It’s simple, it’s sleek, and it’s damn sexy. I am of course talking about the Roccbox portable pizza oven from Gozney that was designed for fun times.
The Roccbox is beautifully designed — and comes with a designer price tag of $799. But before you scoff at the cost, bear with me.
This is not the first pizza oven I’ve used. A few years back, I got carried away with an ALDI special buy (we’ve all been there) and grabbed a woodfire pizza oven for $199. Now, while I absolutely love ALDI’s beautiful randomness with the special buys, not to mention the gloriously cheap cheese and wine, this pizza oven was a dud. It was pretty much impossible to control the heat and the temperature gauge blew out. So after just three goes, it became a “sculpture” in my backyard.
The Roccbox portable pizza oven has an almost cult-like following. Gozney’s Instagram account is filled with styling tips from fans and recipes from both professional and amateur cooks. As soon as I started posting pictures of my own trial of the Roccbox I got inundated with questions from mates — and soon learned that this particular pizza oven is very popular in the 4-wheel-drive community. Who knew.
Some specs on this fancy pizza oven:
- It has patented rolling flame technology, which gives that wood-fire feel while using gas, and the dome shape means the flames are further away from the food to give you a consistent cook.
- The microporous stone floor is 19mm thick, which cooks your pizza from the bottom up and provides a crispy base.
- The thick layers of insulation mean the Roccbox can reach up to 500°C and retain that heat for longer.
- There’s a built-in thermometer that’s actually easy to use.
- Silicon SafeTouch™ jacket prevents fingers from being burnt.
- The retractable yet sturdy legs mean you can pack it up easily and store it away or take it on the road.
Setting up the Roccbox portable pizza oven was a breeze, even for someone like me who has never dealt with a gas bottle before. It does take at least half an hour to heat up on the first firing and get to the 350°C mark. I found in windy conditions the flame did go out occasionally, so you need to keep an eye on it.
I thought I would get creative since Sydney’s lockdown means I will be eating all the pizza myself for the foreseeable future. What a shame.
With a batch of homemade pizza dough, I have enough to make four pizzas and start with a garlic and thyme number, like an entree of sorts.
![Roccbox portable pizza oven review](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/08/04/IMG_2640-225x300.jpg)
Ok, so that heat works really fast. Without a weighty topping like cheese, the dough puffs up and burns within seconds.
For my second attempt, I go for a classic margarita, featuring my own pizza sauce and a three-cheese shredded mix. You need to keep a close eye on the pizza and even rotate it to get a really even char. The pizza cooks in 1-2 minutes. I kid you not.
![Roccbox portable pizza oven review](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/08/04/IMG_2646-225x300.jpg)
After bashing out another perfectly cooked margarita in the Roccbox pizza oven, I flex my creative skills with some dessert. Why not while I’m here? I figure peaches and white chocolate is a nice combo (and also just happen to be in my pantry), and the weight should hold the dough down.
![Roccbox portable pizza oven review](https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/08/04/IMG_2650-225x300.jpg)
Yes, the white chocolate got burnt. But I picked off the super charred bits and the flavour was still really good. I reckon this idea has legs as a calzone, where the chocolate melts but doesn’t burn.
Final verdict:
The Roccbox portable pizza oven is genuinely portable (which I was sceptical about when it was first presented to me), easy to use, and produces great pizzas. Would I pay $799 for it? If you had asked me that before I got cooking it would have been a firm no.
Just cook a pizza in your regular oven. But it’s not the same — the flavour from that flame is next-level, and really justifies the price tag for me. Plus it would make for some cracking parties — set up a little production line with dough balls and toppings, and get your guests to make their own pizzas. Hand me a beer and happy days!
The Roccbox costs $799, comes in three colours, and can be purchased on the Gozney website.
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