Over the years, outdoor cooking has become so much more than just barbecues, and now, more homeowners have pizza ovens in their garden than ever before. Despite their name, pizza ovens cook so much more than just pizza, and it’s this versatility that’s spurred on their growth within the outdoor appliance industry.
When it comes to the best pizza ovens, one name that consistently pops up is Gozney. Founded in 2010 by founder and designer, Tom Gozney, the pizza oven company is instantly recognisable with its dome-like designs and multiple fuel options.
Currently in the Gozney line-up is four collections – Dome, Arc, Roccbox and Tread. The Gozney Dome – which was originally launched in 2021 – is arguably the brand’s most popular model, and building off its success, Gozney recently announced its new Dome Gen 2 series, which has been dubbed its biggest, most powerful and more versatile pizza ovens yet.
To find out more, I spoke with Tom Gozney about Gozney’s backstory, its upcoming Dome Gen 2 series and his favourite way to make the perfect pizza.
The story behind the founding of Gozney is a really touching one. Why do you think food brings us together so much, and why was that important to you when creating Gozney?
I’ve always been a social person, but after going to rehab, partying was stripped away from me. I wanted a social connection without alcohol but the UK culture is heavy on drinking so I wanted to make a change.
Cooking became a meditative way for me to shut off, and I enjoyed the process of making pizza, but found that I got disappointing results in a traditional oven. I wanted a pizza oven but ones on the market at the time were too expensive so I decided to build my own!
I built a pizza oven, started making pizzas and it completely changed my social environment. People stopped bringing beers and started bringing toppings, and it felt different from cooking on a barbecue as everyone gets involved.
The Gozney Dome is probably the most iconic and recognisable consumer pizza oven. What was the idea behind it?
When creating our first pizza ovens, we originally went down the commercial route, focusing on restaurants and pizzerias before we launched the Roccbox. I loved seeing the Roccbox’s success in homes, but while it was fun and approachable, I had a bigger vision for more ovens.
The Gozney Dome is an amalgamation of Apple’s design focus and a traditional Neapolitan pizza oven. It pays homage to the origins of pizza making and the traditional domed oven aesthetic, but it has the look and design of something modern, progressive and easy to use.
While pizza ovens and outdoor cooking is seen as more male oriented, I wanted to crush that idea and expand to everyone. The Gozney Dome and our other pizza ovens are meant to enhance your outdoor space rather than take up too much room or look like an eyesore or something you want to cover up.
What has been upgraded from the original Dome to the Dome (Gen 2)?
Compared to the original, the Dome (Gen 2) is 40% bigger internally, and has a multiple pizza capacity – it can even cook a full roast inside! The Dome (Gen 2) has a new patent pending flame which is lateral and simulates woodfire flame but with gas.
The flame addresses the challenges and intimidation of burning wood by using gas but we’ve created a similar flame, so you get the ‘romance’ of wood but ease of gas – and you can even use charcoal. It also has a booster button for big rolling flames, a forced air control kit for burning wood and an air flow system with a fan and dial.
The Dome (Gen 2) has two probes for air temperature and stone reading, and two meat probes in the docking system. We’ve gone for bolder proportions with the new series, and the XL version is actually 90% bigger than the original.
All your pizza ovens so far have been gas or wood-fuel – do you have any plans for another fuel type, like electric?
The world seems to be going in the electric direction, so it’s on our radar. But cooking with fire is fundamental to the Gozney brand and ethos, and that will always be our focus.
Out of the many Gozney collections, which one is your favourite and why?
The new Dome (Gen 2) is my current favourite, due to its ease and woodfire fuel – it’s a must for me when cooking pizza, pies and roasting meats. It’s changed the way I cook at home, and while the XL model is our biggest yet, I actually want an even bigger one!
What are your tips for making the perfect pizza?
There are so many different styles and evolving landscapes within pizza making so it depends what you want! I love a hybrid-style pizza – think a tavern New York crispy base and Neapolitan-style ingredients.
I have perfected my dough recipe – which I’m keeping to myself! – but my number one tip is taking your time with the dough so you get the right structure and something that’s light and crispy.
The Gozney Dome Gen 2 series is launching on 15th October with prices starting at £1,999.99. You can sign up at Gozney to be the first to be notified about the launch and availability.
