If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission.
As the great pizza oven wars rage on, Gozney, Ooni and a host of other contenders vie to one up each other’s technology to help self-taught pizzaiolos make the best possible pies. And the latest generation is finally delivering on the promise of crafting Neapolitan pizzas at home, led by the outstanding Gozney Arc XL we’ve been testing this fall.
See, early pizza ovens were cool, but admittedly rudimentary. The initial wave of models were more like insulated little boxes with a flamethrower inside than a brick oven in Naples. Yes, you could get that thing up over 800 to 900 degrees, but the stone struggled to retain heat and the flame was too close to the pizza, meaning you were likely to scorch the top before cooking the bottom. They were also usually pretty snug inside, so turning the pizza was quite difficult, thus creating a another barrier to even cooking.
But some of the latest models we’ve been testing have really impressed. Yes, the Ooni Volt pizza oven is meant for smaller pies, but the electric coils that heat from both above and below are easy to control and let you really dial in the temperature. Even better, it is safe to use inside. So those looking for an indoor solution to get you through the winter months, the Volt is a great option. However, for people who do want to harness fire, the Gozney Arc XL may be the best oven on the market right now. Smaller than Gozney’s biggest model, the Dome, the Arc XL still offers enough surface area to cook a 16-inch pie with ease. What really makes a difference from that original Gozney Roccbox I had is that the flame works much more like a traditional brick-oven pizza, where it arcs (hence the name) along the curved interior ceiling of the oven, creating a cooking environment that’s extremely hot, but much more even than previous ovens I’ve used. And unlike past models I’ve cooked in, the built in thermometer with digital display lets me really dial in the temperature I want for a given pie.
The final impetus for me to get this oven was running into a well-known pizzaiolo and him encouraging me to pull the trigger and get one. His reasoning was that this oven was the best he’d tried when it came to maintaining its temperature and reheating quickly between cooking pizzas (some I’ve tested really needed time for the stone to get back to temp). I found that chef was right, allowing me to make pies back to back to back when I have friends and family over. It’s an oven that has followed through on its promise and been a welcome addition to my pizza-making journey.
