Gozney Roccbox Portable Pizza Oven Review — Is It Worth It?

I have been cooking some really delicious pizzas over the years with my best pizza ovens. Since I have tried several pizza ovens like the Ooni and Gozney Dome, the Gozney Roccbox still impresses me a lot after almost 3 years of use.

The Gozney Roccbox is a multifuel, portable outdoor pizza oven that lets you cook a restaurant-style pizza in just 2 minutes. Even though I have used it so many times in different weather conditions, moved it around frequently, and pushed it to its limits, it still works like a charm, and I had no issues at all.

There is one thing I love most about this backyard pizza oven: its wood-fired capability. I really liked the flexibility of this oven, as it lets me switch between gas and wood whenever I want, giving me more control over how I cook.

Though the Gozney Roccbox comes with a standard gas burner, I had to buy the detachable wood burner separately, which comes at an extra $100. It is incredibly reliable as a backyard pizza oven.

Okay, now let’s cut to the chase and see what this Gozney Roccbox review reveals about what it can do and whether it is really worth buying for home cooks and pizza lovers.

Key Specifications

Build and Design

One of the main reasons I love the Gozney Roccbox is its overall impressive design and quality. Even though it is a portable outdoor pizza oven, it is still well-built and very well-made.

This pizza oven comes with a thick 19mm cordierite stone that does a great job of retaining heat once fully preheated. It helps the pizzas cook evenly, and the bottoms also get a nice browning.

It does take some time for the heat to soak into the stone thoroughly, but don’t worry, once it gets ready, the performance is steady and reliable. 

There is an in-built thermometer near the oven dome that shows the stone’s temperature. While it is not perfectly accurate, it still gave a rough idea when my oven is ready. You see, some of the stone spots tend to get hotter than the others. That is why I like to use my infrared thermometer, which helps me get the stone’s exact temperature.

One of the features of the Roccbox outdoor oven I love the most is its silicone jacket. It is like an insulating layer that prevents the oven’s outer surface from overheating. Sometimes I get distracted and even touch the pizza oven when I place the pizza in or turn the peel, and I’ve gotten burned a couple of times when I just starting.

So this feature is excellent for beginners and home cooks. If you compare it to other pizza ovens that get extremely hot on the outside, there is a risk of accidental burns.

I almost forgot the foldable legs that come with the Roccbox. The legs of the oven are solidly built, sturdy, and strong, and they don’t even wobble while cooking. And when I am done with cooking, I fold them down, which makes the oven more compact for storage or carrying.

The Roccbox’s burner system has a gas burner that is really easy to attach to the propane tank. There is also an optional wood burner, but you have to buy it separately if you want a wood-fired flavor. And swapping both these burners is also relatively easy.

This backyard pizza oven weighs about 44 pounds (20 kg) and comes with a carrying strap that makes it easier for me to move it when needed. 

Unboxing and Setup

Finally, it was time to unbox the Roccbox. When I received this outdoor pizza oven, everything was well-packed and adequately protected. So, after carefully opening it, here is the list of items I got from the package.

• Roccbox Pizza oven itself

• Pizza stone (Already installed inside the oven)

• Detachable propane gas burner

• Propane hose

• Pizza peel

• Bottle opener

• Carrying strap (attached to the pizza oven)

• User manual

• Recipe booklet

• Gozney sticker

• 5 Year Warranty card

• Wood burner (sold separately)

I still checked every item carefully to ensure everything was in good condition and undamaged. So after that, I started with unfolding the legs. I extended the legs one by one until the oven was stable and stayed flat. This was a crucial step for me to ensure that the Roccbox sits firmly on the table so it doesn’t wobble when I cook.

After that, I placed the gas burner under the oven and twisted it gently to lock it in. I also took a closer look at the propane hose to ensure that the connection was tight and not forced. Afterall, safety comes first right? By the way, if you want to use the Roccbox wood burner instead of the gas burner, replace the gas burner with it.

Once I unfolded the legs and attached the burner, I turned the oven to the upright position and set it up on the table. And don’t worry about the pizza stone; it is already installed inside the oven when you open the box.

Cooking and Heating Performance

For the Gozney Roccbox, I used both gas and wood to test it out and see how it performs.

Cooking with Gas Test

So I preheated the oven on gas and set it to the maximum temperature. And within just 15 minutes, the Roccbox reached around 755°F, which is remarkably fast.

