Review of the Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven – Introduction
In this review of the Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven, I will advise you guys of my personal and hands-on experience with this oven.
I love making pizza at home as it is a fun and rewarding experience, and with the right tools and techniques, you can create an authentic pizza that rivals those from your favorite pizzeria.
The Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven is an affordable, small, portable pizza oven intended for outdoor use. It can be fueled by gas or wood and can reach temperatures over 900°F / 500°C.
Throw in your pie, and 60 seconds later, presto! A fresh, authentic, delicious pizza.
For several years I made pizza using my domestic oven, and the pizzas were fine but just not right which was very frustrating!
Then I bought my own wood-fired oven, which at the time was very expensive at over $1800. My pizza-making went to the next level!
I was now making pizza just like when I visited the Amalfi coast.
Nowadays there are several affordable wood/gas power pizza ovens available at around the $300-$700 Dollar mark.
If you’re looking to purchase a budget-friendly pizza oven, this review is for you!
Spoiler! The Gozney RoccBox is up there with the best!
Who Is Gozney? A Brief Overview.
Launched in 2016, RoccBox was the solution to a problem Gozney had been battling for years.
Before this, Gozney was producing large, wood-burning ovens for residential and commercial use.
But Tom Gozney, the founder of this company, was displeased.
Early on, Tom and his team established this goal: to build quality wood-burning pizza ovens that any homeowner could use.
In addition, they wanted to provide a smaller, budget-friendly model that was simple to use and elegantly designed.
After four years of research and development, they announced the Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven.
Gozney took the same technology they had used in large-scale models and shrunk it into this small, sleek design.
The RoccBox was a huge success.
This home pizza oven was a global success from the UK to Europe and North America.
It’s been several years since its launch, and the RoccBox is still one of Gozne’ys best-selling products!
But is this pizza oven the right one for you?
RoccBox Features
This oven is packed with features that make it a breeze to use. Here are just a few I’d like to highlight.
The first significant feature is that it’s already prebuilt! Solid and materials used are of a very high standard.
So no assembly is required – just pop it out of the box, and you’re ready to go. Nice!
Another notable feature is its portability. The RoccBox stands on three retractable steel legs, which can fold up very tightly for storage or transportation.
They are very well built, and the tripod orientation prevents the oven from wobbling.
Another thing that makes this oven, so portable is its detachable fuel supply. So whether you use the gas-burning or wood-burning option, each can be easily twisted on or off.
On the outside of the oven is the safe-touch jacket made from silicon. This protects you and your guests from being burned.
It currently comes in two colors: gray and green. I went for the grey!
Just below the safe-touch surface is a layer of dense insulation. This helps minimize heat loss as it reaches temperatures over 900°F. It also helps prevent accidental burns!
The rolling flame perfectly licks the open door inside the oven, thanks to Gozney’s innovative “flame technology.”
The oven’s unique shape and vented bottom create an even heat, perfect for Neapolitan-style pizzas.
But the pizza isn’t just heated from the top!
The RoccBox also includes a 19mm cordierite stone, which cooks your pizza evenly from the bottom up.
This is a really nice feature to have, as the thickness of the stone retains heat and recovers to the optimal cooking temp very quickly!
It’s pretty easy to monitor the oven’s temperature thanks to a built-in temperature gauge.
It provides temperatures in Fahrenheit and celsius, with colored sections for different temperature levels.
This gauge is helpful when monitoring the temperature during pre-heating and cooking.
Unboxing And What’s Included
The RoccBox oven is packaged very well – it doesn’t feel like anything could get damaged during shipping. When you open up the box, this is what you’ll find:
- RoccBox Oven
- Gas Burner
- Instruction Manual
- Recipe Book
- Bottle Opener
- Pizza Peel
- Velcro Lifting Strap
The first item you’ll find opening the box is the pizza peel. This is used for loading pizzas into the oven and for retrieving them.
It’s solid metal but super thin, making it great for sliding under your pizza. The perforated vents also prevent unwanted sticking.
You’ll want to handle the gas burner below the pizza peel carefully! It comes with a hose that easily attaches to any propane tank. If you purchased the dual-fuel model, you’d find your wood burner here.
