lot easier. When it came to my homemade dough, it was a little bit trickier and some practice was definitely needed.
Everything I cooked was fairly consistent and when it came to the pizzas, it all cooked evenly including the meat, cheeses and vegetables. The dough also nicely rose up around the crusts and cooked perfectly on the bottom.
I’d recommend getting the stand if you’re not going to permanently place the oven on an outdoor bench or entertainment setting. The stand ensures that the Arc XL is at the perfect height and really makes it much easier. Plus, it has wheels so makes it super easy to move around too.
The best part? Pizzas take only take just over a minute to cook.
In my opinion, it is pretty much just as good as the Dome and $1500 cheaper too.
What comes in the box: Arc XL Outdoor Oven, thermometer, 1.2m gas hose and regulator, burner guard, flue outlet, stone adjustment tool, torx screwdriver, matchstick holder, manual
HOW WE TESTED THE GOZNEY ARC XL
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I trialled the Gozney Arc XL to cook a range of items including pizza, meat and vegetables to see what this pizza oven is all about.
HOW WE EVALUATED THE PIZZA OVEN
- Features
- Is the Gozney Arc XL easy to use?
- What can you cook in the Gozney Arc XL?
- Is the Gozney Arc XL easy to set up?
- Is the Gozney Arc XL big enough?
- How hot does the Gozney Arc XL get?
- Is the Gozney Arc XL portable?
- Verdict: Should you buy the Gozney Arc XL?
FULL REVIEW OF THE GOZNEY ARC XL
Released in early 2024, the Gozney Arc XL and it’s slight smaller sibling, the Arc, bridged the gap between Gozney’s two best-selling products, the best-selling Roccbox and the pricey Dome.
FEATURES OF THE GOZNEY ARC XL PIZZA OVEN
The Gozney ARC XL is the world’s most advanced compact oven for creating 16” pizzas so you can expect it to have top-of-the-line features.
Gas burner
As the name suggests, the Arc XL’s gas burner is designed to arc over the top of the oven to recreate that traditional wood-fired flame. While the side closest to the flame does get hotter, in general, it ensures that the heat is fairly consistent throughout.
Digital thermometer
The digital thermometer enables you to precisely control the temperature without any guesswork. Once you turn it on, you’ll see the temperature start to slowly rise. There are three different coloured sections to show you whether the temperature is still rising, the perfect range or getting too hot.
Easy controls
Just like a regular gas stove, all you need to do is simply press the control button in and turn. You’ll hear a click which means the flame has caught and you’re good to go. For other pizza ovens, you may have to try multiple times to turn it on but with the Gozney Arc XL, I’ve had zero issues.
IS THE GOZNEY ARC XL EASY TO USE?
In short, yes.
For someone who has never once worked a pizza oven before, I had very little trouble with it. I did watch an Instagram Reel from Gozney about how to turn the pizza using the balance turning peel but apart from that, I just jumped in and gave it a go.
Due to how big the mouth of the oven is, turning the pizzas was fairly easy.
However, one of the biggest struggles I faced was launching the pizza into the oven. For the premade bases, this was no issue but my first few attempts with the proper pizza dough were not my greatest work. This is not only for the Gozney Arc itself though but simply something I would struggle with for all pizza ovens as I had never done it before. After a few goes (and some online advice), I got the hang of it and I’m sure as you do it more you will only improve.
WHAT CAN YOU COOK IN THE GOZNEY ARC XL?
Pizza was the main meal I cooked in the Arc XL and each time, it was cooked pretty much to perfection. The crusts were soft and doughy, the bottom was just cooked enough and the cheese was melted. The very first pizza one side was slightly overcooked but after that I knew to turn the pizza more regularly.
While of course, pizza is what Gozney ovens are best known for you can cook so much in them too. From fish and meat to roast vegetables, the world really is your oyster.
I also cooked ribeye steak. First things first, you need a sturdy cast iron pan if you want to cook anything other than pizza in the oven. You can’t use your usual pots and pans from the stove.
To cook the steak, I first popped the pan in the oven to heat before rubbing the meat with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. I then pulled the very hot pan out of the oven and placed the two steaks down into the hot pan. Placing it back in the oven, it definitely started to get smokey but if this happens to you don’t worry, it’s normal. I finished up with a little bit of butter, garlic and rosemary.
Overall, it probably took around 10-12 minutes to cook and the resulting flavours were seriously delish. Definitely better than your usual BBQ lunch.
The Gozney website also has dozens of recipes that you can use for your Arc XL including a baked rigatoni with blistered cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fennel pollen, Murray cod and Skillet Pan Apple Pie.
IS THE GOZNEY ARC XL EASY TO SET UP?
As someone who is definitely not proficient when it comes to handiwork, I can confidently say the Arc XL was easy to set up. I did have the instruction manual in my hand at all times and followed it to the tee but in saying this, it was all fairly self-explanatory too.
The oven itself is already set up meaning there are just a couple small steps until you’re ready to cook your first pizza.
First things first, there are four blue wedges inside the pizza oven keeping the removable stone in place. These were simply removed by picking them up. Mine did only have three wedges though so I was a little bit nervous that one was missing and would light on fire. Luckily, all was well though.
After this, the flue at the top of the oven and the burner guard simply had to be popped into place. In the manual, there were only pictures of this step and it took a few goes for me to figure out which way the burner guard was supposed to be.
The digital temperature display was next. This involves simply pulling it out, unscrewing the back and popping the batteries in. It then needs to be plugged into the sensor jack at the rear of the display.
Before using the gas burner for the first time, a AAA battery needs to be popped into the ignition module behind where the digital temperature display goes. This is also super easy to do though.
Lastly, the gas needs to be attached to the oven. Again, this is easy and simply following the instructions in the manual has you good to go.
IS THE GOZNEY ARC XL BIG ENOUGH?
The Gozney Arc XL can cook one 16” pizza at a time. This is roughly the size of most takeaway large pizzas. When cooking for multiple people, I didn’t see this as too much of an issue because the pizzas cook so quick that if you have them all prepped and ready to go, you can easy pop one straight in after the other and can have five pizzas done in around five minutes.
HOW HOT DOES THE GOZNEY ARC XL GET?
The Gozney Arc XL can reach 500 degrees Celsius in roughly half an hour. Plus, thanks to the 2-layer insulation once the oven gets hot, it stays hot.
Considering how hot the inside gets though, the oven itself is so well insulated that the outside layer isn’t scalding. While you wouldn’t want to leave your hands on the top for too long if you do accidentally touch it, you won’t be burned.
IS THE GOZNEY ARC XL PORTABLE?
Unlike the best-selling Gozney Roccbox which is literally made to be portable, the Arc XL is more permanent. While yes, it can be moved around, particularly when on the wheelable stand, it isn’t designed to be packed up every time like the Roccbox.
VERDICT: SHOULD YOU BUY THE GOZNEY ARC XL?
At $1499, there is no denying that the Arc XL is expensive. But if you use this oven regularly then in my opinion, it is absolutely worth the money. Its ability to cook restaurant-grade pizza in only a minute truly sets this pizza oven apart. My sister’s partner is a chef and he says Gozney is a seriously superior buy.
Plus, the capability to cook other food too means that you can use this oven very often. Just like when buying clothes, the cost per wear, or in this case, the cost per use, is super low.
In my opinion, if you aren’t going to use it as often or you are only going to cook for smaller groups, the Roccbox is a fantastic alternative. At $799, it is almost half the price and the biggest difference is that you can’t cook as big pizzas and it is portable instead of a permanent addition to your outdoor set-up.
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*Gozney gifted the Arc XL for a fully independent and honest review.
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