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Choosing an all purpose printer usually means picking between fast laser text and vibrant color ink, then praying the Wi-Fi holds up. The best all purpose printer for your home or small office is the one that matches your real workload, whether that volume is a few pages a week or a few hundred, so you are not stuck paying for cartridges you barely touch. We break down the top models by their true strengths, using owner feedback and the specs that actually drive daily printing.
I’m Mo Maruf — the founder and writer behind The Tools Trunk. This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
You will see exactly where laser beats inkjet, where color matters more than speed, and which model tolerates a busy schedule. Compare the all purpose printer options side by side before you commit.
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best All Purpose Printer
An all purpose printer is a balancing act between print speed, running costs, and the jobs you actually throw at it. Start by deciding whether your pages are mostly black text or mostly color documents and photos.
Laser vs Inkjet: The Core Trade-off
Laser printers use toner powder and a heated drum, which makes them fast and crisp for text. Inkjet printers spray liquid ink, which gives richer color for photos but often costs more per page over time.
Volume and Running Costs Matter More Than the Sticker
A printer with an expensive upfront price can save you money if its toner lasts thousands of pages. A cheap inkjet can drain your wallet with frequent cartridge swaps.
Quick Comparison
| Model | Best For | B&W Speed | Color Speed | Display | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2480DW★ Best Overall | Small offices and WFH text printing | 36 ppm | — | 2.7-inch touchscreen | Amazon |
| Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3823Top Performer | High-volume color printing | 21 ppm | 11 ppm | 2.7-inch color touchscreen | Amazon |
| HP LaserJet MFP M234sdw | Small teams needing fast duplex | 30 ppm | — | LCD display | Amazon |
| HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw | Businesses needing a 50-sheet ADF | 35 ppm | — | LED display | Amazon |
| Canon PIXMA TR7120 | Budget home color printing | 14 ppm | 9 ppm | 1.42-inch OLED | Amazon |
| Canon MegaTank G3290 | High-volume color pages | 11 ppm | 6 ppm | 2.7-inch LCD touchscreen | Amazon |
| Brother MFC-L2820DW | Offices needing fax capability | 36 ppm | — | 2.7-inch touchscreen | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. Brother HL-L2480DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Laser Printer
Our pick — 4.5★ from 600+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
The laser workhorse that makes text-heavy home offices run silent and fast
This is the pick for homes and small offices drowning in black-and-white documents. It hits 36 pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome print, while the color inkjets in this list run 6 to 11 ppm in color, and it does automatic two-sided (duplex) printing so you cut paper waste without lifting a finger.
Setup is the story owners tell most, with a 2.7-inch touchscreen guiding you through wireless connection. It also scans and copies with a flatbed glass, giving you a full three-in-one machine. The 250-sheet paper tray handles a decent week of volume, and the manual feed slot tackles envelopes and specialty media.
What wins people over is the quality, with crisp, sharp text that makes the jump from an old inkjet feel like a leap. Buyers report it replaced an eight-year-old inkjet with easy Apple setup, and one even timed it at 20 seconds versus 30-plus for the old noisy machine.
What Owners Rave About
- Sharp, crisp text on every print job
- Fast 36 ppm output that never feels slow
- Quiet operation, even on long runs
- Easy setup for Apple and mobile devices
What To Note
- Wireless connectivity gets mixed reviews, so expect possible hiccups
- Monochrome only, so color printing is not an option
- Starter toner cartridge will need replacing sooner than a full-size one
Reach for it if: your daily output is text documents, contracts, or forms and you want speed without the inkjet upkeep.
Look elsewhere if: you need color pages or plan to rely on a flaky Wi-Fi network, since connectivity is the main complaint.
2. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3823 Wireless Color All-in-One Inkjet Printer
A color inkjet built for heavy workloads with instant-dry pigment ink
If color pages are a daily reality, this Epson leans into speed and volume. It prints 21 pages per minute in black and 11 pages per minute in color; the Brother’s monochrome runs at 36 ppm, while this Epson beats most inkjets on color output. The PrecisionCore printhead uses heat-free technology designed to reduce downtime.