Finally, you’ll find the oven itself. The lifting strap is already attached, so it’s effortless to remove from the box. Along with a bottle opener, Perfect for those Pizza and Beer Parties!
Also, there are instructions on using your oven and some recipes to get you started!
In my opinion, the RoccBox Oven comes with everything you need for your first pizza oven!
All the parts and accessories are well made. The velcro strap is sturdy and handy when I move the oven around with confidence.
I’ve made a few recipes from the included pizza recipe book which is excellent (videos coming!) and I especially like that they included a pizza peel.
It’s light but sturdy and has really been a delight to use.
RoccBox: Specs And Warranties
Product Specs
| Oven Size (inches) | 16.3 x 21 x 18.6 |
| Cooking Floor Dimensions (inches) | 12.4 x 13.4 |
| Max Temperature | 950ºF / 500ºC |
| Weight | 44 lbs |
| Fuel Type | Gas/wood |
| Outer Material | Commercial grade silicone and 304 stainless steel |
| Floor Material | Cordierite stone |
| Insulation | Calcium silicate |
Here’s a quick background on the materials the RoccBox is made from.
The entire body is made from 304 stainless steel, commonly used in kitchen sinks and pans. This material is resistant to bending and won’t rust under normal conditions.
The pizza stone is made from cordierite: a common cooking material that is highly durable.
In addition, cordierite is known for its ability to withstand high temperatures and resist cracking.
This makes it a perfect pizza stone material!
Finally, the outside is made of silicone, which reduces heat transfer and makes it easy to clean!
Warranties
Every RoccBox comes with a one-year warranty. But if you register your product within 60 days, Gozney extends their warranty to five years. Wow!
What does this warranty cover? If there are any material defects or faulty components, they will fix your oven free of charge!
If the fault isn’t accessible, they will replace the entire unit.
However, there are some exceptions to this warranty to be aware of. For example, surface rust is not covered, nor is discoloration and tarnishing from the flame. – this is fair in my opinion.
Water damage is not covered – but you shouldn’t have this in the rain anyway!
Check out their warranty page for more details about Gozney’s warranty policy Click Here!
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Setting-Up You RoccBox
Set-up is a breeze because the RoccBox Pizza Oven is almost entirely rebuilt.
First, you’ll need to attach the included gas burner. The manual provides detailed instructions and pictures – but it’s straightforward.
Then, all you need to do is simply screw the burner in.
After you’ve attached the burner and the oven is standing upright, you connect it to your propane tank. Any propane tank ranging from 9 lbs capacity to 29 lbs capacity will work.
Before turning the burner on, you’ll want to make sure the oven is clean and debris-free.
Finally, and DO NOT SKIP THIS – Gozney recommends “curing” your oven once before its first use.
First, turn the burner on and set it to the lowest temperature. This burns off any residual moisture and cures the stone.
If you don’t do this step you may crack the stone!
How To Use Your RoccBox
The Gozney RoccBox is ready to use after you follow the curing step, but there is a bit of lag before enjoying your first pizza!
First, you need to turn the gas on, ignite and start the pre-heating process.
While it’s preheating, now is a great time to prepare your food.
This can take some time, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Once the RoccBox is up to temperature, I recommend approx 750°F / 400°C floor temp, this is a perfect temperature for beginner pizza makers! and your prep is done… Now it’s time to make PIZZA!
Once your pizza is made up and ready for cooking use the supplied pizza peel to slide your pizza into the oven.
Keep an eye on it! Pizzas can cook in just one minute!
You’ll want to rotate the pizza throughout firing your pizza, this is to prevent uneven charring and get your pizza evenly cooked.
Actually, that goes for anything you cook in the RoccBox: rotate the food!
Use the pizza peel again to remove your perfectly cooked pizza, and wallah! Your pizza is ready!
Okay, maybe it won’t be a perfect pizza the first time you use it – my first pizza certainly wasn’t! and I’ve been making pizza for over a decade!
I’ll admit, it takes a bit of practice to get the hang of this little oven.
