A continuous casting device comprises a hollow body having one or more side walls and a heat-destructible base portion having one or more inclined surfaces. The device is for location beneath a ladle nozzle through which a tundish is to be supplied with molten metal e.g. steel. When the device is lowered through a layer of slag floating on the surface of the metal in the tundish the slag is deflected away from the base of the device. In this way a substantially slag free zone is provided into which molten metal may pass from a ladle into a tundish virtually free from contamination.