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 Big Horn Pizza Oven to the test in my kitchen. In this comparison, I’ll break down their performance across several key factors: quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and a real pizza cooking test to see how they perform. For a detailed look at how I test pizza ovens, be sure to check out my separate article.
The Gozney Roccbox is a high-performance, dual-fuel pizza oven designed for both professionals and serious home cooks who want restaurant-quality results.
The Big Horn Pizza Oven is a budget-friendly, wood-fired pizza oven known for its portability and ease of use, making it a popular choice among outdoor cooking enthusiasts.
In this article, I’ve provided a detailed comparison of the Gozney Roccbox and Big Horn Pizza Oven based on my hands-on tests.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Big Horn: Quality and Materials
| The Gozney Roccbox stands out for its superior build, using top-tier materials like dense insulation and a thick stone floor for optimal heat retention. It’s crafted to deliver consistent, professional-grade results and withstand heavy usage. |
The Big Horn has a decent stainless steel build with a silicone door seal, but struggles with maintaining heat. While it’s reasonably durable, it doesn’t match the premium quality and heat retention of the Roccbox.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Big Horn: Temperature Control
| The Roccbox excels in temperature control, effortlessly reaching 950°F for perfect Neapolitan-style pizzas in under a minute. The thick stone floor and rolling flame provide unparalleled heat consistency and control, ensuring that every pizza has a perfectly crispy crust. |
The Big Horn heats up to around 500-550°F in 15-16 minutes but requires constant monitoring with a secondary thermometer to achieve consistent results. It lacks the precision of the Roccbox, making it less reliable for quick, high-quality pizzas.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Big Horn: Shape
| The Roccbox’s carefully designed shape maximizes heat distribution, allowing for even cooking and crispy crusts every time. The shape enhances airflow, ensuring pizzas cook to perfection with minimal effort. |
The Big Horn has a dome shape that promotes airflow but doesn’t retain heat as efficiently. You’ll often need to rotate pizzas more frequently to avoid uneven cooking, especially compared to the Roccbox.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Big Horn: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Using the Gozney Roccbox was a flawless experience. It was ready to go quickly and cooked pizzas in just 60 seconds with little to no adjustment needed. It’s user-friendly, even for beginners, yet delivers restaurant-quality results every time. |
The Big Horn can be challenging for first-time users, especially with managing wood pellets and achieving stable temperatures. While it’s a good entry-level option, it requires more effort to get consistent results, unlike the straightforward Roccbox.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Big Horn: Power Source
| The Roccbox shines with its dual-fuel capabilities, offering both gas and optional wood options for those who want authentic wood-fired flavors. This versatility is perfect for anyone looking to experiment with different cooking styles. |
The Big Horn relies solely on wood pellets, which adds a smoky flavor but limits flexibility. It doesn’t offer the convenience of a gas option, making it less versatile compared to the Roccbox.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Big Horn: Size
| At nearly 50 pounds, the Roccbox is solid and stable, yet still portable enough for outdoor use. Its robust build ensures it maintains heat better, making it ideal for frequent use. |
The Big Horn is lighter and more compact, making it easier to transport. However, its lighter weight impacts its heat retention and overall stability, especially in cooler conditions or windy environments.
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Gozney Roccbox VS Big Horn: Ease of Cleaning
| The Roccbox is designed for easy maintenance, with a simple wipe-down process and a soft brush to clear the stone. It stays pristine even with regular use, making it perfect for those who want hassle-free cleanup. |
Cleaning the Big Horn requires more effort, especially with removing ash from the wood pellets. It has some sharp edges inside, which can make cleaning tricky. Overall, it’s not as easy to maintain as the Roccbox.
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Pizza Cooking Test
The Gozney Roccbox heated up impressively fast, reaching its peak temperature of 950°F in just about 15 minutes. When I tested it with a classic Margherita pizza, it cooked to perfection in just 60 seconds. The result was an incredibly crispy crust with a light, airy interior, while the cheese melted beautifully and toppings were perfectly caramelized. The flavor was rich and authentic, reminiscent of a high-end pizzeria, thanks to the even heat distribution and rolling flame.
The Big Horn Pizza Oven took slightly longer to preheat, reaching its optimal temperature of around 500-550°F in about 15-16 minutes. The Margherita pizza I cooked in it took about 1.5 minutes to finish. The crust turned out crispy, though not as charred and airy as with the Roccbox. The smoky flavor from the wood pellets was a nice touch, adding a rustic, wood-fired taste to the pizza. However, I found it required more attention during cooking to ensure even results, as the heat distribution wasn’t as consistent.
Verdict: While both ovens can deliver delicious pizzas, the Gozney Roccbox clearly outperformed with its speed, consistency, and superior texture. The Big Horn, though capable, needed more manual adjustments and didn’t achieve the same level of crispiness or quick cooking time.
How We Tested
To evaluate the Gozney Roccbox and Big Horn Pizza Oven, I conducted side-by-side tests in my kitchen at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston. The goal was to compare their performance in preheating speed, cooking time, and overall pizza quality.
I used the same dough, sauce, mozzarella, and basil for both ovens, ensuring consistency. Each pizza was made to the same size and thickness. A kitchen thermometer was used to monitor the internal temperatures.
Preheating: The Gozney Roccbox reached 950°F in about 15 minutes, while the Big Horn took around 16 minutes to hit 500-550°F.
Cooking: The Roccbox cooked a Margherita pizza in just 60 seconds, resulting in a crispy crust and perfectly melted toppings. The Big Horn took about 1.5 minutes and required more rotation for even cooking.
Taste & Texture: The Roccbox consistently delivered an airy, crispy crust with well-caramelized toppings. The Big Horn produced a denser crust with a pleasant smoky flavor, but it couldn’t match the Roccbox’s crispness and balance of flavors.
These tests highlighted the Roccbox’s superior speed and consistency, while the Big Horn offered decent results with a unique wood-fired taste.
Conclusion
After thoroughly testing both the Gozney Roccbox and the Big Horn Pizza Oven, it’s clear that each has its strengths, but the Roccbox stands out as the superior choice for serious pizza enthusiasts. The Roccbox’s quick heat-up time, precise temperature control, and professional-grade construction consistently delivered restaurant-quality pizzas with a crispy crust and perfectly melted toppings in just 60 seconds. Its dual-fuel capability adds versatility, making it ideal for those who want the option of both gas and wood-fired cooking.
On the other hand, the Big Horn Pizza Oven is a solid budget-friendly option for those new to wood-fired cooking or looking for a more portable solution. While it offers a pleasant smoky flavor and decent results, it requires more manual adjustments and longer cooking times to achieve similar outcomes.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for an oven that brings professional-quality results to your backyard with ease and consistency, the Gozney Roccbox is the clear winner. However, if you’re on a budget and enjoy experimenting with wood pellets, the Big Horn is a good entry-level choice. Both ovens can deliver delicious pizzas, but the Roccbox’s performance and versatility make it the standout in this comparison.
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