Printer Buying Guide: Brilliant Geeks

The Printer Buying Guide

Stop wasting money on dried-up ink cartridges. Here is the Brilliant Geeks guide to buying the right machine for your home or office.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

Choosing a printer comes down to answering four simple questions about your habits:

Will you actually print in Color? Or do you just print black-and-white documents and return labels?
How often do you print? (If you only print once a month, you absolutely cannot buy an inkjet printer).
Do you need an "All-in-One"? Do you need a flatbed scanner or an automatic document feeder for copying?
Will you print from mobile devices? Ensure the printer supports AirPrint™ (for Apple) or direct Wi-Fi printing.

The Golden Rule: Ink vs. Laser

This is the most common mistake consumers make: Ink dries out. Laser toner does not.

If you buy a cheap $60 Inkjet printer and only use it every few weeks, the liquid ink inside the cartridges will dry up and clog the printheads. You will be forced to buy a new $50 set of ink cartridges just to print a single page. Laser printers use dry powder (toner). You can leave a laser printer sitting in the corner for six months, turn it on, and it will print perfectly on the first try. For the vast majority of people, Monochrome (Black & White) Laser is the most economical choice.

Brilliant Geeks 2026 Recommendations

There are dozens of new models released every quarter, but these categories represent the best value for your money today.

Top Pick for Most Users Brother HL-L2000 Series (Monochrome Laser)

If you don't absolutely need color, buy a Brother Black & White Laser All-in-One. They are the tanks of the printer world.

All-in-One (Scan, Copy, Print).
Prints strictly in Black & White.
Uses laser Toner (powder, won't dry up).
High Yield Toners (like the TN830XL) yield up to 3,000 pages before needing replacement.
Mobile and AirPrint ready.

For Occasional Photos HP ENVY Inspire 7955e (Inkjet)

If you frequently print photos or children's school projects and use the printer every single week, an Inkjet is fine.

All-in-One (Scan, Copy, Print).
Prints in vibrant Color.
Automatic document feeder for scanning multiple pages.
Uses HP 64 Black & Tri-Color liquid ink cartridges.
Warning: Must be used regularly to prevent ink from drying.

For Heavy Office Color Canon imageCLASS MF656CDW (Color Laser)

If you need color but hate dried ink, you need a Color Laser printer. However, be prepared for the maintenance cost.

All-in-One (Scan, Copy, Print) with Large Touchscreen.
Uses Color Laser Toner (No drying issues).
The Catch: It requires 4 separate toner cartridges (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow). Each High Yield Canon 067 toner costs around $110. Replacing all four costs nearly $450, making the cost per color page roughly 10-15 cents.