Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- More than 80 percent of printers in American homes are all-in-ones. They scan and copy, as well as print. But the ink can be expensive. To help you find a good printer that won't eat up a lot of money, Consumer Reports tested 135, including the latest all-in-ones.
Testers printed thousands of pages of text, color graphics, and photos, and then they assessed the quality. Testers also timed the printers to see how quickly they print a page. Speeds vary widely. Some are three times faster than others.
And because the cost of printer cartridges can really pile up, testers check how quickly printers run through ink. Some printers cost more than twice as much as others to use.
It's handy to get a printer that has a network connection so that you can print from across the room or even from another floor.
In its latest tests, Consumer Reports named the all-in-one HP Officejet Pro 8500A e-All-in-One A910a a Best Buy at $180. It has a network connection, and it uses less ink than any others tested. You do have to leave it on all the time to maximize ink savings, but the printer uses very little power.
And if you only print in black-and-white, Consumer Reports says consider a laser all-in-one printer. The $170 Brother MFC-7360N is a Best Buy. It's easy on toner, and it's very fast, printing 14 pages a minute.
