Morphy Richards Cassini Toaster review: “reliably makes decent toast every single morning”

RRP at time of testing: £70 | Check price at Amazon, Argos or Morphy Richards directly

Our verdict

Four-slice toasters have a habit of promising domestic harmony before descending into petty breakfast warfare. One side burns, the other barely colours, somebody wants frozen waffles, somebody else suddenly “doesn’t like seeded bread anymore” and before 8am you’re arguing with a kitchen appliance.

The Morphy Richards Cassini toaster looks exactly like the kind of product that prioritises aesthetics over actual performance. The textured finish, illuminated buttons and coordinated colourways all suggest it was designed with Instagram kitchens firmly in mind. Surprisingly, though, it is good at making toast. 

During daily testing, Nicola found the Cassini consistently reliable across repeated batches, which turned out to be its biggest selling point. Unlike her previous four-slice toaster, the settings stayed predictable even when making several rounds back-to-back for family breakfasts. No random scorching halfway through. No constant dial adjustments. No standing guard over crumpets like a Victorian chimney sweep.

That consistency matters more than flashy features in real life. And the Cassini handles the practical basics very well indeed. The controls are clear, the slots comfortably fit thicker bread and bagels and the defrost setting proved useful in a household that regularly keeps spare loaves in the freezer.

Side by side, the Cassini toaster and kettle look lovely together

There are still reminders that this isn’t a luxury toaster. The plastic levers slightly undermine the otherwise polished appearance, and cleaning around the chrome top edge is more awkward than it should be because crumbs collect in the narrow lip around the slots.

But overall, this feels like a toaster that earns its keep rather than relying purely on appearance. Nicola ultimately rated it more highly than the matching Cassini kettle because the day-to-day experience actually backs up the premium look.

If you want a four-slice toaster that looks smart, performs consistently and copes well with chaotic family breakfasts, the Cassini is easy to recommend.

How we’ve tested the Morphy Richards Cassini Toaster

Stay-at-home mum-of-two Nicola tested the Morphy Richards Cassini 4-Slice Toaster in her family kitchen for over a month, using it daily for everything from standard sliced bread to bagels and crumpets.

During testing, she assessed toasting consistency, speed and ease of use, as well as how easy the toaster is to clean. She also considered how durable the toaster is and whether performance was consistent. Finally - her job was to find out whether or not the toaster is practical and easy to use during busy family moments throughout the day. 

Importantly, Nicola also compared it directly against her previously tested De’Longhi toaster, which gave her useful real-world context around consistency and everyday usability.

Morphy Richards Cassini 4-Slice Toaster: what’s inside the box?

Inside the box you’ll find:

• Morphy Richards Cassini 4 Slice Toaster

• A removable crumb tray

• An instruction manual

Setup is straightforward, according to Nicola. There was no unnecessary faff and no mysterious packaging engineering degree required. Nicola simply plugged it in and ran an initial toast cycle to clear the factory smell before using it properly.

As she put it: “Super easy. No unnecessary plastic packaging in the box.” 

There's no excess packaging, which was appreciated by Nicola

First impressions of the Morphy Richards Cassini 4-Slice Toaster

The Cassini toaster has clearly been designed for people who care what their kitchen looks like. The geometric texture and matte finish immediately make it feel more contemporary than the usual sea of reflective black and silver appliances.

Nicola tested the dark blue “Outer Space” version and liked how understated it looked on the worktop: “I love the matte finish of the toaster. I think it makes it feel more modern and it matches our matte kitchen cupboards perfectly.”

There are also small touches that help it feel slightly more expensive than it actually is. The illuminated buttons are probably the best example of this. Entirely unnecessary? Possibly. Weirdly satisfying at 6.30am before coffee? Also yes.

“The extra touches like the light that illuminates from each button when it's on makes it look like a premium toaster,” shared Nicola.

The overall build quality is decent too, although not flawless. Nicola noticed that the levers are plastic rather than metal, which slightly chips away at the otherwise premium feel: “The levers that pull down the bread are plastic, however the top has a chrome finish that you would expect to find.”

Still, nothing about it feels flimsy or cheap in use. And importantly for a family appliance, it feels designed to be used heavily rather than treated delicately.

This is a toaster that looks as good as it's advertised

How does the Morphy Richards Cassini toaster perform?

Very well, actually. The biggest compliment you can give a toaster is probably that it gets on with its job without requiring constant supervision or adjustment. The Cassini manages exactly that.

Nicola found the toasting impressively even across both slices and slots: “The toast is always evenly toasted!”

That may sound basic, but anyone who’s owned a mediocre toaster knows consistency is surprisingly hard to come by, especially in four-slice models where one side inevitably seems determined to incinerate bread while the other barely warms it.

Even more impressively, the Cassini maintained that consistency across repeated batches.

This was something Nicola specifically compared favourably against the De’Longhi toaster she tested: “The second lot of toasting usually ended up being burnt, even though it was on the same setting.”

