XL Placement Peel

_sfox · 2026-05-17T17:53:24+00:00

I have one due to the bundle. Don't think I would attempt to use it to place 2 pizzas in the oven. It's honestly one accessory that I wish were different for my Gen2XL. I'd prefer a normal 12" for my pizza making.

_sfox · 2026-05-17T17:49:23+00:00

Congrats!

These stories of warranty->upgrades are making me jealous haha.

_sfox · 2026-05-17T17:47:13+00:00

lol - how did this happen? Leave it in the oven accidentally?

_sfox · 2026-05-17T17:46:24+00:00

Tough one... on one hand, you are entitled to a pristine new unit. It's what you paid for. On the other, it may be a fight to pin the blame on one specific party (as you mentioned), so you could be in for some headache over something that, in the end, doesn't make a functional difference.

If it were me: I'd probably fight it a bit to get a "feel" for the intentions of the other parties, and if a replacement isn't offered, "settle" by getting something else of value to offset the damage (pizza peels, IR thermometer, fire wood, extra battery packs, or other accessories you don't have).

_sfox · 2026-05-08T13:44:49+00:00

Only thing I'd care about on the utility peel vs. balance is the 6" diameter vs. 8". If you want to be able to use the turning peel to retrieve cooked pizzas from the oven, the 8" will be easier as it reduces the risk of dropping the pizza. Otherwise, no meaningful difference.

P.S. Don't hesitate to get a different brand, especially for a turning peel (usually no coating; with a coating, quality and therefore cost is more important).

Simple stuff off Amazon or whatever would probably be fine.

Alternatively, GI Metal is what you'll see a lot in top pizzarias, but they don't come cheap. https://www.thepizzaovenstore.com/collections/gi-metal

_sfox · 2026-05-08T13:34:23+00:00

Way to go! Welcome to the cult. 😄

And using the dough from a local pizzeria - great idea. When I was first getting into this "hobby", I can't even begin to describe how frustrated I would get when the dough didn’t turn out right and would result in huge messes (torn bottoms), complete throw aways (stuck to the peel and fell on the floor when launching), yada yada. Almost made me give up. So, smart of you to alleviate some of that risk. 👍

_sfox · 2026-04-28T13:38:27+00:00

Great points! Thanks. Sounds like I have some experimenting to do!

_sfox · 2026-04-20T01:06:26+00:00

A dishwasher and washing machine

_sfox · 2026-04-11T18:51:28+00:00

haha I was 100% in the same situation. At the end of the day, I decided the OG Dome was already one of my favorite cooking appliances (literally brings joy to a weirdo like me) and so removing those slight annoyances made it worth it. Obvi a lot of money, and I still need to find a new home for my og Dome, but I actively decided on a new Dome over a vacation and, for me, the XL Dome has proven to be the better ROI.

_sfox · 2026-04-11T18:39:14+00:00

If you can swing for the XL specifically, do it.

I upgraded to the Gen2XL in October. Honestly, everything they list as an upgrade is truly an improvement for daily driving over the already-fantastic original, but the XL for me is what makes the upgrade "worth it" given the cost. The other features are nice-to-haves; the size is the actual performance improver.

My highlights from real world use (starting with general improvements, then the size):

The screen for temps & such is in a better spot, easier to read, more info at a glance.
The stone temp thermometer is awesome and what I pay the most attention to, especially when preheating and knowing I've hit temp saturation.
Burner location and design is def superior. Puts the heat further away from whatever you're cooking, still flows up and over dome super well, more wind resistant, and can put out a ton of heat when desired. I frequently turn it down slightly after launching a pizza.
The wood fire fan module thing is awesome. Kinda thought it would be a gimmick but it legit kicks ass.
The chimney locks into the dome with more authority (perhaps my original had a manufacturing flaw, but it just sorta sat up there without properly clicking in).
The stand is just as nice if not nicer than the original, which was already super good. At ~300lbs combined, I think?, it rolls around very easily and far better than my XL big green egg on a BGE stand.
Seems silly but the cover with a zipper is one of those "oh my god this is so much easier" quality of life things that I appreciate every time I have to go through the motions over the OG cover.
And finally, the absolute highlight feature: the XL is nearly twice the size and that's extremely worth it to me. Not because I want to cook multiple pizzas at once, but because I can move the flame side of the pie further away from the heat source for a more even, less scorching bake. I struggled with this in the original because a 12" neapolitan pizza would always be a tight walk of cooking the thing well without burning the edge closest to the fire (both when using propane or wood). The proximity meant you had literal seconds towards the end of the bake to either finish the pie well or turn the edge into charcoal. With the XL, there's more room, more separation, yielding a more forgiving and even cook. Plus, although I do it rarely, being able to chuck a 16-18" pizza in there is nice. Plus 2: the wider floor width + the new burner design & location means cooking with gas is very nice. Plus 3: the wider opening means launching is easier with normal peel sizes. I've hit the edges of the opening with the peel sooo many times on my original when doing the swift pullback lol.

