Gozney Arc XL Unboxing—Honest Review
Gozney has recently introduced its latest creation: the Arc XL, which is claimed to be the world’s most advanced compact oven for creating 16-inch pizzas.
It’s not a secret that I’m a big fan (insert: HUGE) of Gozney’s Dome, and I think it’s a near-perfect oven. The question is, does the latest Arc XL beat its predecessor? Is it worth the money and an ideal option for pizza making?
The answers are in my detailed and honest Gozney Arc XL review. In this video, I unbox this innovative creation and test it by making a couple of Neapolitan Pizzas. Based on my experience I’m hoping it will help you decide whether it’s worth the hype and the price tag.
You can check out my video on YouTube or continue reading this article. In both, I unveil the features, pros & cons, and everything else you need to know before deciding.
Watch the Goxney ARC XL Review:
Gozney ARC XL Unboxing and Full Honest Review Cooking Neapolitan Pizza
The First Impression—Unboxing and Assembling
Gozney Arc XL is available in two colors. Its core color is bone, and black is the limited edition. I ordered the bone, which is whitish-creamy. It looks appealing at a glance and different from other Gozney ovens.
The first thing I noticed is the solid and sturdy construction, which means it is built to last longer. It has two handles on the sides to take out the oven from the box or move it anywhere easily, even if it is hot, pretty awesome in case for any reason you need to move it.
One of my favourite features about Arc XL is its big removable stone, where you can cook large and even long pizzas. The opening is a lot bigger than both the Dome and Roccbox which provides more room to handle the pizza from different angles. The design and burner placement make it compact from the outside and spacious from the inside. Honestly, I’m impressed!
The oven comes pre-assembled (big PLUS!), so you don’t have to do anything except for placing the ventilation gauze and flame grates. It also comes with a gas connector to get started quickly.
It requires three batteries: two for the digital thermometer and one for the ignition. Once you turn on the thermometer, the display is clear and colorful, showing the temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. The display is more modern and a step up from the Gozney Dome.
I display the Arc XL on Gozney’s newest stand, the booster, which is to elevate the oven. It is solid with a beautiful finish. Its main purpose is to prevent back issues – a bonus for me as I’m pretty tall so no need to bend over when cooking – and it also offers storage space where you can put your pizza peels, cleaning brush, etc.
Within a few minutes, you can assemble it and secure the oven over it. Quick and simple, no fuss at all.
Like all Gozney products, it comes with a cover which keeps the oven clean and is helpful during transportation.
Turning Arc XL On
Turning the oven on is easy and quick. Just press the button and rotate, to ignite the flame in seconds.
The very important detail is the recess of the flame. It is uniquely designed to recreate traditional wood-fired rolling flame, offering excellent performance, control, and heat retention. In other words, it knows how to show off.
Secondly, the lateral burner and recess keep the front of the oven clean. The heat comes out easily through the ventilation gauze without leaving stains on the outer body. This sets it apart from both the Dome and Roccbox, basically keeping it looking new even after multiple uses.
The flame of the oven is extremely powerful. It is the most aggressive flame I’ve seen in a gas pizza oven. However, it is directed to the roof and spreads in a controlled manner because of the design and the front wall/roof.
How Long Does It Take to Reach 400 Degrees?
The biggest test is the time Arc XL takes to reach 400 degrees.
The oven was at 85⁰C after just 2 minutes, which is pretty fast. It took 12 minutes to reach 190⁰C and 36 minutes and 15 seconds to hit 401⁰C.
The temperature display shows one of three colors. Blue = too cold to cook, green = start cooking, and red = the oven is too hot so could burn the pizza. This is super helpful for anyone but especially beginners.
The oven can go reach a maximum of 500⁰C. Most importantly, it reaches high temperatures faster and retains heat for a long time due to its 20mm stone floor and 2-layer space age insulation. That said, it can cook perfect pizzas quickly.
Cooking Neapolitan Pizza in Gozney Arc XL
For the real test, how did I go with cooking authentic Neapolitan Pizza?
Well, I started with a temperature of 400⁰C. Dropping the first pizza in, it started cooking pretty fast. The edges grew beautifully in no time. Consequently, I just had to turn the pizza frequently to cook it perfectly from every corner.
The pizza was cooked to perfection. It was crunchy, soft, and the basil didn’t burn – even at 440⁰C. The bottom of the pizza also had a beautiful layer of crust. The cheese melted perfectly; the crust was spot-on, it was delicious. There was not a single bite of the pizza that was raw or covercooked.
I tried one more pizza. The bottom cooked pretty quickly, so I was able to turn it to other sides to prevent burning. The crust of the pizza was amazing, and it came out better than I had imagined even after cooking at high temperatures.
Is Gozney XL Worth Buying?
Let’s get to the main question, whether it is worth it or not. Here’s the breakdown of what I noticed (but I’ll save you scrolling, YES!).
Even after cooking four pizzas, the outer of the oven is pretty clean. Additionally, the vent works well and prevents stains. I think aesthetically, it’s a great, clean oven for an outdoor kitchen and will look pretty new for a long time.
It retains the heat, offers perfect cooking, and looks stylish.
The pizzas were cooked really well. Moreover, even at 460⁰C, the oven didn’t burn them. Its aggressive flames make everything faster, and just by moving the pizza around, it cooks evenly and you prevent any burning.
For me, it is in between Dome (professional oven) and Roccbox (entry-level oven).
It literally kills all medium-sized pizza ovens on the market and has a better exhaust design than Dome, which is why my suggestion for Gozney would be to make it for professional kitchens – because honestly, why not? Nothing is missing.
Whether you are a beginner, professional, or pizza lover this is really great. Perfect for everyone. It is a compact pizza oven as good as Dome if not better.
I don’t think I can find something this solid, as good quality, as sexy, and as perfect as this one. It is more than perfect, and I’m in love with this – oops, don’t tell Suzanne!
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