Gozney Roccbox

from £399 / gozney.com

At some point around 250 years ago, a wonderful, ingenious Neapolitan decided to marry cheese, tomatoes and dough together in a beautiful symphony of flavour. We don’t know their name, but we’re eternally grateful – for a quality pizza is one of the most delicious culinary creations of all. And while once the only way to enjoy authentic cheesy goodness was to go to a pizzeria with an old-school pizza oven, times have thankfully changed.

To save you desperately trying to put together a giant woodfired oven in your back garden, a crop of easily manageable and portable pizza ovens have emerged in recent years… and the Roccbox is up there with the best.

UNION CITY CHEW

This fierce-looking machine can use either wood or gas to heat up its 19mm-thick stone floor, which will then cook a beautifully authentic pizza in a mere 60 seconds. Densely insulated to retain heat, it’s rammed with clever, practical design features, including a clever silicone outer lining plus folding legs for easy storage and transportation.

While you can pay extra for the dual-fuel version, the domed shape manages to recreate the yellow rolling flames of a traditional woodfired oven even if you stick to the gas option. Just remember not to leave it unattended, as those 60 precious seconds will run down fast – so practise using the included pizza peel (paddle).

And if you fancy something a little different, you can experiment with searing steak, chargrilling vegetables and more besides.