Cuisinart Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640) vs Turin Legato V2
A thermoblock against a single boiler — two philosophies of the same morning.
Cuisinart
US$599–649 · CA$555–800
The EM-640 packs a grinder, assisted tamper, cold-extraction, and manual steam wand into one cabinet at a price that puts it in direct competition with more refined machines. What you must a…
Full record & live prices →
Turin
US$459–499
The Legato V2 is a white-label Chinese machine that genuinely overdelivers on paper specs for its price — dual PID, adjustable OPV, and simultaneous brew-and-steam in a tidy stainless box. T…
Full record & live prices →The split
Where they actually differ
On 7 of 11 measures these two tie. The 4 rows below are the entire argument.
Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640)
Legato V2
Ready when you are
Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640) leads, decisively
30 sec· ~5 min
Value per dollar
Legato V2 leads, decisively
Shot ceiling
Legato V2 leads, clearly
Push-button convenience
Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640) leads, clearly
weakerstronger
The counter’s vote
Looks barely figure in either machine’s record — the counter can sit this one out.
Legato V2: Minimal brushed-steel aesthetic typical of budget prosumer segment; no design-led purchasing signals observed in community reviews.
Only the Legato V2: PID temperature control.
Only the Legato V2: brewing and steaming at once.
Only the Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640): a hot-water tap.
Where they tie: milk & steam · back-to-back drinks · reliability record · forgiving to learn on · parts & repair — don’t let a spec sheet invent a difference.
On the counter
The size difference, to scale
So — which one?
Take the Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640) if —
- Patience is not your virtue at 6 a.m.
- You want a button, not a ritual
- Americanos and tea share the counter
Take the Legato V2 if —
- Every dollar has to earn its place
- The shot itself is the hobby
- You want the temperature argument settled
- Mornings run on a clock
Both columns reading true? Take the one your gut already picked — then stop reading reviews. Fresh beans will move the cup more than this choice will.
Known weak points
Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640)
Frother wand durability concerns; proprietary portafilter and parts limit long-term serviceability.
Legato V2
Unencased PCB board vulnerable to water/moisture damage; plastic water tank connectors reported brittle; limited OPV design in V1 (V2 reportedly corrected).
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Espresso Bar Grind & Brew Espresso Machine (EM-640)
Legato V2
Type
Thermoblock / thermojet
Single boiler
Heat-up time
30 seconds
~5 min
Steam power
2/5
2.5/5
Brew + steam at once
No
Yes
Guest recovery
1.5/5
2/5
Shot quality ceiling
2.5/5
3.5/5
PID temperature control
No
Yes
Milk system
Manual steam wand
Manual steam wand
Removable brew group
No
No
Hot-water tap
Yes
—
Cup clearance
20 cm
—
Workflow demand
3/5
3/5
Maintenance
2.5/5
2/5
Noise
3/5
3/5
Build longevity
2.5/5
2.5/5
Dimensions
37.9 × 40.6 × 41.5 cm
28 × 32 × 38 cm
One owner each
“The frother wand was perhaps the trickiest aspect of this machine to get to grips with, although that's no different to other models I've tried with this functionality.”
“The Legato is absolutely a phenomenal machine for the relatively low price tag and is 100% a Gaggia killer as long as it holds up... I've been using it for a few shots a day for a month now, and it blows away my modded Gaggia on ease of use.”
Wrong match-up? Change one side → — any two on file compare.
Still torn?
This page weighs them against each other. The finder weighs them against your mornings.
Two minutes of questions — milk, noise, budget, space — scored across everything on file. It’s honest when the answer is neither of these.
Take the two-minute finder →