In the world of improv, actors are taught to say yes and figure out the details later. Our reviewer felt a similar way about reviewing pizza ovens: say yes, and work out the logistics afterward. Never mind that the garden was full of obstacles, steps everywhere, and wooden decking so dry it was prone to scorching. All easily overlooked when contemplating the delights of homemade pizza. After all, who doesn't like pizza? A Eurobeat-style German pop song called We Like Pizza says it best.
The Testing Ordeal
This thinking led our reviewer to test seven of the best pizza ovens in a small outdoor space. Since testing occurred during colder months, the ovens had to be kept safe from freezing rain and blustery wind over several weeks. They all lived in the office between tests, making it an obstacle course worthy of Gladiators. A mixture of soot, flour, and semolina littered the floor, while the reviewer squeezed around stands, held breath while brushing past precariously perched ovens, and inevitably tripped over discarded accessories.
This wasn't the first time the reviewer worked while appliances occupied every scrap of space. The office had simultaneously housed 13 toasters, 13 kettles, 10 juicers, and many air fryers. But it was the first time the reviewer felt truly surrounded. Pizza ovens are big, awkward, and heavy. When seven of them occupy an office, they start to block out the daylight.
Heavyweight Contenders
Speaking of weight, while the reviewer was prepared for some heavy lifting, the heft of some ovens was astonishing. The largest, the Gozney Dome, came in at 62kg, meaning the reviewer had to rope in a partner to help lift it out of the box using straps and onto its stand. Later, the reviewer noticed it was recommended as a four-person lift, so gratitude was offered to the pizza oven gods that it didn't crush them both.
After much testing, munching, a little burning, and only a few facefuls of eye-watering smoke, a clear winner emerged: the Gozney Arc Lite. Compact, efficient, and robust, it offered almost everything desired in a pizza oven. It's less of an investment than some, but for those not quite ready to spend that much, the reviewer selected ProCook's outdoor pizza oven as the best budget buy at under £200. Its stone even rotates for perfectly cooked crusts.
Donations and Departures
Before the reviewer knew it, it was time for the ovens to depart. Some returned to their makers, while the rest were donated to London's Community Kitchen, a grassroots organisation that tackles food insecurity and waste, runs community spaces, food trucks, and other initiatives to support people without access to good, nutritious food. Some of the tested BBQs were also donated.
There was a tangible sense of lightness when seven large objects left the space. However, it was actually six, as the reviewer continues to test the Gozney Arc Lite over the next year to assess its long-term use. Fortunately, it only takes up a corner of the office, but it has the ability to make the reviewer crave a margherita with a single glance. Because for most of us, whether afternoon or evening, one thing is always true: We Like Pizza.
