Rating of the best inkjet MFPs 2021-2022

We consider the best inkjet MFPs for the home to be representatives of the three thousandth Epson «factory» series. Naturally, if you do not need to print moisture-resistant ads, such as street ads. There are three reasons to remain dissatisfied with the owners of such MFPs. The first is not the most successful paper feed mechanism (frequent jams, grip problems, noticeable roller marks). The second is the consequences of airing the heads during refueling. The third is the paid service for resetting the working counter (in the service). However, in terms of print quality, especially for budget photography, the affordable L-series inkjet MFPs are unbeatable. There are reviews in which the owners share their successful experience of using even 673 inks, which provide much higher light fastness of photos. The most advanced version of this line is equipped with a user-friendly display. The L315* models are keypad controlled and their Wi-Fi modules do not support AirPrint. The simplest ones are designed only for a USB connection and are inferior to the older resolutions of the scanner.

If the manufacturer considers printers and MFPs for universal purposes (equipped with CISS) to be print factories, then we position Epson L850 as a photo center. Indeed, two additional colors, coupled with a drop of minimal volume, make it possible to more accurately convey the nuances of a gradient fill with an almost indistinguishable raster. According to photographers’ reviews, the prints obtained on the L850 are not much different from the results produced by professional-grade equipment. At the same time, the device is convenient to use for less responsible cases. In particular, young students will be quite satisfied with the quality of the draft print. This refers to all kinds of essays, term papers and other non-manuscript works. There are two potential problems — a lot of complaints about printhead failures and the need to contact servicemen to reset the counter for working off / replacing the diaper.

Of course, the specifics of the office activity on the nature of the load of the MFP is very noticeable, so we will describe the average requirements for a device from this category: print / scan well, a lot, quickly and cheaply. In all of the above positions, the recommended Epson novelty looks at least worthy. Capacious CISS tanks allow you to print 7,500 pages of pigment black ink with a standard fill and get up to 6,000 color prints. The speed performance of the L4160 is decent, besides, there is a duplex. The quality is not outstanding (especially when copying documents), but it fully corresponds to office needs. Moreover, many competitors cannot boast the same high resolution in color and black and white, and this multifunction device demonstrates such talent.

Against the backdrop of a variety of monochrome laser-type printing technology, black-and-white inkjet MFPs are simply lost. The situation is paradoxical, insofar as the cost of a print for competing systems is comparable (in the presence of CISS), and the overall quality in the second case is higher. We will not recommend the M2140 as a home printing center, but for the needs of a typical budget organization, we consider it a good choice. A nice feature of this MFP is the ease of maintenance of the «diaper». If for the vast majority of inkjet machines the necessary operations are performed exclusively by an authorized service center, then the Epson M2140 design allows you to change the absorber yourself. There are two conditional shortcomings of the device. Firstly, this is the lack of a module for automatically feeding originals when scanning. Secondly, the only connection option is via the USB interface.

The Canon PIXMA MG2540S completes our ranking of the best inkjet MFPs — one of the most inexpensive inkjet multifunctional devices with modest features. First of all, the budget affected the ability to print photographic materials. Nominally it is, but the results of the «works» of PIXMA MG2540S cannot be called high-quality with all desire. Here, there is a fundamental lack of frameless prints, and a very approximate match of the color palette, and a limited list of supported paper types. The second was the ease of use of the MFP. The MG2540S does not have a wireless module, and there is also no screen for visual monitoring of the MFP status. Refilling of cartridges is possible, ie. It will be possible to save on consumables, but not as much as we would like. The fact is that the “diaper” of this model is not programmatically reset, and its maintenance in a service center costs money.