Smeg 50’s Style Retro Breakfast Set Review: good-looking gear that finally makes toast and tea feel a bit premium

I’ve been using this Smeg 50’s Style Retro Range Breakfast Set (the 1.7L kettle and 4-slice toaster in white) for a few weeks now, every single day. I’m not a collector of fancy kitchen stuff, I just make a lot of tea and toast and was curious to see if this pricey set was actually worth it or just Instagram bait. So this is from the point of view of someone who usually buys mid-range kettles and toasters from supermarkets or Argos.

First thing: this set is not cheap. You feel the hit when you buy it, especially when you know you can get a basic kettle and toaster combo for a fraction of the price. So my mindset was basically: if I’m paying this much, it needs to do more than just look nice on the counter. It needs to feel solid, work fast, and not annoy me with silly design choices.

In daily use, I’ve been making 3–5 boils of the kettle a day and using the toaster most mornings for two people. So far it’s handled that without any issues. No odd noises, no weird smells the first time, and nothing has broken or loosened yet. For a new product, that’s the minimum, but I’ve had cheaper kettles start whining or leaking after just a month, so I was paying attention to that.

Overall, my first impression is that it’s a good-looking, solid-feeling set that does the basics well. But it’s not perfect, and the price makes every little flaw more noticeable. If you just want something cheap that toasts bread, this is clearly overkill. If you care about how your kitchen looks and want something that feels a bit more premium in the hand, then it starts to make more sense – as long as you accept you’re paying a style tax.

This is the part where it gets a bit tricky. In pure functional terms, you can get a kettle and 4-slice toaster that boil water and toast bread for a lot less. So if you judge only on basic function, the Smeg set is expensive for what it does. You’re clearly paying for design, brand, and materials as much as performance. That said, it doesn’t feel like you’re just paying for a logo – the build and day-to-day use are better than the cheap stuff.

Compared to a mid-range set from brands like Russell Hobbs or Breville, you’re probably paying roughly double. What you get in return is: nicer design, heavier and more solid materials, slightly quieter kettle, bigger toaster slots, and a more premium feel overall. If those things matter to you, the price starts to make more sense. If you just shove your toaster in a corner and don’t care what it looks like, then no, this won’t feel like good value.

From my own use, I’d say the value is decent but not mind-blowing. I like using it, and it does make the kitchen feel a bit more put together. The kettle is fast and pleasant to handle, the toaster is reliable and flexible with the two control panels and large slots. I don’t feel like I’ve thrown money away, but I’m also aware that a cheaper set would have covered my basic needs just fine.

So who gets good value out of this? People who: care about aesthetics, use their toaster and kettle daily, and plan to keep them for several years. For someone setting up a rental or a student flat, this is overkill. For someone who wants their appliances to match and look good on display, it starts to feel reasonable. Just go into it knowing you’re paying partly for how it looks and feels, not just for boiling water and browning bread.

Design-wise, this is where the Smeg set clearly stands out. The white colour with the chrome details and the big SMEG letters across the front give it that retro vibe straight away. Compared to my old brushed steel kettle and a cheap black toaster, this set instantly makes the worktop look a bit more put-together. It’s not subtle, but in a good way: you either like that 50’s style or you don’t, and I personally do.

The shapes are rounded and chunky, especially the toaster. It’s not a small appliance. If you’ve got a tiny kitchen or very limited counter space, you’ll definitely feel it. The toaster is wider and taller than my old 2-slice, obviously, but even compared to other 4-slice toasters it feels a bit more bulky because of those curved sides. The kettle is more compact than it looks in photos, but still has a decent presence. So if you’re going for a very minimal, hidden-appliance look, this won’t help. It’s made to be seen.

In terms of usability, the design is mostly practical. The dials on the toaster have a nice resistance to them and don’t feel loose. The levers go down smoothly, and the buttons are clear and simple. The kettle’s handle is thick and easy to grab, and the soft-opening lid is actually useful: it doesn’t spring open and splash condensation everywhere, it just lifts gently when you press the button. Small thing, but it makes filling it under the tap less annoying.

On the downside, the glossy white finish looks great when it’s clean but shows fingerprints and marks fairly easily, especially around the handle and lid of the kettle. You end up wiping it down more often if you’re fussy about that. Also, because the toaster is so shiny, crumbs and dust stand out more. So yes, the design is nice, but you pay for that both in money and in cleaning effort. Overall, I’d say the design is its strongest point, but you need to actually like the retro look to justify the price.

The set is mainly stainless steel with an enamelled finish, and you can feel that in the weight. Neither the kettle nor the toaster feel cheap or hollow. The kettle especially has a good heft to it, and the base doesn’t slide around when you put it down quickly. Compared to my previous mid-range plastic kettle, this one feels much more solid and less rattly when it boils.

The toaster body is also metal, with some plastic parts like the levers and the bottom trim. The plastic doesn’t feel fragile, but it’s not super thick either. It’s somewhere in the middle: better than bargain models, not quite industrial grade. The crumb trays slide out smoothly and don’t bend when you handle them, which is reassuring. The internal racks that centre the bread move evenly on both sides and don’t feel like they’re going to snap off if you use slightly thicker bread.

Heat-wise, the kettle gets hot on the outside, which is normal for metal kettles, but it’s not insane to the point where you burn yourself if you brush against it. You still need to be careful, especially with kids around. The handle stays cool enough to grab without thinking about it. On the toaster, the top edge gets hot during longer toasting sessions, but again, nothing unusual. Just don’t rest anything plastic on top of it, which you shouldn’t be doing anyway.