That issue never appeared during testing with the Cassini, though: “It actually performs better as it is always consistent."

For busy households, having a reliable appliance matters. Nobody wants to hover beside the toaster constantly recalibrating settings depending on whether it’s the first or fourth round of toast that morning.

The Cassini also handled different bread types well, including:

• Thick sliced bread

• Seeded bread

• Crumpets

• Bagels

Interestingly, Nicola didn’t miss having a dedicated bagel setting nearly as much as expected: “There is no bagel mode, which I thought might be an issue as my son likes a bagel in the morning, but it hasn't been a problem.”

The defrost function also proved useful rather than just existing to bulk out the feature list: “The defrost function is a plus in our house, as we usually keep a spare loaf in the freezer.”

Despite the crumb tray, Nicola did have to turn the toaster upside down to clean it thoroughly

Is the Morphy Richards Cassini 4-Slice Toaster durable? Built to last? 

So far, yes. After weeks of daily use, Nicola reported no signs of wear, looseness or deterioration. That’s encouraging, particularly given the toaster is being used every morning in a family kitchen rather than displayed on a pristine showroom counter.

The controls also appear to have held up well. Nicola repeatedly praised the dials and settings for feeling clear and intuitive.

Compared to some toasters where browning settings function more as vague emotional suggestions than actual controls, the Cassini appears refreshingly predictable.

The only slight compromise in perceived quality comes from the plastic levers. They don’t necessarily feel cheap, but they do slightly undermine the otherwise premium aesthetic.

Still, Nicola ultimately compared it favourably with her previous De’Longhi Icona toaster, which is fairly impressive praise considering the Icona range is generally regarded as a solid mid-premium option.

Is the Morphy Richards Cassini Toaster easy to use?

Yes. Very. This is probably the Cassini toaster’s strongest area overall.

Everything about it sounds straightforward:

• Wide slots

• Clear controls

• Smooth levers

• Practical four-slice capacity

• Easy bread retrieval

Nicola rated virtually every usability category highly, including:

• Stopping toast midway

• Checking progress

• Adjusting browning levels

• Removing toast safely

The high-lift function also makes smaller slices easier to remove without resorting to the deeply unsafe ritual of fishing around with cutlery.

The four-slot design is particularly useful for families, with Nicola describing it as: “Just right.”

That may be one of the least detailed quotes in the review, but honestly, it’s one of the most valuable. Kitchen appliances don’t need to change your life. They just need to slot into it without becoming annoying. And that’s very much the impression the Cassini toaster gives. 

The only real usability annoyance Nicola found involved cleaning: “The top of the toaster on the chrome finish has a lower ledge all the way round which holds crumbs.”

Unfortunately, the narrow gap makes those crumbs awkward to remove properly, according to Nicola: “It does involve having to turn the toaster upside down to get the crumbs out.”

That’s irritating rather than disastrous, but still worth knowing if breadcrumbs on kitchen counters already send you over the edge.

Unlike the matching kettle, Nicola feels the toaster is worth the price

Is the Morphy Richards Cassini Toaster worth the price?

More than the matching kettle, certainly. With an RRP of £70, the Cassini toaster sits firmly in the mid-range market. That means expectations are reasonably high, particularly given the plastic construction.

But unlike the Cassini kettle, the toaster actually feels like it justifies the premium styling with equally solid day-to-day performance.

Nicola was extremely positive overall: “This definitely feels as good as my previous De'longhi Icona toaster.”

More importantly, she’d actively choose to buy it herself. And perhaps the strongest endorsement of all: “When it stops working for whatever reason in the future, I will not hesitate in purchasing the same model.”

Comparison: Morphy Richards’ Cassini vs Illumination toasters

Final verdict: is this the toaster for you?

The Morphy Richards Cassini 4 Slice Toaster ended up being more impressive than expected.

At first glance, it’s easy to assume you’re mainly paying for the styling. And yes, the textured finish and coordinated colour options are obviously part of the appeal. But unlike plenty of design-first kitchen appliances, this one actually performs under pressure.

The biggest success here is consistency. Nicola found the Cassini reliable across repeated rounds of toast, easy to use and noticeably better than her previous toaster when it came to even browning. For busy households trying to get breakfast sorted quickly without micromanaging toaster settings, that matters.

It’s not perfect. The crumb-catching ledge is annoying to clean and the plastic levers slightly dent the premium feel. But those are relatively minor complaints in an appliance that otherwise works exactly as you want it to.

And honestly, that’s probably why Nicola rated it so highly. Not because it’s revolutionary or packed with gimmicks, but because it reliably makes decent toast every single morning without becoming irritating. Which, for a toaster, is what most families want.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of hands-on testing. We never accept payment for coverage, and our verdicts are independent and honest. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links, which helps fund our work - but it never influences our opinions.

All prices are correct at the time of writing.

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