The 8 best inkjet printers 2023 in comparison

From TECHBOOK | March 11, 2023 at 4:40 p.m

Nowadays you no longer have to spend a fortune on an inkjet printer. The choice is also increasing, so it is not easy to find the best inkjet printer for you. We’re here to help and offer some recommendations for quality printers that are worth buying.

• the price
• the print quality
• the question of whether it should be a multifunction device
• the follow-up costs

Especially with the follow-up costs, it is crucial whether the device is also compatible with cheap cartridges. In the past, it was found that some well-known manufacturers are starting to block third-party ink with firmware updates. The well-known US brand HP even explicitly refers to security aspects in this regard. One of the consequences of this is that print cartridges with a chip that does not come from HP itself may no longer be compatible with the printer. But in addition to choosing third-party products, which do not always come close to the original ink in terms of quality, there are other ways to really save money when printing.

This is how you can save money with the inkjet printer

First of all: Printing costs and the question of the economy of devices are really important for consumers with a high volume of printing. For those who print a lot, for example, the ink subscriptions of the printer providers will also be of interest.

These often offer corresponding tariffs, which can also be adjusted to individual printing behavior. Then you automatically get new cartridges delivered. This is particularly worthwhile for frequent printers who regularly use up their booked contingent. Another strategy: If you own a so-called bottle printer, which is equipped with refill bottles instead of exchangeable cartridges, you can also save. Here the device prices are in the higher segment, but the follow-up costs are lower.

However, the crucial question when determining the printing costs is how many pages an inkjet printer creates with one set of cartridges. However, it should also be noted that parameters such as print quality can put the result into perspective. Similar to digital cameras, this can be individually configured by the photo resolution. And the print content, i.e. what is printed, is also decisive. Pure text, for example, uses significantly less ink than photos or graphics. The following applies: the better the quality expected from the printed product, the higher the consumption.

The best inkjet printers

Below we present eight inkjet printers, all of which offer good value for money.

Epson EcoTank ET-8500

Among other things, the test winner can outperform the competition with excellent print quality. The 6-color ink tank system also ensures high-quality photo printing. With the black pigment ink, razor-sharp text can be printed on normal printer paper. The inexpensive printouts are praised. Thanks to the refillable ink bottles and ink tanks, the Epson EcoTank ET-8500 can also be used in an environmentally friendly and efficient manner. The app can also be used with a smartphone.

Advantages:

• high-quality photo quality thanks to the 6-color ink tank system
• easy-to-use tank system
• trouble-free integration into the existing network via Wi-Fi and Ethernet
• Easy operation via app possible
• constant high printing speed

Disadvantages:

• Ink must be filled
• Processing reveals weaknesses
• less suitable for professional office applications

Also interesting: The 5 best multifunction printers with WLAN

HP DeskJet 2720e

Among other things, the HP DeskJet 2720e is particularly suitable for the printing tasks that arise in the family household. Invoices, work for school and tickets can be printed out in the best quality. Buyers can benefit from HP+ and don’t have to worry about missing ink in the future, because the tanks are automatically reordered. The HP app also facilitates smart printing. The inkjet printer is compatible with smartphone, tablet or USB.

Advantages:

• versatile printer for everyday use
• 6-month Instant Ink plan included
• automatic reordering of ink online possible
• mobile printing through HP Smart app

Disadvantages:

• Installation poses problems
• above-average volume when printing
• slow print speed

HP OfficeJet Pro 9012e

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9012e quickly pays for itself as a versatile multifunction printer. Automatic duplex printing not only saves paper, but also time. The clear touch display also allows the printing options to be entered directly on the device. The high printing speed enables printing of up to 22 pages per minute. Color printouts can also be printed out every minute in 18 pages. HP Instant Ink can be tried for six months if signed up within a week of purchase.

Advantages:

• automatic duplex printing
• Clear color display for input on the device
• 6 months HP Instant Ink. to try
• high print speed

Disadvantages:

• full range of functions only possible with app use and account creation
• Case looks rather inferior
• Manual reveals weaknesses

Epson Eco Tank ET-2720

The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 model is an inkjet printer with a large, refillable ink tank – so no ink cartridges are required. The ink tank is located on the front of the device, which allows for clean and convenient refilling. The Epson original ink for refilling is also relatively inexpensive in comparison and can be obtained in large-volume ink bottles. These correspond to the content of up to 88 ink cartridges and are sufficient for up to 3,600 pages in black and white and 6,500 pages in colour. When printing text on DIN A4 normal paper, one page costs around 28 cents.