But, every kitchen tool has a learning curve, right? And I would say this oven is very beginner-friendly.
Practice makes perfect so do not get disheartened!
On a side note, pizzas are the primary usage for the RoccBox – but I also enjoy cooking steaks, veggies, and fish with my RoccBox!
Temperature Time And Recovery
Depending on what you’re cooking, your pre-heating time can vary.
Generally, if you are trying to cook a Neapolitan-style pizza, you’ll want to get this oven as hot as it’ll go: about 900-950ºF.
Then as mentioned previously let the floor temp settle to 750°F / 400°C
Unfortunately, this can take quite a bit of time.
Gozney’s website claims that it can reach these temperatures in 30 minutes. However, in my experience, I’ve found that it can take approx 45 minutes to an hour to reach its max temperature and have the floor heat soaked.
This may annoy some folk, but for me, as a pizza chef, this is perfectly normal.
Cooking is all about timing and you can use that time to prepare toppings if you try to plan ahead.
I would say that the long pre-heating phase is a good problem to have!
It shows the RoccBox is very insulated to help maintain a consistent temperature, the stone base is ‘thick’ and this allows for a quick “recovery time” which is the time it takes to reheat the oven after cooking.
In layman’s terms: that means more pizza in less time!
Learn more about the optimal pizza oven temperature here!
Cleaning And Maintenance
You might think that the oven needs to be wiped down with disinfectant after some use, but not so!
Actually, wetting your stone is one of the worst things you can do! Do Not Do This!
The extremely high temperatures this oven can reach are enough to kill any harmful germs inside.
One of the best things about pizza ovens and the Gozney RoccBox is that it basically cleans itself! due to the high temps reached.
However, soot and food remnants will slowly build over time. So you will need to do a light cleaning every once in a while. Here are some things you might find helpful to clean your RoccBox.
- Multi-surface stain remover
- Bleach-free cleaning spray
- Cloth or towel
- Metal bristle brush
- Vacuum cleaner
- Safety gloves
How To Clean Your Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven
- Step 1: Burn off any remaining food
- Step 2: Let the oven cool down
- Step 3: Use your bristle brush to scrape soot off the roof and stone floor
- Step 4: Use a vacuum to remove the soot.
If you want to clean the outside of the RoccBox, make sure you use a bleach-free cleaning solution!
Gozney put together a helpful how-to guide for cleaning your RoccBox, which you can watch here.
Available RoccBox Accessories
There are a few accessories to the RoccBox that may suit your fancy.
The first is the wood burner 2.0. This burner uses tiny slivers of wood to cook your pizzas, imparting that classic smokey flavor.
But is it worth it? Hard to say. Other reviewers online don’t seem to rave about it – the gas burner appears to be the easiest to use.
If you are primarily cooking pizzas in this oven, a turning peel might be an accessory to pick up. This allows you to turn the pizza without taking it outside the oven – speeding up its cooking time.
Gozney makes their own, but you can find them elsewhere online (just make sure you get the right size!)
If your RoccBox is going to spend time outside, you may need an oven cover. Gozney produces their own. It’s a waterproof polyester to shield the oven from the elements. It also has a handy built-in handle for ease of transport.
And finally, an infrared thermometer is undoubtedly a must-have!
It will give you a super-accurate reading of the surface temperature of the stone, the most important temperature to know exactly when your stone is ready for your next pizza!
What I Like About The Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven
What can I say?
There’s a lot to like about this beast!
It is one of the most straightforward kitchen gadgets I’ve ever used. Thanks to being the gas model.
Set-up is super simple, and it only takes a bit of practice to get great results.
Well, Speaking of great results, this oven can make some great pizza!
The RoccBox is so well insulated that I can make the same pizzas in any weather.
In addition, the burner is simple to attach, detach and use – simply turn the knob to set and forget!
It is also really safe to use. Thanks to the safe-touch silicon, I’m not worried about accidentally burning my hands. But it still gets very warm.
I’m not concerned about the burner malfunctioning. I’m also not worried about the oven tipping over or a piece falling off – this product is very well made.
