Method and apparatus for casting metal strip in which molten metal is introduced between a pair of parallel casting rollers (16) via a tundish (18) and delivery nozzle (19). Casting rollers (16) are cooled so that shells solidify on the moving roller surfaces and are brought together at the nip between them to produce a solidified strip product (20) at the roller outlet. The tundish (18), delivery nozzle (19) and a pair of side closure plates (56) to confine the pool of metal on the casting rollers are separately preheated to working temperature and then rapidly brought into an operative assembly and casting is started before detrimental uneven or localized cooling of the preheated components can develop. To avoid material deterioration and metal flow irregularities due to oxidation on preheating, the delivery nozzle (19) and side closure plates (56) are provided with oxidation retarding coatings, for example in the form of ceramic glazing, or are preheated in an inert atmosphere.