The Best All-in-One Printer for Home Use
An all-in-one printer, one that prints, scans and copies, is the sensible choice for most homes. The hard part is not the printer itself but the running cost, because a cheap printer with expensive ink can cost you far more over its life than a pricier one that sips ink. This guide explains the three main types, the costs that matter, and how to pick the right one.
At a glance
- All-in-one
- Prints, scans and copies
- Cheapest to run for text
- Laser
- Cheapest colour
- Refillable ink tank
- Avoid
- Cheap cartridge inkjets, dear to run
Key takeaways
- Look at running cost, not just the price. A cheap cartridge printer can cost more over time than a dearer, cheaper-to-run model.
- For mostly black-and-white text, a laser is cheapest to run and never dries out.
- For colour and photos, a refillable ink tank (such as an Epson EcoTank or Canon MegaTank) beats cartridges hands down.
- Avoid cheap cartridge inkjets if you print regularly; the ink is where they get you.
Start with how you actually print
The right printer depends entirely on what you print:
- Mostly text documents, in black and white? A laser printer is the clear winner.
- A mix of colour documents, and the odd photo? A refillable ink tank printer.
- Only a handful of pages a year? A budget all-in-one may be fine, but check the ink is not absurdly expensive.
Be honest about your habits. Buying a photo-focused printer you rarely use, or a cheap one you print on daily, are the two most common and costly mistakes.
Inkjet vs laser vs ink tank
The three types suit different homes:
- Cartridge inkjet. Cheap to buy, but the cartridges are where the cost lands, and they can dry out if unused. Fine for very light use, expensive for regular printing.
- Laser. Costs more upfront but runs for a fraction of a penny per page and never dries out. Ideal if most of your printing is black-and-white text. Colour lasers exist but cost more.
- Refillable ink tank. Printers like the Epson EcoTank and Canon MegaTank use bottled ink that costs a fraction of cartridge ink. They cost more upfront but are by far the cheapest way to print colour at home.
The running cost is the real cost
This is the point most buyers miss. A £40 printer can quietly cost you several times its price in ink over a couple of years, while a £200 ink-tank model can print thousands of pages for pennies.
If you print any real volume, work out the cost per page, not just the sticker price. Bottled ink in a tank printer can cost around 95% less than the equivalent in cartridges, and laser toner works out at a couple of pence a page or less. Over the life of the printer, that gap dwarfs the difference in purchase price.
Check price on AmazonLive price · opens in a new tabWhat else to look for
Beyond the type, a few features are worth having:
- Wireless printing from your phone and laptop, which almost all now offer.
- Automatic double-sided printing to halve your paper use.
- A document feeder if you scan or copy multi-page documents.
- Reasonable size, since all-in-ones can be bulky for a small desk.
Frequently asked questions
Is an all-in-one printer worth it? For most homes, yes. Print, scan and copy in one device covers nearly everything a household needs.
Is inkjet or laser cheaper to run? For black-and-white text, laser is cheaper and never dries out. For colour, a refillable ink tank is cheapest; cartridge inkjets are the most expensive to run.
Why is printer ink so expensive? Cheap cartridge printers are often sold at a loss and the money is made back on ink. That is exactly why ink-tank and laser models work out cheaper overall.
Kitting out a home office? A printer is one piece; see our guide to 7 iPhone apps for entrepreneurs for more, and remember to factor running costs into any home-working budget.
