Verdict
The Gozney Arc does its best to remove many of the barriers to pizza making at home: a precise temperature display to prevent burning, good visibility so you can check on progress and turn the pizza before crusts burn, plus, in testing, it lit first time every time and the flame never cut out. And while it’s more expensive than some, its ease of use means you’re more likely to fire it up regularly.
Pros
- Wide, easily accessible mouth
- Controllable temperature
- Easy to light
Cons
- Not easily portable
- No accessories included
- Pizza needs to be turned
Key Features
-
Standalone pizza ovenThis pizza oven can make 14-inch pizzas and is powered by propane or patio gas. -
Max temperatureCan reach a maximum temperature of 500°C. -
Outdoor useWeather resistant shell.
Introduction
The marketplace for pizza ovens is a crowded one, so any new designs need a point of difference to stand out.
The Gozney Arc does this effortlessly, combining a sleek exterior with genuinely useful features: a digital temperature monitor, wide, tall mouth, and a side burner that’s both easily controlled and frees up space on the stone.
This ease of use means that it’s just as suitable for those who enjoy making pizza, but are time-poor as much as passionate pizzaiolos. However, you’ll need to invest in some additional kit to get the best out of it.
Design and features
- Lateral burner
- Temperature sensors
- Insulated for heat retention
Fans of Gozney may find that the Arc looks familiar: that’s because its shape is based on the brand’s flagship oven, Dome. As such, it features the same water-resistant and UV-stable painted shell to protect it against the weather, in one colour, Bone.
While durable against damage, during testing I accidentally left some light marks on the finish when I placed the regulator on top.
Yet while it resembles the Dome, under the hood, the Arc is distinctly different. It’s powered solely by propane or patio gas, with automatic ignition and temperature control courtesy of a single knob.
There’s one burner, but it’s set at the side, rather than at the back. Its flame has been designed to replicate a wood fire by fanning out and rolling across the oven’s domed ceiling. This design also frees up space for cooking on the removable 20mm cordierite stone floor, so you can make pizzas up to 14 inches in diameter.
However, it’s the digital temperature display that’s especially well designed. It connects at the back to sensors within the oven, so there’s no probe to insert anywhere.
Then, it simply measures the temperature, with a colour-coded guide to show you when it’s too cool to cook, within the correct range (up to 500°C) or too hot.
The oven has been doubly insulated to retain heat, meaning that once you’ve hit the right temperature bracket, it’s simple to keep it there. Plus, as the display is battery-controlled, it’ll turn on even when the oven isn’t fired up, allowing you to see when it’s cool enough to clean. The oven burns most debris at higher temperatures, so all it needs is for the ash to be brushed away.
Performance
- Easily controlled flame
- Good visibility and access
- Quick once up to temperature
For testing, I used several of the Arc’s separately sold accessories, including its portable stand (£249.99), cover (£49.99) and placement peel (£75). They make using it a lot easier – for example, the rolling stand carries the gas bottle too – but even without them, the Arc is a joy to use. Every time I lit it, the burner lit first time and stayed lit, which sounds like a small thing, but having tested ovens that blow out, cut out or require multiple attempts to get going, it isn’t.
The digital temperature display is well thought out. Rather than a rotary dial that’s hard to read at a glance, the Arc’s display is everything it should be: clear, with three coloured bands so you know when it’s ready to cook, one button to flick between Fahrenheit or Celsius, and a power remaining indicator so you can change the battery before it runs out. My only complaint is that the display turns itself off periodically, meaning that you have to switch it back on to see what temperature has been reached.
I found that being able to see degree-precise temperatures, coupled with the Arc’s thick insulation, meant that I could keep it at the heat I wanted within about 5-10 degrees by reducing the size of the flame prior to cooking.
There’s a guide to what kind of temperatures to cook at for different styles of pizza: 320-370°C for flatter, thin crust New York-style, 370-430°C for thin crust Roman-style and 430-480°C for Neapolitan with a soft puffy crust.
I started by cooking two pizzas New York style, one topped with cheese and tomato, the other topped with the same plus vegetables.
The cheese and tomato cooked in around 90 seconds, including being turned halfway through cooking as it had started to brown more on the side nearer the flame.
The vegetable-topped pizza took longer as I deliberately turned the flame down to its lowest setting to give the vegetables more time to cook without burning.
Again, it required turning so that all four sides received an equal amount of heat.
