Inkjet printers are cheap to buy, but replacement cartridges can quickly make them expensive to own, which is why I bought the Epson EcoTank ET-2861 ink tank printer. I've been really pleased with it, and Amazon has now cut the price significantly.
• Best for: Anyone who prints regularly at home and wants to avoid expensive replacement cartridges. It’s also a good choice for families, homework and everyday colour printing.
• The deal: The Epson EcoTank ET-2861 is £180 (was £240) at Amazon.
• Why it matters: You get refillable ink tanks with up to three years of ink included, plus printing, scanning and copying. There’s also Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, a 100-sheet paper tray and borderless photo printing.
Why we recommend it
I found the ET-2861 easy to set up and use, and what I particularly like is not having to think about buying cartridges. Instead, you refill its large tanks using bottles, with a front display making it easy to see how much ink remains.
Cartridges for my old HP printer cost £167.50 each — although they were cheaper on eBay — so a single cartridge costs just £12.49 less than this entire printer with ink included. Epson says one set of bottles can produce up to 4,500 black-and-white pages or 7,500 colour pages.
For more top performing units, see our guides to the best home printers and best ink tank printers.
Price context & historical value
Amazon has reduced the Epson EcoTank ET-2861 from £239.99 to £179.99, saving you £60 or 25% off the listed price. It has been cheaper in the past though. I picked it up for £129.99 a few months ago and it could be reduced in price for Black Friday and/or Prime Day. While the initial cost is higher than many conventional cartridge printers, Epson claims its refillable tank system can reduce printing costs by up to 95%.
The American equivalent model, the Epson EcoTank ET-2800, usually sells for $239.99 and is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon right now.
If you want to save on other units, see our guide to the best printer deals we've seen this week.
Should you buy it?
✅ Buy the Epson EcoTank ET-2861 if...
You print regularly at home and are tired of buying expensive cartridges. Having bought this model myself, I've found it easy to use, and the refillable tanks and print quality makes this an easy recommendation.
❌ Skip the Epson EcoTank ET-2861 if...
You print only a handful of pages each year and simply want the cheapest printer possible. Its higher upfront cost is acceptable when you'll actually benefit from the lower-cost ink system.