But I pushed the temperature of the oven a bit higher for faster cooking and better pizza texture. After waiting for about 30 minutes, the temperature was well over 900°F and perfectly ready for cooking a traditional Neapolitan-style pizza.

I already made my pizza dough earlier for making pizza. As for the toppings, I kept it simple as possible. I just added tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, few basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil. So I placed my pizza on the stone with my pizza peel and monitored the crust carefully as it cooked.

Though Gozney claims that you can cook a perfect pizza in 60 seconds but the entire cooking time took me about close to 90 seconds. And rotating the pizza on time is also very important, like I gave it a turn every 20-30 seconds. After my cooking, the pizza just came out beautifully. The crust was crispy and lightly charred, while the inside was very soft and airy. As for the toppings, the cheese melted just right and browned nicely without any burning spots.

So, as for my cooking with gas testing, it gave me faster heating, the ability to reach extreme temperatures, and greater control over the heat. I have cooked multiple pizzas in a row with no issues.

Cooking with Wood Test

Cooking with the wood burner with the Gozney Roccbox was a totally different experience for me. 

So after cooking with gas, the next day I just removed the gas burner and attached the wood burner to the back of the oven. For woods, I have used hardwoods like maple and oak as I wanted a mild smoke that would give me a classic wood-fired flavor.

Then I lit the firestarter and added a few small pieces of wood. Once the fire was established, I continued adding wood every 5 minutes to maintain that steady heat.

When the oven was at 760°F, I decided to cook my pizza straightaway. As for the toppings, they were the same as I used earlier in the gas version. Then I placed my pizza onto the stone, and the crust puffed up just nicely.

After that, I rotated the pizza a few times, and the cooking time was just under 4 minutes. The crust looked puffy, soft, and slightly charred while the cheese melted beautifully with light browning. The flavor was what I liked the most, with its smoky, classic wood-fired taste.

Please note that cooking wood with the Roccbox needs patience. Gas is straightforward to use, as it provides consistent heating. But in cooking with wood, fire management can be tricky, as you have to add small pieces of wood every 5 minutes to maintain a consistent temperature. But if you want a fantastic restaurant like Wood-Fired Flavor, a bit of patience is very much worth it.

How to clean the Gozney Roccbox Portable pizza oven

I usually clean the Gozney Roccbox after a day or two, not right away after cooking. Let me show you the process of cleaning and maintaining the Roccbox and how I do it. It is simple, like most outdoor pizza ovens.

I usually let the high heat do the cleaning for me. So I just run the oven on full heat for about 30 minutes, and it automatically burns off the flour, cheese, and oil marks from the oven. 

If you plan to clean the oven right after cooking, make sure to let it cool down first. But remember, never try to clean it while it is hot, and never put water into the hot stone, as it will crack and damage the pizza stone.

To clean the pizza stone of the Roccbox, gently brush off the ashes with a small grill brush or a wire brush. And sometimes, after cooking, some remaining flour, semolina, or a few pieces of dough may stick to the surface of the pizza stone. So brush them off lightly. If you don’t have a grill brush, then you can use a stiff kitchen brush, a clean scrub brush, or even an old toothbrush.

To clean the front soot of the oven, it is recommended to use a slightly damp cloth and wipe away the black marks from the front and the metal parts. You can do this cleaning after cooking or even between cooking pizzas.

Usually, the inside of the oven gets dirty, not the outer part. But still, if the outer part gets dirty, use any gentle cleaner or a soft pad and rub it lightly. Then wipe all the dirt with a damp cloth and dry it right away.

Do you need to clean the burner? Well, most of the time, no. If the Roccbox looks dirty near the burner, the best option is to use a small, soft brush to remove dust or any remaining residues. Just make sure the oven is completely cold while you clean it, and do not use any water or chemicals.

Is the Gozney Roccbox Worth The Money?

So there it is. The Gozney Roccbox is a perfect dual-fuel portable pizza oven that can cook a delicious restaurant-style Neapolitan pizza in minutes. The only downside is that it can cook a medium-sized 12″ pizza, but the quality is outstanding.

I had a fantastic cooking experience with it, using both gas and wood. Though cooking with wood needs a bit of patience, like maintaining the heating temperature, the outcome is absolutely worth it. 

If you are looking for a versatile, portable pizza oven that can handle fast, high-heat cooking, then the Roccbox is a good option. At $394.99, you won’t have to break the bank either.

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