Gozney Arc XL review: This stylish, easy-to-use pizza oven is a year- round crowd pleaser

Gozney is a British brand known for its premium pizza ovens. At full price, these range from £399 for the original dual-fuel Roccbox model to £1799.99 for the large Dome version, which can also run on gas or wood fire.

The Arc models are propane only, and the XL, the version I trialled, can cook family-sized 16-inch pizzas - versus the Arc's 14-inch capabilities - as well as other "high-temperature" cooking, such as steak, fish, and roasted vegetables. It has a 20mm-thick pizza stone, which is removable. The oven comes in two colours: cream (Bone) and a charcoal shade (Off black).

The Arcs are designed to sit on an outdoor table-top or stand. The XL's dimensions are W53cm x D62.9cm x H34.2cm, so the surface will need to be able to accommodate that. It's technically portable, but at 25.6kg, I don't fancy moving it very often. Gozney sells an Arc-specific stand on wheels, with space for a gas canister and fold-out wooden shelves and hooks for utensils (£249.99), which I also trialled. This can also be purchased as part of a bundle that includes the oven, stand and a pizza peel (£1129.97).

The Arc range gets its name from the side-burner design, which produces a rolling flame that forms an 'arc' shape. Once connected to a gas canister (sold separately), the model is switched on via the gas dial on its side. Gozney says the XL can heat up to 500 degrees in 30 to 40 minutes, heating up the pizza stone.

There's a digital thermometer on the front to monitor the temperature inside the oven. The optimum temperature varies depending on the style of pizza or whatever else you're cooking. Gozney has guidance on its website. 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.

When a pizza is placed in the oven, the stone cooks it from the bottom, while the flame cooks it from the top. Be sure to turn it regularly (every 30/40 seconds or so) to ensure an even cook. Unlike some pizza ovens, this one has two layers of insulation, which Gozney says keeps the oven hotter for longer than rivals between cooking.

I used the oven on multiple occasions to cook different types of pizzas, from New York style to Neapolitan, and assessed whether it lived up to its promises: a 30 to 40-minute heat-up time, getting an even cook every time, and retaining warmth between bakes. I also tried the 'self-clean' function to see its efficacy.

I started with Gozney's pizza recipe for beginners.

My Gozney was delivered to my doorstep but it needed to be taken up to the roof terrace. Gozney says that the oven tops the scales at 33kg, so it's definitely a two-man job. The oven comes in five pieces and I found it was easy enough to assemble. (the stand, however, took us about an hour!).

I chose the light-coloured option and was pleasantly surprised by the sleek design. It fitted into my space perfectly on the side of the roof terrace. If you use the stand, bear in mind the canister will be on full display.

Gozney says the oven takes 30 to 40 minutes to get to temperature and in my experience, that's accurate. Once your pizza is loaded with toppings, it goes onto the peel - make sure there is plenty of flour on the base to avoid sticking - and into the oven. The lateral burner means you will need to be careful with turning to ensure an even bake.

Timings and temperatures will differ depending on what sort of pizza you're making, but using Gozney's pizza recipe for beginners, we found ours cooked Neopolitan-style pizzas in around the 90 seconds promised.

It's super-easy to operate, and the digital temperature gauge makes it simple to judge when to put the pizza in-though you might also want an infrared thermometer to check the stone is also up to temperature. Inevitably, you will get some burnt bits on the crust, but that's all part of trial and error.

The oven lives up to its promise on insulation - it stays hot in between bakes and it's very quiet when it's running. For the post-pizza clean up, I used the 'self-cleaning mode', which uses high temperatures to burn off food debris and soot, which turns into a fine ash that can be swept up. I found there was always a bit extra to wipe off with a damp cloth.

Yes, the Gozney is a big investment, and that won't work for everyone. For anyone who does have the money to spend, I recommend it highly: it can be used year-round to make large 16-inch pizzas, it's simple and intuitive to operate, looks stylish - bar the gas cannister - and makes consistent, evenly baked pizzas, albeit with some trial and error.

As it's gas only, it won't work for anyone wanting that wood-fire experience, but I'd argue that the gas element makes it simple to clean and maintain. For anyone who doesn't want to spend on the stand, it does need to go on a heat-proof surface.

READ NEXT:

• Jamie Oliver says pizza will be tasty and 'naughty' if you cook it without an oven
  
• UK's 'most garlicky pizza' unveiled for Halloween - and it's enough to kill a vampire
  
• I hate ironing but this clothes steamer is a game-changer and it's 42% off
• Lakeland's stylish and 'great value' pan looks like designer one but is over 50% cheaper
• I swear by this heated airer to dry clothes without heating