As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at my Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the chance to put both the Gozney Roccbox and Bertello pizza ovens to the test in my kitchen. In this comparison, I’ll walk you through how these two popular models stack up in terms of quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and a real pizza cooking test. For a more detailed breakdown of my testing process, you can check out my separate article on how I evaluate pizza ovens.
Gozney Roccbox: The Gozney Roccbox is a professional-grade, dual-fuel pizza oven designed for achieving high-quality results at home or in a commercial setting.
Bertello Pizza Oven: The Bertello is a versatile, budget-friendly pizza oven known for its ability to use gas, charcoal, or wood, providing a flexible cooking experience for outdoor pizza enthusiasts.
This article features a thorough comparison between the Gozney Roccbox and Bertello based on my personal tests.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Bertello: Quality and Materials
| The Gozney Roccbox is constructed with premium materials, including dense insulation and a thick stone floor, providing durability and consistent performance. It feels like a high-end, professional oven. |
The Bertello Pizza Oven also features robust construction with a stainless steel exterior and a durable refractory stone. While not as heavy-duty as the Roccbox, it’s built to last and performs well in outdoor settings.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Bertello: Temperature Control
| The Roccbox excels in temperature control, reaching up to 950°F quickly and maintaining it steadily for even cooking. The rolling flame design ensures consistent, crispy crusts with minimal effort. |
The Bertello heats up efficiently, reaching over 900°F in about 10-15 minutes. Its versatility in using both gas and wood allows for flexible cooking, but the wood tray can be a bit shallow, requiring some attention for consistent heat.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Bertello: Shape
| The Roccbox has a carefully designed shape that optimizes airflow and heat retention, ensuring pizzas cook evenly with a beautifully crisp crust. Its design is perfect for professional results. |
The Bertello features a dome-shaped design that also promotes good heat distribution. Its shape is well-suited for achieving a great pizza crust, though it may require a bit more maneuvering to achieve even cooking with wood fuel.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Bertello: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Using the Roccbox for the first time was seamless. It preheated quickly, and I was able to cook pizzas in just 60 seconds with ease. The controls are intuitive, making it user-friendly for beginners and pros alike. |
The Bertello was easy to set up, and the multi-fuel capability is impressive. However, using wood can involve a slight learning curve, particularly with managing blowback. Once mastered, it offers a great cooking experience.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Bertello: Power Source
| The Roccbox is versatile with its dual-fuel capability, supporting both propane gas and wood. This flexibility allows users to switch between the convenience of gas and the authentic flavor of wood-fired cooking. |
The Bertello stands out with its multi-fuel versatility, allowing the use of gas, wood, and charcoal. This combination provides a unique cooking experience, though switching between fuels can require more manual adjustments compared to the Roccbox.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Bertello: Size
| The Roccbox, at 49.9 pounds, is stable yet portable, making it ideal for outdoor use without sacrificing heat retention. It’s compact enough to store easily but feels solid and sturdy during use. |
Weighing in at 34.6 pounds, the Bertello is lighter and easier to transport, making it a great option for outdoor enthusiasts. While smaller, it still offers ample cooking space for pizzas up to 12 inches.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Bertello: Ease of Cleaning
| The Roccbox is designed for easy maintenance. A quick brush for the stone and a wipe-down of the exterior keep it looking pristine. It’s straightforward and hassle-free to clean after each use. |
Cleaning the Bertello can be a bit more involved, especially when using wood or pellets. Removing the wood tray requires reaching inside, which can be messy. However, with gas, the cleaning process is simpler and quicker.
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Pizza Cooking Test
Gozney Roccbox
The Gozney Roccbox heated up impressively fast, reaching its maximum temperature of 950°F in about 15 minutes. During my test, it cooked a Margherita pizza in just 60 seconds. The result was outstanding, with a beautifully crisp crust, a light and airy interior, and perfectly caramelized toppings. The high heat provided that authentic, wood-fired flavor that’s hard to achieve in standard ovens, making each bite reminiscent of a pizzeria-quality pizza.