I can’t forget to talk about its portability!
I’m not using this oven year-round, but finding storage is a breeze. The folding legs and removable burner allow me to tuck this away until it’s time to cook again.
Finally, it’s easy to clean. The oven basically cleans itself. But even when you do need to clean it, there’s not much to it!
Concerns I Have About The Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven
As I’ve mentioned before, this oven can take quite a long time to pre-heat. It takes some forethought and planning, which may not work well for some. For some, this may get annoying.
This oven is heavy! At 44 lbs, so quite a lump. Fine by me but this might be a struggle for some.
The cooking area is relatively small, as there’s only about a square foot of space. This restricts the size of foods you can put in. In addition, the door opening is small, which means that rotating or retrieving food can be a challenge.
Finally, I wish the legs could be locked in place! They feel sturdy already, but adding a locking mechanism would give me a greater sense of security.
Competitors To Consider
Gozney has some competitors that offer similar products and price points to the RoccBox.
One example is Ooni’s Koda 16 Outdoor Pizza Oven Check out my Full Review Here!
This oven is 16 inches wide, allowing for easier access to rotate and remove pizzas.
Plus, it can heat up to over 900ºF in twenty minutes! At a similar price to the RoccBox, this is one oven you may want to also consider!
So, What’s My Verdict: Is The Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven For You?
Cooking in an authentic, brick-and-stone oven pizza is usually out of a home cook’s price range.
So if you’re not skilled enough to build your own, your best option is to buy a pre-made one.
And the Gozney RoccBox, in my opinion, is one of the best you can buy.
Is The RoccBox For Everyone?
Not exactly.
This pizza oven is perfect for anyone passionate about cooking, loves pizza, and looks to step up their game. It’s both beginner and expert friendly and straightforward to use.
I would also say the Roccbox is great for anyone who enjoys camping because it’s highly portable. All you need is a propane tank to get it going. And if you decide to go with the wood-burning option, you wouldn’t even need the tank!
This pizza oven isn’t the cheapest on the market. However, it certainly packs a bang for its buck. It hovers near the middle of the price range, between more affordable ovens that can’t heat themselves and costly, elegant models.
This oven gets a big thumbs-up from me for its results, ease of use, and portability. In addition, it makes some darn good pizza!
Pros; Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Very Portable | Small cooking area: only about a square foot of space |
| Reaches high temperatures | Semi Con – At 44 lbs, it’s very heavy! |
| Cooks food evenly | Long pre-heat time: it can take up to an hour to reach the right temperature. |
| Versatile: it can cook flatbreads, pastries, steak, vegetables, and more | Learning curve |
| Easy to clean | Not every dough will work in this oven |
| Beginner Friendly | |
| Comes with well-made accessories | |
| Really well built and long-lasting |
Phew… My Final Breakdown
Thanks for getting this far guys, I’ve put a lot of thought into this review and tried to show my unbiased opinion of this fab pizza oven.
If you are looking for a small, portable, and reliable pizza oven, look no further than the Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven. With a bit of practice, yes practice, this product can make some fantastic pizzas.
Compared to other ovens in a similar price range, this one offers more accessories and helpful features.
Sure, it can take some time to heat up, but I know that’s for the better! I never have trouble with uneven heating.
I can’t say that this oven provides a spacious interior, but it’s got more than enough room for most of the cooking.
And with its solid, prebuilt design, this oven will last me a very long time. Gozney’s warranty is excellent overall.
There’s a reason this is one of the best-selling outdoor pizza ovens. On the outside, it may look like a simple pizza oven. But looks can be deceiving.
Gozney spent years perfecting their craft, and all their technology came together in this small package.
I’ve been thrilled with this oven – and I can say I’ve eaten quite a few pizzas!
But I like to think I’m saving money from all the take-out I don’t order anymore!
Overall, I cannot recommend the Gozney RoccBox Pizza Oven enough!
Disclaimer: I purchased this oven myself. This is my honest review/informational buyers guide.
I am an affiliate; if you do decide to purchase from one of my links I will receive a small commission, for which, I thank you very much.
Regards Carlos x