Advantages:

• extremely low printing costs
• good text printing

Disadvantages:

• Moderate color printing on plain paper
• low paper feed

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Canon Pixma G7050

The Canon PIXMA G7050 inkjet printer is suitable for printing images and color graphics thanks to its high resolution. It is also a real workhorse: the device can print up to 18,000 pages if you equip it with three bottles of black ink; the color set brings it to 7700 pages). Automatic two-sided printing, a plain paper capacity of up to 350 sheets and two paper trays also contribute to increased productivity. The Canon PIXMA G7050 model is a good alternative to classic color lasers that work with expensive toner cartridges. A page of text costs around 30 cents, a color page around 50 cents and an A4 photo around 7 cents. On the other hand, the PixmaG7050 is significantly slower than the laser competition at 13 or 6.8 pages per minute (color).

Advantages:

• extremely low printing costs
• large paper compartment and LC display
• Automatic feeder for copies and scans
• high image resolution of 4800 × 1200 dpi

Disadvantages:

• significantly slower than laser printers
• Display sometimes hard to read

HP Smart Tank Plus 655

The HP Smart Tank Plus 655 is a multifunction printer (i.e. printer, scanner, copier and fax machine) that is sold with original HP ink for up to three years of printing (based on ISO/IEC 24712). It can print up to 12,000 pages in black and white or 8,000 pages in color per tank of fuel. Its speed is mediocre at 11 pages per minute (black and white) and five pages per minute (color), but the print quality is good. All prints are both water and fade resistant. With the HP app you can print from anywhere and check the fill level. Should the large-volume ink tank ever be empty, it can be refilled without dripping. At Stiftung Warentest, the inkjet printer took second place in the “Ink or toner costs” category with the category grade “very good” (0.5).

Advantages:

• low printing costs
• touch display
• quiet operation

Disadvantages:

• Copier needs improvement
• a bit slow

Canon Maxify MB2750

The Canon Maxify MB2750 model is a full-fledged inkjet printer, scanner, copier and fax machine – specially designed for the home office with high productivity requirements. With a large 500-sheet paper tray and an automatic document feeder for up to 50 sheets, it offers a generous paper capacity. Economic efficiency is a top priority with this multifunction printer: With an energy consumption of only around 0.2 kilowatt hours (TEC), it manages 2880 pages of text printing on DIN A4 normal paper (1.01 cents) with one cartridge, and 790 pages with one set of colored ink Graphic printing on DIN A4 plain paper (6.83 cents) or 328 photos in 10 × 15 format on photo paper (16.45 cents).

The ink tanks of the Canon Maxify MB2750 printer are also individually interchangeable. Support for Google Cloud Print, Apple AirPrint (iOS), Mopria and the Canon PRINT app enables easy printing and scanning from mobile devices. A mobile device can be connected directly to the multifunction system via the access point mode – a WLAN network is not required for this.

Advantages:

• low printing costs
• high quality print

Disadvantages:

• frequent flushing and cleaning of the print head
• long waiting times before printing starts

Also interesting: Laser or Inkjet? Find the right printer

Brother MFC-J5730DW

The professional inkjet printer Brother MFC-J5730DW is a 4-in-1 multifunction device with full duplex function for double-sided printing, scanning, copying and faxing up to DIN A4. Four separate, optional XL ink cartridges keep printing costs at a moderate level. The Brother MFC-J5730DW model creates 6156 pages of text printing on DIN A4 normal paper (0.70 cents) with one cartridge, and 993 pages of graphics printing on DIN A4 normal paper (8.76 cents) or 404 with a set of color ink 10×15 photos on photo paper (21.53 cents). High-quality prints are achieved using pigmented ink. The device also impresses with its high speed and numerous additional functions, especially in productive use. The automatic duplex printing is a practical feature in combination with the dual scanner. With it, extensive documents can be quickly scanned, copied or faxed without manual intervention – even on both sides if required.

Advantages:

• low printing costs
• high speed
• numerous additional functions

Disadvantages:

• relatively large
• cumbersome menu navigation

Conclusion on economical inkjet printers

When it comes to economy, the inkjet recommendations are mainly about the fact that the purchase price or the follow-up costs are low. Both can have advantages and disadvantages, with the combination of both delivering very good results. A moderate price, high print volume with good quality and cheap cartridges – that’s the best. With our recommendations for economical inkjet printers, you are well prepared.