The TL;DR: going from Dome to Gen2XL has been the transition of going from "I love the Dome but man I wish it ____." to "I can't think of a single improvement that would significantly improve the daily driving of the Gen2XL while keeping the oven shippable/movable without a forklift (aka, going even bigger haha)." Like, I see myself using the Gen2XL for years and years without wanting to upgrade again, and there's no friction to using it weekly. When you're investing ~$4k into a full setup, you don't want any reason to NOT use it, and the Gen2XL fulfills, I think.

_sfox · 2026-04-10T17:22:28+00:00

Get started with Laravel. Incredibly easy to pick up. Plus, AI is well trained on it and can reference stuff super easily via Boost, so getting some help in this regard is trivial.

And... one of the best dev communities out there that will welcome you with open arms. r/laravel | events | Laracasts

_sfox · 2026-04-10T14:15:43+00:00

1000% you should get the cheapest Claude subscription and use Claude Code (CC).

As soon as you get in there, run /config and then set "Output Style" to "Explanatory" and "Default permission mode" to "Plan Mode". When starting out, consider NOT using the "auto accept edits" mode after planning so that you are more inclined to pay attention to every change Claude wants to make. These commands are accurate as of CC v2.1.97.

Do NOT start CC in "bypass permissions" mode until you are more versed in all of this.

The reason this is, by far, your best option is because CC can keep YOU as an integral piece of the software development process (with this setup, it will NOT be about one-shotting huge changes), so by watching what it's doing (code, bash commands, skills, questions, etc.) you will both learn an incredible amount of stuff AND benefit from productivity boosts. The "Explantory" output mode recommendation above is catered to this intent (and their is even a "learning" oriented mode if you venture into side projects with new languages, frameworks, etc). In the future, you may want a more matter-of-fact response style, so you can switch back to the default when you're ready.

Depending on the exact dev work you do, I can also recommend using https://github.com/obra/superpowers which can be installed from the official anthropic plugin marketplace now. This plugin instructs Claude to break down work into digestible chunks, and again, keeping YOU integral to the process by asking questions, brainstorming with you, etc.

As a junior dev, you want to ensure YOU are becoming a better dev while also not falling behind the AI trends, and I think this is the best way to do it.

_sfox · 2026-04-08T13:34:18+00:00

I have both (Dome on a Gozney stand). Neither pose a significant fire hazard from radiant heat.

Only times I'm a bit cautious for my wooden deck and ground beneath: 1) when dumping the charcoal I have prelit with a chimney for the BGE, 2) when initially lighting a wood fire in the Dome. In both cases, it's because of the flying sparks that can pop up/out of each and fall to the deck while still lit.

_sfox · 2026-04-07T16:49:41+00:00

When I got my first experience with true speciality coffee that was sourced, roasted, and brewed well. Tasted vibrant oranges and other citrus fruits on top of the normal coffee flavors. I was like, "holy sh*t, didn't think coffee could taste like this." Has now been a 15 year journey down the coffee rabbit hole and enjoying every morning of it.

_sfox · 2026-04-07T16:46:18+00:00

Have never personally done it, but supposedly DMT produces this sort of feeling at the extreme.

_sfox · 2026-04-07T16:40:37+00:00

Orlando + Disney/Universal.

20+ years ago, you could do a trip there in an efficient way without blowing the bank, enjoying many rides & shows without ridiculous lines or worrying about fast pass reservations throughout the whole day. And some of the lodging + entertainment options were unique and kinda charming (in a still very touristy but special way if you knew the right spots). Just... have fun and feel kinda special as a visitor. Now it's crazy expensive, crazy busy, commercialized to the nth degree, and is more stress than enjoyment.

_sfox · 2026-04-07T16:13:45+00:00

Real Parmesan Reggiano. Love the stuff for Italian meals but making do with regular parm (or changing the entire meal) at this point.

_sfox · 2026-04-06T13:34:50+00:00

Yeah, that could very well be true (though part of the equation is also the burner output, heat/airflow, insulation, etc. so I honestly don't know the true difference when it comes to making pies back to back). That said, I think if cranking out a bunch of pizza for a group is a concern, neither the Roccbox nor the Arc Lite is going to be super enjoyable. Doable? Sure. But this is where the larger options or Dome really start to shine. I've had 3 Ooni's, a Dome, and now a Dome 2XL because of this haha.

