A pizza oven might not be classed as an essential bit of kit, but there’s no denying that they’re a nice luxury for rustling up Nonna-worthy creations at home. Helping to recreate the pizza found at your favourite neighbourhood Italian (from the golden crust and delicious dough to perfectly seared toppings), these outdoor ovens bring a slice of Italy into your back garden.

Once a requisite of the uber-rich, more and more brands are shaking up the scene with increasingly affordable designs; from VonHaus’s £49.99 barbecue pizza oven to Ooni’s cult Karu 12 model.

And they’re not just limited to Neopolitans, with myriad models doubling up as a gas-fire barbecue – making you the host with the most.

But Gozney arguably remains the gold standard for restaurant-grade pizzas enjoyed at home. While you might have to take out a bank loan for the premium dome dual fuel pizza oven (the ultimate garden centrepiece), the roccbox comes in at a more palatable £399 (though it’s currently on sale).

With its retro domed design and cool colourways, it has Gozney’s signature sleek look – but it’s not just a pretty face. The oven can be powered by either gas or wood, while the design is portable for extra versatility.

How we tested Gozney’s roccbox portable pizza oven

The Gozney roccbox pizza oven in action (Daisy Lester)

Unsurprisingly, our testing process involved eating a lot of pizza. Firing up the oven with a gas cylinder, we rustled up vegan pizzas with alternative cheese, vegetarian pizzas with pepperoni substitute and a meat feast with all the trimmings. Adding a new dimension to your barbecues, Gozney’s pizza oven also claims to cook everything from steak to chicken and skewers, so we put this to the test, too.

Full disclosure, we’re not the best cook, so we used premade pizza dough bases; we found Loyd Grossman’s flame based pizza bases yeiled the best results (£2.50, Sainsburys.co.uk). Considering ease of set-up, the cooking process and above all, the taste, here’s our verdict on Gozney’s roccabox pizza oven.

Gozney roccbox portable outdoor pizza oven

Best: Portable pizza oven

Fuel source: Gas or wood

Dimensions: 53.1cm x 47.3cm x 41.3cm

Max pizza size: 11in

Max temperature: 500C

Weight: 20kg

Why we love it

Stylish design

Portable

Quick set up

Pizzas are ready in under two minutes

The design

Available in three sleek colourways to complement your outdoor space, we love the forest green best, but the black and grey are equally luxurious. The letterbox-style dome design has a retro feel that adds a stylish touch to your garden when not in use.

Designed to be portable, the pizza oven is smaller than you might think (41.3 cm x 53.1 cm x 47.3 cm), with three retractable legs that can be folded away for convenient storage.

There’s no assembly so you don’t need to faff with any DIY. Plus, while it comes with a propane gas burner to replicate an authentic wood fire (note you must by a propane or butan cylinder seperately), the design allows for a detachable wood burner if you prefer to us dual fuel (the wood burner must also be bought seperately).

Other user-friendly features include a safe touch-silicone jacket that reduces the risk of skin burns (a nice touch for family gatherings) and a built-in thermometer that tells you when your pizza is ready to devour. Helpfully, it comes with a professional grade pizza peel worth £65 alone.

Cooking process

Set up is a breeze; we placed ours on a table in the garden, attached the gas cylinder and fired up the oven to pre-heat it between 400-500C.

Arranging our various toppings on the pre-bought dough (sorry to all Nonna’s out there), we used the peel to slide the pizza into the oven. Smaller pizza’s require a couple of turns in the oven – this pizza peel (£49, Amazon.co.uk) does the job, or try Amazon’s cheaper option (£14.99, Amazon.co.uk) – while larger 11in bases need no turning at all.

The 12.2in opening is large enough to keep an eye on your pizza to prevent it from burning and sufficiently roomy to turn the pizza with ease. Thanks to their proximity to the flame and the oven’s domed shape, the pizza’s are ready in under two minutes, depending on whether you like your base crispy (around 90 seconds or doughy (just a minute).

Consistently tasty, the base is the deliciously crispy yet airy, while the toppings are perfectly charred. Cooking sausages and halloumi fries was similarly fuss-free (around a minute). Adding extra versatility to your barbecues, we were able to serve up pizza’s and accompaniments to a large family gathering of six in under seven minutes.

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The verdict: Gozney roccbox portable outdoor pizza oven

Rustling up Neapolitans that are sure to make the neighbours jealous, Gozney’s pizza oven not only looks the part, but delivers a consistently delicious pizza every time. Quick to set up, a restaurant-grade pizza emerges within two minutes. The thoughtful design is all about making the process as smooth as possible, from the built-in thermometer to the close-flame and opening that’s large enough to turn the pizzas while keeping an eye on it.

If you’re looking to elevate your barbecues and alfresco cooking for this summer and beyond, you won’t regret investing in Gozeny’s premium but accessibly priced roccbox pizza oven.

Looking for more alfresco dining recommendations? We’ve rounded up the best gas BBQs for 2024

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Gozney’s roccbox pizza oven brought a slice of Italy to my garden

This portable design will make you the host with the most