Bertello Pizza Oven
The Bertello Pizza Oven took about 10-15 minutes to reach its peak temperature of around 900°F when using a combination of gas and wood. The Margherita pizza took roughly 90 seconds to cook. The crust turned out crispy with a slight char, and the smoky flavor from the wood added a delightful, rustic touch. However, I needed to rotate the pizza for even cooking, as the bottom cooked faster than the top. Despite a bit more manual effort, the end result was a flavorful pizza with a nicely balanced texture.
Verdict: Both ovens performed well, but the Gozney Roccbox was quicker and more consistent, delivering that perfect Neapolitan-style pizza in less time. The Bertello offers a great option for those who enjoy experimenting with different fuel types to achieve a unique flavor, though it requires a bit more hands-on attention.
How We Tested
To fairly compare the Gozney Roccbox and Bertello Pizza Oven, I conducted a series of cooking tests in my restaurant kitchen at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston. The goal was to assess each oven’s performance in terms of preheating time, cooking speed, and overall pizza quality.
Setup & Preparation:
For consistency, I used the same homemade dough, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil to prepare classic Margherita pizzas in both ovens. I made sure each pizza was stretched to the same size for an even comparison. To accurately measure the temperatures, I used an infrared thermometer.
Step 1: Preheating
The Gozney Roccbox reached its peak temperature of 950°F in just 15 minutes, while the Bertello Pizza Oven took about 10-15 minutes to reach approximately 900°F using a combination of gas and wood. Both ovens were allowed to stabilize for a few minutes before cooking to ensure consistent heat distribution.
Step 2: Cooking the Margherita Pizza
I placed a Margherita pizza into each oven and timed how long it took to cook. The Roccbox cooked the pizza to perfection in just 60 seconds, delivering a crispy crust and well-melted toppings. The Bertello took about 90 seconds, requiring a bit of manual rotation to ensure even cooking, especially with wood fuel. The results were still impressive, with a nice char and a smoky flavor.
Step 3: Taste & Texture Evaluation
Immediately after cooking, I assessed the crust texture, cheese melt, and overall flavor. The Roccbox consistently produced a light, airy crust with a perfect balance of crispiness and softness, reminiscent of a traditional Neapolitan pizza. The Bertello delivered a robust, smoky flavor and a crispy crust, though it required a bit more effort to achieve an even cook.
These tests provided valuable insights into each oven’s strengths and limitations, highlighting the Roccbox’s superior speed and consistency, while showcasing the Bertello’s flexibility and rich, smoky flavor.
Conclusion
After thoroughly testing both the Gozney Roccbox and Bertello Pizza Oven, it’s clear that each has its strengths, but the Roccbox emerges as the better choice for those seeking high-end performance and ease of use. With its rapid heat-up time, precise temperature control, and ability to cook a perfect Margherita pizza in just 60 seconds, the Roccbox consistently delivers restaurant-quality results. Its dual-fuel versatility allows you to seamlessly switch between gas and wood, catering to both convenience and flavor experimentation.
The Bertello Pizza Oven, on the other hand, shines in its versatility and affordability. Its multi-fuel capability—supporting gas, wood, and charcoal—offers a unique cooking experience for those who enjoy exploring different flavors. It delivers great pizzas with a delicious smoky touch, but it requires a bit more hands-on management and rotation to achieve even results.
Ultimately, if you prioritize speed, ease of use, and consistent results, the Gozney Roccbox is the clear winner. However, if you’re looking for a versatile, budget-friendly option that can still produce delicious pizzas with a smoky twist, the Bertello Pizza Oven is a strong contender. Both ovens are excellent choices, but the Roccbox’s superior build quality, efficiency, and pro-level results make it the top pick for serious pizza enthusiasts.
Ultimately, the choice between the two ovens depends on your cooking style and needs. Whether you prefer the precision and ease of the Roccbox or the flexibility of the Bertello, both are capable of producing delicious pizzas.
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