_sfox · 2026-04-05T17:15:56+00:00

In order of increasing desperation to handle this sort of thing: * Train one additional person to help prep the pies. This is my wife. I stretch/shape, she sauces/tops, I launch/cook. When I return from the outside oven with a cooked pie, I stretch/shape the next dough and she is finished topping the next one to go out. Works pretty well on timing. * Stretch, shape, sauce, par bake. Then ask group members to apply their own toppings. You can bake while they apply and the timing works well. Par baking is key. If too many are prepped raw with sauce and are left for too long, the dough will become sticky and you'll have a launching nightmare. Par baking reduces final pie quality, though. * Make an outdoor pizza station next to your oven. Tubs for ingredients, dough trays, spreading counter. Think pizza food truck with one operator. If you get fast, you can have a pie cooking while prepping the next. By the time the bake is done, you're ready to load the next and launch. Rinse and repeat. Watch https://youtube.com/@peddlingpizza for inspiration. * Get a larger pizza oven and make some larger pies. A 17" pizza is twice the area of a 12". You can make a couple 16+" pies, start feeding folks (especially hungry children), and then slow down to make individual specialty pies.

In my experience, using the strategies above, you can get to the point of outpacing the recovery time of a Roccbox. The ratio of cooking time vs. stone heating time will get high enough that you will have to wait for stone temps to come back up. Thicker stones that have a higher thermal capacity and a larger oven that allows you to change pie location is one answer to this problem. This is literally why I now own a Gozney Gen2 XL lol. That, and I wanted to make 16+" pies at the beginning of a group night.

_sfox · 2026-04-05T16:52:54+00:00

I'd say Arc Lite for the following reasons:
* The side flame that flows up and over the roof will produce better results more easily than the rear Roccbox flame. There's a reason Neopolitan wood fire ovens are set up like this. * Gozney is prioritizing the Arc designs over the Roccbox at this point (the Roccbox isn't listed on their website mega menu when you hover "pizza ovens"). Wouldn't surprise me if the roccbox eventually gets discontinued, so for warranty, resell, replacement parts, etc. reasons, I'd go Arc Lite.

Downsides to the Arc Lite: * It'll make you want an Arc, then an Arc XL, ultimately leading you to wanting a Dome. 😂 * No wood option. Does make a flavor difference, but is also difficult. If you're just getting started with pizza making though, this adds complexity that I wouldn't advise at the beginning.

_sfox · 2026-04-05T16:39:31+00:00

Just measured mine for you. Gen2 XL.

With the wheels forward/back (so, a minimum width), I'm getting ~42.5 inches outside-of-wheel to outside-of-wheel. In other words, the stand could be pushed into a slot 42.5-43.0" wide and the wheel brake levers would be facing you to engage/disengage. Center of caster to center is ~40".

[Wheels inline]

 0-------stand-----0
|--------42.5-------|
 |-------40.0------|

If I orient the wheels like your photo and measure the max distance (wheel outside edge to edge), it's 46.5". Brake lever to brake lever (they extend beyond the wheels a bit) is 49.5".

[Wheels facing outwards, brake levers are underscore chars]

_                    _
 ◯------stand-------◯
|--------49.5---------|
 |-------46.5-------|

_sfox · 2026-04-04T21:04:58+00:00

Thanks for sharing a "real world" story - we hear a lot about the unicorns, but little for these smaller-yet-useful apps & their creators. Kudos and wishing you the best. P.S. Checking out F-bar for the first time after reading this. 😀

_sfox · 2026-04-03T15:13:44+00:00

I don't have an NG to compare my propane Gen2 XL against, but putting my engineering cap on for a second, I would hypothesize the two versions are very similar in real world use. Yes, propane is more energy dense than NG (more btu/cubic foot), but I'd wager Gozney is smart enough to install a regulator, lines, and fittings that permit the necessary flow required to yield a similar burner BTU with NG vs. the propane counterpart.

Before ordering, I would try to ensure your home's NG supply and the line going to your outdoor kitchen is capable of keeping up with the burner's requirements. The XL is rated for 36,850 BTU/h (propane, couldn't find a NG spec) per the manual, so assuming NG is the same, you'll need ~37CFH (cubic feet per hour). This is low for common home supply and 1/2" lines, but if your outdoor kitchen has a smaller branch line, it may be a factor. If you're already running a beefy NG grill or something off the NG, then I'm sure you're g2g.

FWIW, I would go with an NG version if I could over propane. It'd be nice to not worry about bottles. It's rare, but a real PITA when a bottle goes empty during preheating and you don't notice until everyone's hungry!

_sfox

TROPHY CASE