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Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven Review: Hands-On Test

Among the more popular pizza ovens is the Roccbox, manufactured by Gozney. The 12″ multi-fueled pizza oven promises restaurant-grade pizza in as little as 60 seconds. Here’s what I can tell you – in my test, a pizza cooked in 66 seconds. This is the fastest bake I’ve achieved for any oven in the budget-friendly line-up.

It’s easy to use, portable, has a dense insulation, and has an incredibly unique rolling flame design. In addition to me giving it the “sexiest flame award”, it reached a max temp of 970F.

Look, there’s no question that this is an impressive pizza oven and at a price that’s very appealing. But the biggest question: is it better than the Ooni Koda? That’s exactly what I plan to answer in this review.

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The Roccbox Design is Deserving of Awards

Everything about the Roccbox screams high quality. There are no cheap or thin components. From unboxing to setup, you can immediately tell the designers and engineers thought about every little detail.

The Roccbox is available with a gray or olive colored sleeve, which is a bit of a differentiator and makes it stand out compared to other ovens that are steel or black. But more important than the color is the material it uses: silicone (more on that in a minute).

The built-in thermometer is visible on the side of the oven. The thermocouple is located under the stone inside of the oven. This design choice prevents false temperature readings from the direct flame. As we know from most other pizza ovens with built-in thermometers, the ambient temperature always reads higher than the stone, so they are largely useless. In the case of the Roccbox, it was the opposite. I measured stone temperatures hotter than what the thermometer was reading.

The retractable, fold-out legs are designed for easy storage and transportation, but what I like most about them is how tall they are. The oven sits a lot higher than Ooni ovens which is great for keeping an eye on the pizza and turning.

The detachable burner system is truly ingenious. You can swap between fuel types in 10 seconds. There isn’t even a thumbscrew to tighten! All you do is twist the burner and it comes out, then you can toss the other one in.

The .75-inch cordierite stone cooking surface retains heat, ensuring the bottom of your pizza cooks along with the top. This is thicker than what Ooni offers. In addition, layers of dense insulation between the inner shell and the outer casting allow for open-door cooking with minimal heat loss.

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The burner system is attached to the base of the oven as shown, and then connected to a propane tank.
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An integrated thermometer lies beneath the stone which protects it from false ambient temp readings.

The Safetouch Silicone Jacket

One of the features that sets the Roccbox apart from other outdoor pizza ovens is its “Safetouch” commercial grade silicone jacket, which envelopes the outside of the oven and prevents it from reaching anywhere near the extreme temperatures inside the oven. So while the temperatures inside can exceed 900 degrees, if you have small children or pets you can rest a bit easier knowing they won’t be harmed if they touch the outside while it is on.

Ooni’s, on the other hand, get really hot on the outside. Despite the jacket, the front end cap as well as the burners do get extremely hot. So while the Roccbox does stay much cooler than comparable ovens, it’s always important to keep children and pets away from a lit oven.

With all that said, this is one of the only ovens that I feel a little more comfortable using closer to my house (but still not right up against it).

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“Innovative Flame Technology”

The Roccbox was engineered to combine the right height, dome shape, and baffle plate technology to create the proper cooking technology for a rolling flame. Gozney’s patented technology creates a rolling flame by causing the fire in the back of the oven to “reach” for the open door. The flames reach over your pizza at the perfect distance.

It’s mesmerizing to watch.

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If you use one of the links below to purchase the Gozney Roccbox, I will receive a small affiliate commission which I will use for more coffee, fueling more pizza oven reviews, and forcing me to eat more pizza.
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The single flame dances towards the oven opening, allowing it to reach over the pizza as it cooks.

Fuel source

The Roccbox comes ready to use with propane gas. The wood-hopper add-on lets you swap out the gas burner to prepare food with a traditional wood-fired taste.

  • Gas – Propane gas means working with your oven is super-simple. The built-in ignitor makes starting the oven easy, and because gas burns clean there won’t be any clean-up. The Roccbox is not for use with natural gas.
  • Wood – While it takes a little more work to get the oven started, for many the authentic wood-fired taste is worth it. Wood types recommended to be used with the Roccbox include ash, oak, beech, fruit trees (apple, pear, etc.) You can also use compressed wood briquettes. Don’t use wood that has been recently cut or soft or sappy wood. The following wood types should not be used: pine, fir, cedar, redwood, spruce, old pallets, painted or stained wood.