The 2.7-inch color touchscreen makes navigation simple, and the 250-sheet paper capacity keeps you from constantly reloading. A 35-page auto document feeder (ADF) lets you scan or copy a stack hands-free, which streamlines multi-page jobs.
The catch is reliability. One buyer’s unit stopped accepting Epson cartridges before its first year was up, and owners mention mixed results with print quality and network connectivity. The ink compatibility aspect draws the most negative feedback, so weigh that against the speed.
Where It Wins: Fast color speed and a big paper tray make it a genuine office contender.
The Honest Trade-off: Owners mention uneven print quality and occasional Wi-Fi drops, so patience with setup and troubleshooting is part of the deal.
Pick this if: you print color documents in high volume and want a machine that keeps pace.
Think twice if: a single printer quitting on genuine cartridges would be a disaster, because that is the risk some buyers hit.
3. HP LaserJet MFP M234sdw Wireless Printer
A compact laser that pairs dual-band Wi-Fi with fast two-sided printing
This HP is the answer for small teams of one to five people who need professional black-and-white output. It hits 30 pages per minute single-sided and 19 images per minute two-sided, which makes it the fastest duplex option in this lineup. The auto document feeder lets you copy and scan stacks without standing over the machine.
Setup is straightforward through the HP Smart app, and dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset tries to fix connection issues automatically. It is also compact, so it slips onto a desk without dominating the space, and it works with Microsoft, Mac, AirPrint, Android, and Chromebook.
Owners are happy with crisp prints and fast speeds, but wireless connectivity draws mixed feedback. A dental practice even runs one for daily patient documents, which tells you the reliability is there when the network behaves.
What Stands Out
- Fastest two-sided printing in its class at 19 images per minute
- Compact enough for a home office desk
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset for connection fixes
What To Consider
- Set up requires the HP Smart app, no on-printer password entry
- Wireless issues surface for some, especially iPhone users
Grab this one if: you print lots of two-sided text and want an auto document feeder without a big footprint.
Pass if: you are an iPhone user who expects flawless wireless, since the app has caused connection headaches.
4. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw Wireless Black and White All-in-One Laser Printer
The business-grade laser that chews through 35 pages a minute with a 50-sheet feeder
This is the step-up for offices that want speed plus serious scanning capacity. It prints up to 35 pages per minute in black, just one page behind the Brother leader, and its 50-sheet auto document feeder handles bigger stacks than the HP M234sdw’s smaller tray.
You get a 250-sheet input tray, automatic two-sided printing, and a 7-second first page out, so the wait between hitting print and holding the page is minimal. Owners who run small businesses praise its crisp copies that match originals, and one even prints checks from QuickBooks without a hitch.
The sticker is higher than the M234sdw, but the added feeder and faster speed justify it for busy desks. One owner liked it enough to buy three total, all running flawlessly.
Its Edge: The 50-sheet ADF plus 35 ppm speed makes it the most productive monochrome option here, at a premium.
The Fine Print: HP blocks non-HP toner via firmware updates, so declining updates is the workaround if you want cheap refills.
Buy it for: a busy office that scans or copies multi-page documents daily and wants a first page out in 7 seconds.
Skip it for: a casual home user, since the higher price buys capacity you may never use.
5. Canon PIXMA TR7120 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
A budget-friendly color inkjet that fits tight desks and prints photos too
This Canon is the entry point for homes that want color without a big investment. It prints 14 pages per minute in black and 9 pages per minute in color, and its two-cartridge hybrid ink system delivers sharp text with vivid colors for photos up to 8.5 by 11 inches.
The 1.42-inch monochrome OLED screen is compact but shows ink levels at a glance, and dual-band Wi-Fi keeps the connection stable across a home. An auto document feeder handles multi-page scanning and copying, while automatic two-sided printing saves paper.
Owners are happy with the value and a small paper tray that holds roughly 50 to 100 sheets. One buyer printed about 500 pages with no jams, and another found the demo ink cartridges ran out fast, so budget for replacements early.
