Group test: what's the best inkjet printer?

5. Epson Stylus Photo PX730WD

• Reviewed on: 9 October 12
• RRP: £200 inc. VAT
• Rating:

The Epson suffers from slightly high running costs, even with high yield cartridges. But its photo results are assured, and its extensive features set and software also helps soften the blow. A better quality display wouldn't go amiss.

4. Brother MFC-J4510DW

• Reviewed on: 16 May 13
• RRP: £180 inc VAT
• Rating:

The economic design of Brother's MFC-J4510DW is a welcome innovation in a crowded market and the addition of A3 printing is an attractive bonus. Good controls, connectivity and speeds also make this worth consideration but it's let down by disappointing colour imagery.

3. Lomond EvoJet 2 Office

• Reviewed on: 11 December 12
• RRP: £659 inc VAT
• Rating:

The Lomond seems expensive to buy, but it’ll cost next to nothing to run. The monthly payment plans might also be a good way to use the EvoJet without having to stump up a large amount upfront. We’d like to see automatic duplexing as standard, and the output tray will ideally need to be better at containing paper if you’re looking to use the EvoJet’s fastest mode. If it’s sheer speed – and text quality, along with decent graphics – that you want, though, the Lomond is a revelation.

2. Pixma MG6350 multifunction printer

• Reviewed on: 24 December 12
• RRP: £169
• Rating:

We liked the looks and touch controls of the Canon Pixma MG6350, and were impressed with the print/scan speeds and quality – although not by the bundled software, which we’d recommend you avoid where possible for better third-party photo editors, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements or Apple’s iPhoto. A big standout of this multifunction device is CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc printing, which despite being a bit confusing at first (blame that Canon software) is great once you’ve worked it out. Ink costs are a little higher than average but the six-ink system should mean it’s more efficient than most. And you can’t argue with all the nifty cloud, wi-fi and app technologies on offer, too.

1. HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-One

• Reviewed on: 10 October 12
• RRP: £170 inc. VAT
• Rating:

The running costs are modest, and the 7520 does an awful lot very well. Speeds are often quite good, and it fared particularly well on photos. Add in the wonderful interface, and this is quite the all-rounder.