Gozney Arc Propane Pizza Oven (14 in)

The Gozney Arc is for households that want to make good pizza from the first session and keep making it every week without fuss. It is a 14-inch propane oven that sits on a table or stand and stays there. On our outdoor pizza oven list it is the best overall pick because two independent testers came to the same conclusion by different routes: TechGearLab named it its Editors' Choice after comparing it with ovens from Ooni, Solo Stove and Breville, and Pala Pizza called it the easiest oven its editor had used.

It is not for anyone who plans to throw an oven in the car for camping, and it does not burn wood.

The burner is the reason to buy it. Most compact gas ovens place one burner at the back, which makes the rear of the pizza cook faster than the front and forces constant turning. The Arc runs its burner along one side, and the flame curls up and across the domed ceiling toward the other wall. TechGearLab says this spread the heat evenly enough that it rotated pizzas fewer times than in the other ovens it tested, with better results. Pala Pizza measured one side of the stone about 60 degrees hotter than the center, which is a mild gradient by gas-oven standards and exactly what you want when turning a pie.

Heat is not the limiting factor. TechGearLab recorded an average stone temperature of 871°F and an average oven temperature of 969°F, with peaks above 1,000°F, and a typical cook time of about two minutes. Pala Pizza baked Neapolitan pies in about 75 seconds with the stone at 813 to 864°F. The 20 mm cordierite stone holds that heat, and TechGearLab reports that the oven recovered quickly enough to cook pizzas back to back for a party without long waits.

The digital thermometer in the base is the second practical advantage. With most ovens in this class you need an infrared thermometer to know when the stone is ready. TechGearLab found the Arc's readout slightly lower than its infrared gun at the stone's center, but consistent enough that it stopped using the gun. Add a printed temperature guide in the manual and the curve for a beginner is short.

The oven arrives mostly assembled, and Gozney extends the warranty to five years when you register within 60 days.

Portability. At 47.5 pounds with a flat base, the Arc is more like a small gas grill than a travel oven. TechGearLab recommends Gozney's stand, which brings it to working height and adds fold-out side tables, and a cover, because firing a wet stone risks cracking it. Both add to the total cost.

Fuel. The Arc is propane only. Gozney's page does not list a natural gas version, and there is no wood or charcoal option. If a wood-fire taste is the point, the Ooni Karu 2 is the better tool.

Wind and early readings. Pala Pizza's review notes that the wide mouth let a gusty day blow the flame out twice, and that the thermometer lagged far behind the real stone temperature during preheat. Once the oven is hot the readout is useful; in the first minutes, do not trust it. Gozney does not publish a preheat time, so plan on at least half an hour before the first pie.

Size. Fourteen inches suits a family, but not a crowd that wants 16- or 18-inch New York slices.

Against the Solo Stove Pi Prime, the Pi Prime costs a price class less and cooked almost as consistently in TechGearLab's test, but it takes only 12-inch pizzas and has no thermometer. If budget matters more than the extra two inches and the readout, it is the smarter buy.

Against the Ooni Koda 2 Pro, the Koda 2 Pro fits 16- to 18-inch pizzas, uses two side burners and adds a Bluetooth temperature hub with a food probe. It is heavier and larger, and reviewers report a hotter exterior. Choose it for big pies and larger groups; choose the Arc for a smaller footprint.

The Gozney Arc is the easiest high-heat gas oven to get right, and independent tests back that up with measured stone temperatures and even cooking. Buy it for a permanent spot on the patio. Skip it if portability, wood fire or oversized pizzas matter more to you.