I tried the easiest pizza oven that gives 'restaurant-quality' pizzas—ready in 60 seconds

Not long ago, owning a pizza oven felt like a huge luxury—something you'd expect to see in a high-end garden setup or at a restaurant. They were incredibly expensive and often required a fair bit of skill to use properly, but that's changed in recent years. Thanks to brands like Gozney, pizza ovens have become far more accessible and popular, with more people investing in outdoor cooking.

While pizza ovens still sit on the premium end of outdoor cooking, they're no longer niche. They've become a realistic upgrade for anyone who enjoys cooking, hosting, or loves a restaurant-quality pizza at home. I've tried a few pizza ovens in recent years, but my newest one has taken things to another level—the Gozney Arc XL.

At its core, the Gozney Arc XL is a gas-powered pizza oven designed to deliver extremely high temperatures quickly and consistently. It can reach around 500°C and cook pizzas in roughly a minute.

That speed isn’t just impressive—it’s what creates the classic pizza texture: a crisp, slightly charred base with a light, airy crust.

The oven retains heat well thanks to its insulation and thick stone floor, so you can cook multiple pizzas in a row without long wait times for the oven to reach temperature.

At around £800, it’s clearly a premium product—but it’s also one that’s trying to justify that price through performance, usability, and build quality.

One standout design choice is the lateral-rolling-flame system. Instead of heat coming from a single fixed direction, the flame moves across the oven roof, creating a more even cooking environment.

This means the pizza cooks more uniformly from top to bottom, and while you still need to rotate it during cooking, the process feels more forgiving than many standard gas ovens. It’s a feature that brings it closer in behaviour to a traditional wood-fired oven, but with ease.

There’s a digital thermometer on the front to monitor the oven's interior temperature. The optimum temperature varies depending on the style of pizza or whatever else you’re cooking. For example, a thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza will be cooked at a higher heat for a shorter time than a Chicago-style deep-dish version. I found my pizzas cook perfectly at around 400°C.

In terms of size, the Arc XL is noticeably more spacious than smaller models. It can comfortably handle up to 16-inch pizzas, which makes it better suited for families or anyone cooking for groups. It's also great for hosting and impresses guests every single time; they can even have a go themselves.

The extra room inside the oven also makes it easier to launch, rotate, and retrieve pizzas without feeling cramped. This is one of those design differences that doesn’t seem essential at first, but quickly becomes important once you start using it regularly.

Ease of use is one of its biggest strengths. Being gas-powered means it heats up quickly, starts with minimal effort, and gives you precise control over the flame. There’s no need to manage firewood, adjust coals, or constantly troubleshoot temperature swings. For most users, this makes learning to use the pizza oven much easier than with wood-fired ovens, while still delivering excellent results.

One of the first things I noticed was how easy it was to get started. The setup was straightforward, and getting everything ready—including purchasing and connecting the gas—was simple and hassle-free. The controls and overall design are very intuitive, so there wasn’t much learning to do. It felt like something I could use confidently straight away without needing to read through complicated instructions or watch tutorials for hours.

From the very first use, it impressed us. We managed to cook delicious pizzas on our first attempt, and they genuinely tasted amazing—crispy bases, well-cooked toppings, and that classic slightly charred crust you’d expect from a proper pizza oven. We were instantly impressed with the results, which made the experience even more enjoyable and encouraged us to keep using it.

Since then, I've used the Arc XL several times, and it’s quickly become more than just a pizza oven in my life. I've even used it to cook a full English breakfast, which turned out brilliantly, and it handled everything surprisingly well.

That really highlighted how versatile it is beyond just pizza. It’s not a one-trick appliance—it can genuinely be used for a range of high-heat cooking, as long as you have the right tools.

There is also a range of additional accessories and attachments available to further enhance the experience. I have several of these, including the stand, which is definitely worth it as it makes the whole setup more practical and comfortable to use. I also have the Gozney cookbook, a pizza peel, a pizza turner, and a pizza cutter.

While these accessories are on the pricier side, they feel well-made and genuinely improve the cooking process, so they’ve been worth the investment for us.

Gozney sells an Arc-specific stand on wheels with space for a gas canister, fold-out wooden shelves, and utensil hooks for £249.99, which was definitely a must for me. It made the whole cooking experience much smoother, and it was great to have the rools within reach. This can also be purchased as part of a bundle that includes the oven, stand and a pizza peel for £1,129.97, although it is currently out of stock.

There are also some limitations worth noting. The Arc XL is expensive and firmly in the premium category of pizza ovens. It sits at around £800, which is an investment.

Some reviews agreed, with one reading: "The quality is great, but I do think it's overpriced, hopefully my friends can buy if on discount."

A second wrote: "I'm a huge fan of Gozney, but it's just too expensive."

It is also gas-only, which means you miss out on the smoky flavour and ritual of wood-fired cooking. While it is easy to use, it still requires some technique—particularly when rotating pizzas during cooking to avoid uneven charring. And because of its size and weight, it’s not something you’ll be moving around frequently. However, the stand makes this incredibly easy as it has wheels.

One review said: "The Gozney Arc XL Pizza Oven is nothing short of exceptional—a true game-changer for anyone serious about outdoor cooking. From the moment you unbox it, the build quality stands out. It feels premium, solid, and thoughtfully engineered, clearly designed to last."

Another read: "A fantastic pizza oven. Never made pizza in an oven previously, and I made six for my first go. We loved them, and so did the family. We are planning a weekly pizza family get-together now."

The Arc XL can be purchased from Gozney direct for £799, and it comes in two colours: a gorgeous cream or black. Both colours are also available from John Lewis for the same price.

There are plenty of pizza ovens on the market, so it can be hard to decide which model to choose.

The Ooni Koda 16 is often seen as the Arc XL’s closest rival. It’s a gas-powered oven that also reaches very high temperatures (around 500°C) and can cook large 16-inch pizzas. It’s known for being slightly more straightforward and minimal in design, with a strong focus on portability and quick setup.

Compared to the Arc XL, the Koda 16 is often considered simple, but with a slightly less refined heat distribution system. It still produces excellent results but requires a bit more attention when rotating pizzas due to its directional-flame design. On its own, it retails for £499.

If you're looking for a more affordable pizza oven, DeliVita's Diavolo Gas-Fired Pizza Oven is a great entry-level pizza oven. They are easy to set up, heat up quickly, and are very straightforward to use, making them a popular choice for first-time buyers. The oven can be purchased for just £199, much more affordable than other brands.