Why It Is Loved
- Reliable for hundreds of pages without jams
- Compact footprint suits small workspaces
- Easy setup with smartphone or computer
What To Expect
- Small paper tray means frequent reloads for big jobs
- Starter ink drains fast, so buy spares upfront
- No ARM-processor Windows driver support, which blocks some laptops
Choose it for: a first printer or a small desk where color photos and documents share space.
Move on if: you have an ARM-based Windows laptop, because Canon offers no driver for it.
6. Canon MegaTank G3290 All-in-One Wireless Supertank Printer
The refillable ink tank that slashes per-page costs for color-heavy homes
This is the color printer for people who print a lot and hate buying cartridges. The MegaTank uses refillable ink bottles instead of cartridges, and a single set of inks prints up to 6,000 black-and-white pages and 7,700 color pages, with up to two years of ink included in the box.
You get a 2.7-inch LCD color touchscreen and automatic two-sided printing, plus wireless print, copy, and scan. Owners love the visible ink windows that show levels at a glance, and one heavy craft user printed non-stop for three days using only about half the red and three-quarters of the yellow and blue ink.
The trade-off is one owner reported muddy black output and a 10-minute wait per photo, so color tuning may require effort. It also lacks a top auto document feeder, meaning scanning multi-page stacks is manual.
The Big Win: Massive ink yield, with cheap bottles that barely dent the level after hundreds of pages.
The Slow Spot: Color speed is 6 pages per minute and photo times can stretch, so it is not a fast office machine.
Reach for it if: you print color pages in high volume and want running costs near zero.
Pass if: you need speed or true-to-life photo color without tweaking settings.
7. Brother MFC-L2820DW Wireless Compact Monochrome All-in-One Laser Printer
The full multi-function brother of the top pick, adding fax and a 50-page feeder
For offices that still fax, this is the complete package. It combines laser print, copy, scan, and fax in one compact footprint, printing 36 pages per minute in black with a 50-page auto document feeder for multi-page jobs.
Scan speeds hit 23.6 images per minute in black and 7.9 in color, and the 2.7-inch touchscreen mirrors the top pick’s easy navigation. It connects via dual-band wireless, Ethernet, or USB, and works with Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, and OneNote cloud apps.
Owners call setup a breeze whether over Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet, and one swapped out a 16-year-old Brother for this one without hesitation. The recurring positive is reliability, with buyers noting it never glitches like an HP app does.
What Makes It Worthy
- Full fax, copy, scan, and print in one unit
- 50-page auto document feeder for big stacks
- Reliable print and scan with fast text output
What To Weigh
- Connectivity draws mixed reviews, like most printers here
- Scanning is single-page only without the ADF
- Higher price than the HL-L2480DW for the extra fax function
Best for: a small office that needs fax capability plus laser speed and a big document feeder.
Pass if: you never fax, since the HL-L2480DW gives the same speed for less.
Understanding the Specs
Print Speed (ppm)
Pages per minute tells you how fast the printer outputs. Laser models hit 30 to 36 ppm, while inkjets range from 6 to 21 ppm, so laser wins for text-heavy offices.
Duplex Printing
Automatic two-sided printing flips pages for you, cutting paper use in half. Every model here has it, so you skip the manual flip game.
FAQ
How many pages per minute do I actually need?
Is laser or inkjet better for an all purpose printer?
What does an auto document feeder do for me?
How much do replacement cartridges and toner cost?
Will these printers work with my phone?
Why does wireless connectivity get mixed reviews on every model?
What is the difference between the Brother HL-L2480DW and MFC-L2820DW?
How long do ink tanks last on the Canon MegaTank?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most buyers, the all purpose printer winner is the Brother HL-L2480DW because it delivers the speed, quality, and smart touchscreen that make text printing easy. If you need color pages in high volume, grab the Canon MegaTank G3290 and its 6,000-page ink yield. And for an office that faxes, the Brother MFC-L2820DW is the one to reach for with its 50-page feeder and full multi-function setup.
How We Picked
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of August 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
As an Amazon Associate, The Tools Trunk earns from qualifying purchases. This does not affect which products we feature.