Both emerged with crisp edges, well browned, and firm underneath.
The crust rose slightly and the vegetables were sufficiently cooked, with no sogginess in the base.
Next, I prepared two pizzas to cook at the Neapolitan temperature range: cheese and tomato and one topped with chicken.
These both cooked in less than a minute each, and also required turning for an even finish.
In contrast to the previous pizzas, these featured a noticeably risen crust, which was more pronounced on the cheese and tomato version.
Both were well cooked underneath with no sogginess.
I especially liked Arc’s tall, wide mouth. Not only was it simple to place the pizza and retrieve it once cooked, I could also turn the pizza round easily and had good visibility so nothing burned. The side burner is well-designed: as there’s a guard on it, there’s no risk of the dough coming into direct contact with the flame.
Despite being billed as compact, the Arc is quite big (H34.2 x W48 x D56.4cm) and heavy (21.5kg), so you may have to find a home for it and keep it there if you don’t invest in a stand. Although compared with its sister oven, the Gozney Arc XL (a whopping 26.5kg and big enough for 16-inch pizza), it’s the smaller of the two.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You should buy if you love to throw a pizza party
The Gozney Arc is as reliable and controllable as they come, cooking fast and making it easy to experiment
You should not buy if you’re on a tight budget
The Gozney Arc is a mid-priced model that comes without any extra kit.
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to cooking pizza at home or frustrated by mixed results from your current oven, the Gozney Arc offers two things you’re sure to love: control and consistency. Throughout testing, I experienced no burning, no undercooked or soggy bottoms, and no unwanted loss of heat.
In an ideal world, it would come with at least one accessory and the display would stay on longer, but these are minor quibbles. For an alternative that has accessories included, consider the Haloo Revolve. Or, if you love making pizza but don’t trust the weather to behave, try an indoor-outdoor model such as the Ooni Volt 12.
How we test
We test every pizza oven we review thoroughly over an extended period. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main pizza oven for the review period.
We use different toppings and temperatures to see how well the oven performs.
FAQs
Once up to its hottest temperature, cooking can take as little as a minute. But for lower temperatures, allow a few minutes.
No, but any debris on the pizza stone is burned off at high temperatures.
Verdict
The Gozney Arc does its best to remove many of the barriers to pizza making at home: a precise temperature display to prevent burning, good visibility so you can check on progress and turn the pizza before crusts burn, plus, in testing, it lit first time every time and the flame never cut out. And while it’s more expensive than some, its ease of use means you’re more likely to fire it up regularly.
Pros
- Wide, easily accessible mouth
- Controllable temperature
- Easy to light
Cons
- Not easily portable
- No accessories included
- Pizza needs to be turned
Key Features
-
Standalone pizza ovenThis pizza oven can make 14-inch pizzas and is powered by propane or patio gas. -
Max temperatureCan reach a maximum temperature of 500°C. -
Outdoor useWeather resistant shell.
Introduction
The marketplace for pizza ovens is a crowded one, so any new designs need a point of difference to stand out.
The Gozney Arc does this effortlessly, combining a sleek exterior with genuinely useful features: a digital temperature monitor, wide, tall mouth, and a side burner that’s both easily controlled and frees up space on the stone.
This ease of use means that it’s just as suitable for those who enjoy making pizza, but are time-poor as much as passionate pizzaiolos. However, you’ll need to invest in some additional kit to get the best out of it.
Design and features
- Lateral burner
- Temperature sensors
- Insulated for heat retention
Fans of Gozney may find that the Arc looks familiar: that’s because its shape is based on the brand’s flagship oven, Dome. As such, it features the same water-resistant and UV-stable painted shell to protect it against the weather, in one colour, Bone.
While durable against damage, during testing I accidentally left some light marks on the finish when I placed the regulator on top.
Yet while it resembles the Dome, under the hood, the Arc is distinctly different. It’s powered solely by propane or patio gas, with automatic ignition and temperature control courtesy of a single knob.
There’s one burner, but it’s set at the side, rather than at the back. Its flame has been designed to replicate a wood fire by fanning out and rolling across the oven’s domed ceiling. This design also frees up space for cooking on the removable 20mm cordierite stone floor, so you can make pizzas up to 14 inches in diameter.
However, it’s the digital temperature display that’s especially well designed. It connects at the back to sensors within the oven, so there’s no probe to insert anywhere.
