Epson EcoTank ET-8500 Review

The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 is an all-in-one inkjet printer built around refillable ink tanks rather than cartridges, priced at around £585. That upfront cost buys something unusual: superb photo quality paired with famously low running costs, because you top up bottles of ink instead of buying pricey cartridges. Independent laboratory testing rates it the best home printer it has tested, and a standout for anyone who prints photos as well as documents.

Print quality is the headline. The test found the ET-8500 produces beautiful, vibrant photos, describing them as incredibly detailed — the six-ink system, which adds dedicated photo black and grey inks, gives it a real edge over ordinary four-colour printers for skin tones, gradients and rich colour. It is not just a photo specialist, though: the test also rated its documents sharp and high-quality, and it warms up quickly so you are not left waiting. It doubles as the test's pick of photo printer for iPhone, printing wirelessly via AirPrint.

The EcoTank name is the whole point. Instead of cartridges that run dry and cost a fortune to replace, the ET-8500 uses large refillable tanks filled from bottles of ink, which the test credits with an exceptional page yield that keeps recurring costs very low. The higher purchase price pays for itself over time for anyone who prints regularly — the more you print, the more sense it makes. For a busy household or a home office that runs off photos and documents alike, the long-term savings are substantial.

As an all-in-one, the ET-8500 prints, scans and copies, and it is well equipped for a modern home. There is a colour touchscreen for control, a dedicated tray for photo paper, and full wireless connectivity so you can print from phones, tablets and laptops. It is designed to sit in a living space rather than a server room, with a tidy footprint and quiet operation that suit everyday use.

Two things to keep in mind. As with any inkjet, the test cautions against leaving it idle for long stretches, since the printheads can clog if the ink is not used — an occasional print keeps things flowing. And it is worth knowing this is the cheaper sibling of the flagship ET-8550: the pricier model adds a larger scanner and wide-format printing up to 13 by 19 inches. That only matters if you print posters, so for most households the ET-8500 is the smarter buy.

The Epson EcoTank ET-8500 is a top pick in our best all-in-one printers guide. Within Epson's own EcoTank range it sits above the document-focused Epson EcoTank ET-4810, adding the six-ink photo quality that the cheaper model lacks. Its main rival is Canon's refillable MegaTank line, such as the Canon PIXMA G4570, though the Epson pulls ahead for photo printing. Anyone who only needs plain documents can save with a simpler model. Check the price on Amazon

The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 is the printer to buy if you care about photos as much as documents and want to stop feeding a printer expensive cartridges. It pairs genuinely excellent, detailed photo output with sharp everyday printing and the very low running costs that make EcoTank models so appealing over time. The inkjet's dislike of long idle spells is the only real thing to manage, and the wide-format ET-8550 is there if you need posters. For most homes, this is the best all-round printer you can buy.

This review is based on independent laboratory testing rather than our own hands-on trial.