SMEG toaster and kettle review: are these gorgeous appliances worth your cash?

Retro appliances don't get any better than those on offer from Smeg. Though your first thought might be to their iconic fridge collection, the accompanying toaster and kettle set definitely deserve their moment in the sun too, with a design to rival top brands like KitchenAid and a range of colours that will suit any kitchen (literally - there's 16 as far as I can count). 

To see if they deserved a place in our guide to the best kettles and the best toasters, I tried out this appliance set at our test kitchen, making many cups of tea and eating lots of toast in the process. The results make one thing clear; this set performs just as excellently as it looks. Keep reading to see my full thoughts, as well as to see how each appliance looks on a countertop.

Who wrote this review?

Molly Cleary

Molly is the Ecommerce Editor for Ideal Home and is always on the lookout for the next must-buy product for your home. Covering all things appliance related, she regularly heads to Future's Test Facility in Reading to thoroughly put products through their paces. 

She tested the Smeg toaster and kettle set in Reading along with over 10 other branded sets to see how they performed. She was kindly sent the Smeg set in order to test by AO.com which was allowed to be kept for long term testing, meaning that she's had plenty of use with both of these appliances at home.

Unboxing 

If you order this toaster and kettle set, you'll be wowed by it as soon as it arrives in its boxes, which are almost as pretty as the appliances themselves. There's a small circle at the corner of every box which lets you know what colour your appliances are inside. 

The kettle we tested came in stainless steel, while the toaster was pristine in the lovely white shade. Granted they don't match, but they did give me a good idea of the difference in picking up a stainless steel appliance (spoiler alert - they are a lot harder to clean).

Taking this toaster and kettle set out of the boxes was a stress-free affair and there was minimal packaging to have to throw away afterwards. As with the Dualit kettle and toaster set, I found when testing that on first use both of these appliances can give off a bit of a weird smell, but this is totally normal when first using things like these, and likely is absolutely nothing to worry about. 

How does the Smeg TSF01 2 Slice Toaster perform?

The look of the Smeg 2-slice toaster was miles ahead of any other bread-based appliance we looked at on our testing day. The retro design is a total winner, and the iconic SMEG lettering means the brand would be instantly recognisable on your countertop. On the side, there's a lever which controls both slots, as well as a timer dial and a cancel button. 

Key features of this toaster include anti-slip feet (very practical), a cable tidy and a bagel setting. Getting down to the business of toasting couldn't be easier, you just pop the slices into the slots and press the lever down before selecting the number of minutes you need - there are up to 6. 

The dial itself lights up when the toaster is working so that you know it's on. There's also a cancel button if you change your mind about your toast, which seems unfathomable to me but may happen.

I love the bagel mode with this toaster, which only activates the outer heating elements so that you have the perfect springy bread result. You can also defrost freezer bread with the defrost mode, which is a godsend for being savvy with food.

The toast you can see in the photo above was achieved with around two minutes on the clock. Most of the other toasters we were testing that day took at least three minutes to reach this desired brownness, which goes to show just how powerful this Smeg appliance is. 

The only thing it didn't have? Individual slot controls or the kind of souped-up auto sensor technology that we found in the KitchenAid 2 Slice Artisan toaster. 

How does the SMEG KLF03 Kettle perform?

The stainless steel design of this kettle is somewhat futuristic, and honestly would not be my first choice when there are so many beautiful delicate pastel shades to choose from. Alas, it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to the actual performance of this kettle, which is fantastic.

Standout features of the kettle include the soft open lid (it was a talking point on our testing day), the 360-degree connection base and the built-in limescale filter. The cable tidy is a thing I find very handy in my tiny kitchen too, and you can get 6 mugs from filling this up once. 

This kettle is very quick to boil, and not overly noisy. To see how well it retains heat, we also measured the temperature 30 minutes later, which was held at 73 degrees - pretty good going, and means that your second boil will be a lot quicker. 

The one thing that I don't love about this kettle is the cleaning upkeep. I live in an area with hard water and find that any splashes that get onto the front of the kettle really stubbornly hold on, and are so difficult to get off. It's another reason I wouldn't opt for the stainless steel if I were buying this for myself. 

Should you buy the Smeg Toaster and Kettle set?

If you have the money to splash out on your next kettle and toaster set, then I would definitely recommend this set, which has a performance to match just how gorgeous it is. However, I would steer clear of the stainless steel or other metal finishes if you are battling against hard water like I am.

The two other sets that I think rival this one are the KitchenAid sets and the Dualit sets, but both of these are similar in extremely pricey RRP. This Smeg set is a real investment money wise (£300 if you opt for both), but from what I've seen so far the high-quality materials should mean that both last you for a very long time, and will continue to be the pride of place in your kitchen. 

About this review, and this reviewer 

In accordance with Ideal Home's testing policy, this toaster and kettle set was evaluated at our testing facility and at home before we came to the conclusions in this review. The products themselves were kindly provided by AO.com.