Then, it simply measures the temperature, with a colour-coded guide to show you when it’s too cool to cook, within the correct range (up to 500°C) or too hot.
The oven has been doubly insulated to retain heat, meaning that once you’ve hit the right temperature bracket, it’s simple to keep it there. Plus, as the display is battery-controlled, it’ll turn on even when the oven isn’t fired up, allowing you to see when it’s cool enough to clean. The oven burns most debris at higher temperatures, so all it needs is for the ash to be brushed away.
Performance
- Easily controlled flame
- Good visibility and access
- Quick once up to temperature
For testing, I used several of the Arc’s separately sold accessories, including its portable stand (£249.99), cover (£49.99) and placement peel (£75). They make using it a lot easier – for example, the rolling stand carries the gas bottle too – but even without them, the Arc is a joy to use. Every time I lit it, the burner lit first time and stayed lit, which sounds like a small thing, but having tested ovens that blow out, cut out or require multiple attempts to get going, it isn’t.
The digital temperature display is well thought out. Rather than a rotary dial that’s hard to read at a glance, the Arc’s display is everything it should be: clear, with three coloured bands so you know when it’s ready to cook, one button to flick between Fahrenheit or Celsius, and a power remaining indicator so you can change the battery before it runs out. My only complaint is that the display turns itself off periodically, meaning that you have to switch it back on to see what temperature has been reached.
I found that being able to see degree-precise temperatures, coupled with the Arc’s thick insulation, meant that I could keep it at the heat I wanted within about 5-10 degrees by reducing the size of the flame prior to cooking.
There’s a guide to what kind of temperatures to cook at for different styles of pizza: 320-370°C for flatter, thin crust New York-style, 370-430°C for thin crust Roman-style and 430-480°C for Neapolitan with a soft puffy crust.
I started by cooking two pizzas New York style, one topped with cheese and tomato, the other topped with the same plus vegetables.
The cheese and tomato cooked in around 90 seconds, including being turned halfway through cooking as it had started to brown more on the side nearer the flame.
The vegetable-topped pizza took longer as I deliberately turned the flame down to its lowest setting to give the vegetables more time to cook without burning.
Again, it required turning so that all four sides received an equal amount of heat.
Both emerged with crisp edges, well browned, and firm underneath.
The crust rose slightly and the vegetables were sufficiently cooked, with no sogginess in the base.
Next, I prepared two pizzas to cook at the Neapolitan temperature range: cheese and tomato and one topped with chicken.
These both cooked in less than a minute each, and also required turning for an even finish.
In contrast to the previous pizzas, these featured a noticeably risen crust, which was more pronounced on the cheese and tomato version.
Both were well cooked underneath with no sogginess.
I especially liked Arc’s tall, wide mouth. Not only was it simple to place the pizza and retrieve it once cooked, I could also turn the pizza round easily and had good visibility so nothing burned. The side burner is well-designed: as there’s a guard on it, there’s no risk of the dough coming into direct contact with the flame.
Despite being billed as compact, the Arc is quite big (H34.2 x W48 x D56.4cm) and heavy (21.5kg), so you may have to find a home for it and keep it there if you don’t invest in a stand. Although compared with its sister oven, the Gozney Arc XL (a whopping 26.5kg and big enough for 16-inch pizza), it’s the smaller of the two.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
You should buy if you love to throw a pizza party
The Gozney Arc is as reliable and controllable as they come, cooking fast and making it easy to experiment
You should not buy if you’re on a tight budget
The Gozney Arc is a mid-priced model that comes without any extra kit.
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to cooking pizza at home or frustrated by mixed results from your current oven, the Gozney Arc offers two things you’re sure to love: control and consistency. Throughout testing, I experienced no burning, no undercooked or soggy bottoms, and no unwanted loss of heat.
In an ideal world, it would come with at least one accessory and the display would stay on longer, but these are minor quibbles. For an alternative that has accessories included, consider the Haloo Revolve. Or, if you love making pizza but don’t trust the weather to behave, try an indoor-outdoor model such as the Ooni Volt 12.
How we test
We test every pizza oven we review thoroughly over an extended period. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main pizza oven for the review period.
We use different toppings and temperatures to see how well the oven performs.
FAQs
Once up to its hottest temperature, cooking can take as little as a minute. But for lower temperatures, allow a few minutes.
No, but any debris on the pizza stone is burned off at high temperatures.