Roccbox Specs

  • Size – 16.3 x 21 x 18.6
  • Weight – 44lbs
  • Material – Made with 304-grade stainless steel. Calcium silicate insulation, the outer jacket is Safe-touch commercial-grade silicone
  • Cooking surface material – .75” (19mm) cordierite stone
  • Cooking surface size – 12.4” x 13.4”
  • Max pizza size – 12”
  • Max heat – 950ºF / 500ºC
  • Total nominal heat output (gas burner) – 14330 BTU/HR
  • Injector size – 1.1mm
  • Gas Type – Propane
  • Gas Pressure – 11” W.C.
  • Preheat time – 30 minutes
  • Pizza cook time – 1 minute
  • Price – $499
  • Warranty – 1-year limited

Unboxing and Assembly

What’s in the box?

The Roccbox comes with everything you need to get started except the fuel itself (and ingredients). Included in the box are:

  • Roccbox oven
  • Gas burner
  • User manual
  • Pizza peel
  • Bottle opener

The wood burner is sold separately for $100. I just wanted to take a minute to talk about the peel. This one is a bit of a game changer, especially for those dealing with dough sticking or excess flour being burned on the bottom. Dough seems to slide right off this pizza peel thanks to the raised ridges and slick coating, and excess flour falls off in the holes before hitting the stone.

roccbox peel 1024x682 jpg

Setting up the oven

After removing all packaging and the carry strap, place the oven on a flat even surface and unfold the legs. Attach the gas burner or wood hopper to the underside of the oven by twisting the bayonet fitting counter-clockwise.

Most pizza ovens have the pizza stone packaged separately which you then put into place once the oven is set up. In the case of the Gozney Roccbox, the pizza stone is sealed in place and does not come out.

The bad news is that makes it difficult to replace if it breaks. However, this is a 3/4″ stone and will be more difficult to crack – just make sure you keep it dry. But even if it does break, in most cases you can still bake on it without concern or performance issues.

Curing the oven

For both wood and gas, before cooking in the Roccbox you need to cure it. The first time you light it (following the directions below), it’s recommended you bring the temperature up slowly over a 30 minute period and let it burn for another 30 minutes once the internal temperature reaches 900.

Using the gas burner

The Roccbox is intended to be used with Propane (LPG).

Before connecting the hose, make sure the Roccbox is off by turning the control knob clockwise until it clicks. With the gas burner fully attached, connect the regulator to the gas. Turn on the gas and check for leaks.

If there aren’t any issues with the gas, turn on the oven by pushing on the ignition switch and turning it counter-clockwise. If the burner doesn’t light, wait a minute or so before trying again. If the flame goes out for any reason, turn off both the control knob and the valve on your tank and wait five minutes before re-lighting.

When you are done be sure to turn off the gas on the tank first, wait a few minutes to make sure any gas in the hose burns off or escapes, turn off the Roccbox, and disconnect the hose. Wait at least an hour so that the oven can cool down before handling the oven.

Using the wood hopper

While getting the oven running with wood is a bit more work than with gas, the wood-fired taste adds a touch of authenticity and flavor, to the pizza. Gozney recommends using kiln-dried, non treated wood cut to small pieces about 5 inches long and up to an inch thick.

wood burner gozney 3.7.1 1024x576 jpg

Place a natural fire starter at the center of the hopper, light it and wait for it to be fully lit. Once the starter is fully lit, push it down the hopper shoot, into the wood-burning chamber. Add two or three pieces of wood and let them burn for three to five minutes. Once the initial pieces have started burning, you’ll be able to see a flame at the back of the oven. At this point you can add more wood to start raising the temperature of the oven.

Because wood ash can continue to burn for up to 24 hours, it’s recommended you wait before removing the ash, or use gloves to dispose of the ash. Ash should be placed in a metal bucket with a lid, away from anything that could catch fire.

Performance

The first thing I like to test on a new pizza oven is the preheat time. I always use the same temperature gun and try to test it on a mild day. Here are the results for the Roccbox on a 68F day with very little wind.

Gozney Roccbox preheat time:

  • 5 min 502F
  • 10 min 670F
  • 15 min 765F
  • 20 min 820F
  • 25 min 880F
  • 30 min 915F
  • 35 min 960F

BLACK FRIDAY DEAL

If you use one of the links below to purchase the Gozney Roccbox, I will receive a small affiliate commission which I will use for more coffee, fueling more pizza oven reviews, and forcing me to eat more pizza.