After a few weeks, there are no chips in the enamel and no peeling or discoloration. That’s a good sign, but long-term we’ll see how it handles bumps and knocks. I wouldn’t call it indestructible – if you smack it with a heavy pan, you’ll probably mark it – but for normal everyday use it feels pretty solid. I’d just say: treat it like a premium appliance, not like something you throw around, and it should hold up fine.

I haven’t had this set for years obviously, but with daily use over several weeks, I can at least comment on how it’s holding up so far. Both appliances still look and feel the same as day one, apart from the usual fingerprints and a few tiny water spots on the chrome, which wipe off. No rattling parts, no loose dials, no weird burning smell after repeated use. That’s already better than some budget sets I’ve had that started to feel tired after a month.

The hinges and moving parts seem solid. The kettle lid still opens smoothly with the soft-open mechanism, it hasn’t started sticking or slamming. The toaster levers go down with the same resistance as at the start, and they pop up fully every time; I’ve had cheap toasters where the lever got weaker and started not locking properly, and there’s no sign of that here yet. The crumb trays slide in and out without grinding or bending, which sounds minor but is often where cheaper models show their weakness.

Because it’s stainless steel with an enamel finish, I’m less worried about yellowing or cracking than with plastic appliances. The main risk is scratching or chipping the enamel if you’re rough with it or bang it with other metal stuff. I’ve been reasonably careful, and so far no chips or marks. The white colour is still white, no weird heat stains. Inside the kettle, limescale buildup will depend on your water; I’m in a hard water area, and after a few weeks there’s a light layer forming at the bottom, which is normal. A standard descaler will sort that out – nothing unusual.

The 2-year guarantee from Smeg (once you register the product) is a nice safety net. It doesn’t magically make it indestructible, but for a set in this price range, I’d call that the minimum acceptable warranty. I can’t judge their customer service yet, but just having that coverage does make me less nervous about spending more. Overall, based on build and early use, I’d say durability looks promising, but of course, real proof will be after a couple of years of daily breakfast abuse.

On performance, the kettle is the easier one to judge: it’s 3000W and 1.7L, and it boils fast. From cold tap water to a full boil at max fill takes around 3–4 minutes in my case, and a single mug’s worth is done noticeably quicker than my old 2200W kettle. The automatic shut-off at 100°C works properly – it clicks off cleanly with no random restarts or half-boils. There’s no weird plastic taste either, even in the first few uses, which I appreciated because I’ve had cheaper kettles where the water tasted off for days.

Noise-wise, it’s not silent, but it’s quieter than my previous kettle. You can still have a conversation in the kitchen while it’s boiling without shouting. There’s a steady hum rather than a high-pitched whistle. That lines up with what some reviewers say about it being a quiet kettle. Nothing earth-shattering, just less annoying in the morning.

The toaster is where you notice more detail. The 4 large 36 mm slots are genuinely useful. Standard sliced bread, thick farmhouse loaves, and bagels all fit without forcing them in. The self-centring feature works: the bread ends up roughly in the middle and you get decent even browning on both sides. On my unit, the browning levels are fairly accurate: around level 3 gives a light golden toast, level 4–5 is proper brown, and 6 is getting into very dark territory. You do have to experiment a bit at first, but once you find your setting it’s consistent.

The two independent control panels are handy if you live with someone who likes their toast a different shade, or if you want to defrost frozen bread on one side and just reheat on the other. The defrost and reheat functions do what they’re supposed to do – nothing special, but effective. On the downside, it’s not the fastest toaster I’ve used. It’s fine, but if you’re used to very aggressive toasters, this one might feel a bit more relaxed. For me, the trade-off is okay because the result is more even, but if you’re always in a rush, that’s something to keep in mind.

Out of the box, you get the white 1.7L kettle (model KLF03WHUK) and the 4-slice toaster (TSF03WHUK), both in that retro 50’s style Smeg is known for. No extra accessories, no silly plastic add-ons, just the two appliances and the usual paperwork. The set I got weighed about 7 kg in total, and you do feel that weight when you lift each piece; they don’t feel hollow or flimsy.

The kettle is a standard 1.7L, 3000W model with a soft-opening lid and automatic shut-off at 100°C. It sits on a 360° swivel base, so you can drop it on from any angle, which I find handy when I’m half-asleep in the morning. The toaster is a 4-slice, 2000W unit with two independent control panels, so you can toast two slices on one side and something different on the other. Each slot is about 36 mm wide, which is wide enough for thick sliced bread and bagels without wrestling them in.

Controls are straightforward: on the toaster you get browning level dials, buttons for reheat, defrost, and bagel (only toasting one side). On the kettle there’s a simple on/off lever and a clear water level indicator on the side. No Wi-Fi, no app, no nonsense. Personally, I prefer that. I don’t need my toaster to talk to my phone. I just need it to toast evenly and not burn everything on setting 2.

In terms of what’s promised versus what you get, the product page talks about self-centring racks in the toaster, large slots, and excellent heat conduction from the enamelled stainless steel kettle. All that stuff is actually there and not just marketing fluff. You can see the racks move to centre the bread when you push the lever, and the kettle does heat water fast. The 2-year guarantee from Smeg (if you register) is also there, which gives a bit of peace of mind with the higher price, though I haven’t had to use it so I can’t say how good their service is in practice.