For most U.S. homes, a multifunction black-and-white laser printer is the best pick, while an ink tank all-in-one suits households that print color photos or documents regularly.
Choosing the right printer for home use starts with one honest question: what do you mostly print? The answer splits households into two camps, and the wrong choice costs money for years. A black-and-white laser all-in-one is the safest default for families that print schoolwork, text documents, shipping labels, and receipts. Households that need color photos, colored graphs, or low running costs over time should instead buy an ink tank all-in-one.
Both Wirecutter and Consumer Reports reach the same conclusion for typical home use: a black-and-white laser is the best option. Wirecutter names the Brother DCP-L2640DW as its best home-use printer pick. Here is how to decide which machine belongs in your house.
The Decision Rule: Match The Printer To Your Printing
Printer buyers fail in one of two ways: they buy a photo-oriented inkjet for mostly text printing, or they ignore running costs until the first cartridge refill. Avoid both by matching the machine to the job.
- Mostly text, schoolwork, shipping labels, receipts: buy a black-and-white laser all-in-one. Toner lasts far longer than ink, and text comes out crisp on plain paper.
- Need color documents or occasional photos with low running costs: buy an ink tank all-in-one. These printers use refillable reservoirs instead of cartridges, so per-page costs stay low.
- Need fax and an automatic document feeder (ADF) in one device: the HP Smart Tank 7602 includes both, plus print, copy, and scan.
Rule of thumb: if your answer to “color or no color?” is anything less than “regularly,” buy the laser. If color is a weekly need, the ink tank wins.
Three Solid Models For Home Use
Each of these current models covers a different need, and all three are widely stocked at major U.S. retailers.
| Model | Best For | Key Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Brother DCP-L2640DW | Home text printing; Wirecutter’s best home-use pick | Black-and-white laser all-in-one; print, copy, scan |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | Color documents and occasional photos on a budget | $199.99; cartridge-free ink tank; scan, copy, auto 2-sided |
| HP Smart Tank 7602 | Home office needing fax and ADF in one device | Print, copy, scan, fax, ADF; up to 15 ppm black |
If you want to see how these three stack up against other tested contenders, our roundup of the best computer printers for home use compares the top models side by side.
Brother DCP-L2640DW: The Safe Text Printer
Wirecutter recommends this Brother model as the best home-use printer, and for good reason: it handles the two jobs most households actually print — school paperwork and shipping labels — with zero fuss. Because it is a laser, each toner cartridge lasts for thousands of pages, which keeps the math favorable for homes that print text weekly.
Epson EcoTank ET-2850: Low-Cost Color Without Cartridges
Epson sells the ET-2850 as a cartridge-free supertank printer, and its U.S. product page confirms the essentials: wireless connectivity, scan, copy, and auto two-sided printing at $199.99. The ink tank system means you refill reservoirs from bottles instead of swapping cartridges, which slashes long-term ink costs. Print resolution reaches 5,760 x 1,440 DPI, and ISO print speeds run 10.5 pages per minute in black and 5 in color. The 100-sheet input tray is fine for a home office, though a busy family may want to top it up often.
HP Smart Tank 7602: Fax, ADF, And Color In One Box
HP’s Smart Tank 7602 All-in-One packs print, copy, scan, fax, ADF, and wireless into a single machine, with a 3-inch touchscreen for control. It prints up to 15 pages per minute in black and 9 in color. HP lists a maximum monthly duty cycle of 6,000 pages but recommends a realistic 400 to 1,200 pages per month — the maximum is a stress ceiling, not a target. If your home runs a small business with fax needs, this is the rare all-in-one that covers every base.
What Setup Looks Like In Practice
All three models support wireless setup, so you are not tethered to a USB cable. For the Epson ET-2850, the connection can be wireless, Wi-Fi Direct, or USB depending on your device; Epson lists compatibility with Windows 10, Windows 11, and macOS 10.6.8 or later.
One setup caveat specific to the HP Smart Tank 7602: respect that recommended monthly volume. Printing far past 1,200 pages a month will wear the mechanism faster than expected, and the listed maximum is not meant as an ongoing target.
FAQs
Is a laser printer cheaper to run than an inkjet?
For text-heavy households, yes. Laser toner yields thousands of pages per cartridge, so the per-page cost for black text is typically a fraction of an inkjet’s. Ink tank printers close that gap for color, since refill bottles cost far less than replacement cartridges.
How much should I spend on a home printer?
A solid black-and-white laser all-in-one or a basic ink tank model runs between $150 and $250. The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 sits at $199.99, which is typical for a capable color ink tank. Spending much more rarely buys a meaningful advantage for normal home printing.
Do I need a printer with a fax machine?
Only if you actually send faxes. Most U.S. homes do not, and a fax-capable machine costs more and takes up more desk space. If you rarely fax, skip it. If a home business needs it, the HP Smart Tank 7602 is the one model here that includes fax and an ADF together.
References & Sources
- Wirecutter. “The Best Printers for Most People.” Names the Brother DCP-L2640DW as the best home-use printer.
- Consumer Reports. “Best Printers of the Year.” Concludes a black-and-white laser suits typical home use.