This falls in line with the majority of Ooni’s models and is a very respectable preheat time. It’s also great to see that it was capable of exceeding 950F. You will have no issue reaching temps needed for authentic Neapolitan.

It also seemed to hold temperature really well between pizzas thanks to the thick stone and insulation jacket. It definitely held stone temps between bakes better than the Ooni Koda.

The heat from the torch-style flame can be really intense in the back of the oven, which can burn a pizza really quick. A good trick to combat this is to turn the gas dial to Medium-Low just as you launch the pizza to cook. That way, it’s in a 950F oven but doesn’t have a direct flame blazing on the backside. Once you rotate the pizza for the first time, you can crank the flame back up to high and rotate regularly.

In either case, always stay next to the oven and keep your eyes on the crust, rotating the pizzas with a peel as needed every 15 seconds or so.

first bake roccbox 2.28.1 1024x576 jpg
This pizza cooked in 66 seconds!
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A few tips…

  • Good ingredients – The best pizza starts with the best, fresh ingredients. When making your own dough, 00 flour, which has been finely ground, is what is traditionally used for Neopolitan-style pizza. Check out our recipe here.
  • Fine-tune the flame – Keep it on HIGH between bakes to keep the temperature up. If you’re just starting out with pizza ovens, try cooking on LOW flame until you become accustomed to the high heat. As you get better, launching a pizza with it on LOW and then turning the flame to HIGH immediately after the first turn results in the best bake.
  • Make sure it’s hot enough – The traditional Neopolitan-style pizza calls for temperatures that exceed 900 degrees. So while it’s tempting to start cooking right away, make sure the oven is hot enough before you start cooking your food. Most manufacturers claim a 20 minute preheat time, but I find 30 minutes is more realistic.
  • Have fun – Making pizza in a real pizza oven often has a big learning curve. Make extra dough just to practice with, that way your dinner isn’t ruined. Make sure you enjoy yourself!

Maintenance

Because of the high-temperatures, any food material should burn off, which means you rarely need to clean your oven.

Keep the hopper clean: With both the hopper and gas burner, you’ll need to keep them clean so that the Roccbox can run optimally. You can use compressed air or a brush to clean around the top of the burner.

Storage: To ensure a longer life, when you won’t be using the Roccbox it’s recommended you store it in an upright position in a dry area away from the elements. A Roccbox cover is available for $49.99 but you can also use a cheap rainproof backpack cover on Amazon for around $10 (make sure to order the size Large).

So… Gozney Roccbox vs Ooni Koda 16?

I absolutely love the Roccbox, but there’s no denying that the Ooni Koda 16 has some better versatility. After the review you just read, I’m sure you are a bit surprised, especially when I mentioned multiple things that the Roccbox did better than the Koda. But let me explain!

My reviews also look at the flexibility and versatility of pizza ovens. With the Roccbox, you’re limited to 12″ pizzas (and some smaller pan pizzas). Moreover, the Roccbox cooks Neapolitan style better than any other portable gas oven I’ve tested, but the flame is less ideal for NY style. So if Neapolitan is the style of pizza you plan on cooking, then the Roccbox is very likely a perfect choice for you.

The Ooni Koda 16 can cook Neapolitan, 16″ New York styles, and full size Detroit pizzas. And while the Koda 16 didn’t perform quite as well for back-to-back Neapolitan pizzas, it still offers a lot more versatility for a cooking appliance.

At the end of the day it completely depends which style pizza you plan on cooking. However, whichever pizza oven you pick, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed in its performance.

Our rating of the Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven
The Gozney is a well-designed, easy to use, outdoor oven with minimal fuss - and it puts out a serious flame.
The good.
Ultra hot gas-fueled rolling flame.
Thick insulation keeps the outside cool to touch and inside crazy hot.
Great looking design.
The thick 3/4" stone is better than what Ooni models offer.
The bad.
The pizza stone is sealed in place, making replacement difficult.
The heaviest of the portable outdoor pizza ovens we reviewed.
4.7
Well-rounded oven with incredible design
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Written by Derek Gaughan

Derek Gaughan is the Founder and Content Lead for Pala Pizza. He's been featured in PMQ Magazine, The Washington Post, and Home & Gardens. Derek holds an MBA from Pennsylvania State University and is a trained pizzaiolo, specializing in New York style, Neapolitan, and Detroit pizzas.

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