Even in these days of digital documents, it’s hard to run a home office without a printer. There are receipts to be printed, invoices to be paid, contracts to be copied, and even occasional forms to fax. The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is among the fastest and most versatile printers I’ve tested, and it was my pick for best home printer overall in my recent roundup of 11 printers. It’s an attractive piece of hardware that’s admirably easy to set up, and it can crank out pages nearly as fast as a laser printer.
Recently, we chose the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e to be our top pick for home printer overall.
Although replacement ink can get expensive, HP’s optional ink subscription promises to lower the overall cost (and make sure you never actually run out). Let’s take a look at what makes this our top pick among home-office printers.
HP OfficeJet Pro9015e Design: Functional and Simple
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is a printer that impresses more than others. Its stylish and neat design makes it stand out from the rest. Many printers can be distracting from your decor. This one is better.
The setup process is made easy by HP’s simple-to-follow setup instructions. I followed the guide to insert the ink cartridges and print and scan a test sheet. I downloaded the HP Smart companion mobile app on my smartphone and connected the printer to my Wi-Fi network quickly. I liked the app’s interface, which corrals common features (printing, scanning, faxing and so on) into a friendly, simple layout. As the guide suggested, the desktop software installation was easy because the printer had been added to the network. This software is visually identical to the mobile app, and it works seamlessly with both.
Measuring 10.9 x 17.3 x 13.5 inches, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e has neither the largest nor smallest footprint among its peers, but on the whole it’s fairly compact. Its underbelly input/output tray takes up little room in the front. The machine was noisy at first setup and can make noise during maintenance tasks, such as head-cleaning.
HP OfficeJet Pro9015e Features: All the All-In-One Stuff plus Time-Saving Shortcuts
The HP OfficeJet 9015e’s bright, 2.7-inch color touchscreen tilts out to make it easier for you to access. The touchscreen uses icons for accessing core functions like copy, scan and fax (which the machine can do when connected to a landline, or you can do electronically via the app) and scanning, as well as a shortcuts menu you can configure for tasks that would normally require multiple, time-consuming steps: “scan and email,” “copy and save to Google Drive” and so on. HP moves settings and status information to a different menu (one that can be accessed by a down-swipe). This smart move keeps the main menu clean.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e has a 35-sheet auto duplex document feeder.
This printer is about as versatile as they come, and it’s appropriate for either a home or a small office. It features a 250-sheet paper input tray and automatic double-sided printing. A 35-sheet auto duplex automatic document feeder can scan, copy and fax double-sided documents automatically. There is also support for USB drives, which allows you to print from or scan to. The only thing missing is any kind of bypass tray for feeding envelopes or photo paper; to use other media, you’ll have to make the switch inside the main tray. This isn’t difficult; it’s just a hassle.
Apart from Wi-Fi connectivity that allows for mobile printing via Apple AirPrint or Mopria as well the mentioned HP Smart App, the 9015e supports wired connections via USB/ethernet.
HP OfficeJet Pro9015e Performance Nearly as Fast As A Laser Printer
As I mentioned above, it was the fastest inkjet-printer I tested. It produced our ten-page sample document within 45 seconds. It produced excellent quality prints. The graphics were bright and vivid, and the text was dark and uniform. However, there was a slight splotchiness in a few fonts. This issue is minor; you’d barely notice it in most cases, and it disappears entirely if you bump the print quality up from the default setting (which, of course, results in slower output).
Photo printing was a challenge. I noticed some banding in my test photos but realized that the printer had been unused for several weeks. This can lead to the printer’s print head becoming clogged, as it happens with all inkjets. After running the cleaning cycle, the printer produced smooth, vibrant photos that, while not the best I’ve seen, are good enough for home printing projects. That said, I might consider a different model if photo printing is something you plan to do a lot of—especially considering this printer’s lack of a separate photo paper path.
The HP OfficeJet 9015e can leave you with consumable sticker shock, no matter what kind of printing you do. The replacement cartridge set (sold in three colors and high-yield black) costs $113. This is a very reasonable price at 2.2 cents for monochrome pages and 8.9cents for color pages.
You can bring those costs down by subscribing to HP’s Instant Ink program, which automatically ships new cartridges to you when the printer detects it’s close to running out. The cost of Instant Ink will vary depending on how many pages are printed, and can range from 99c to $25 per month. Sign up for HP+ within seven working days to receive a six month free trial of Instant Ink on the HP OfficeJet9015e. You can use this trial to test the subscription and see how your print habits change over time. Instant Ink, despite my dislike for the idea that you will have to pay another monthly fee, can help you save money if your print volume exceeds a few dozen pages per month.
HP OfficeJet Pro9015e Verdict, Leader Of The Group
The HP OfficeJet 9015e printer is a great home printer. It has a pleasing design, fastest printing speeds and excellent overall output. I found it easier to set up than most competing home-office printers and also appreciated the versatility of HP’s mobile app.
The HP OfficeJet 9015e only offers one paper path. This is something you should consider if your media preferences change frequently. Brother’s MFC-J5855DW is a strong competitor and includes a second input tray. This allows you to print multiple envelopes at once without having to use the primary tray. This model is our choice for the best home office printer. It can also hold paper up to 11×17 inches, though it has a larger footprint.
What’s more, be prepared for the high cost of replacement ink, even though the 9015e’s cartridges are larger than most and therefore last longer. HP’s ink subscription may help mitigate those costs. The HP Smart Tank 7301 is a reliable performer that uses ink tanks rather than cartridges. Although it is more expensive upfront, you will save money over the long-term.
For the majority of home users, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is an excellent choice, one that’s easy to recommend.
My Expertise
As a writer with over 30 years’ experience covering consumer technology, I’ve used or tested every kind of printer imaginable. My work appears everywhere, CNET To Yahoo, and I’m the author of the weekly newsletter Deal secretsYou can find great deals and other ways to save money at. This review was informed by my expertise.
How I Tested HP OfficeJet Pro9015e
I evaluated the printer’s speed and the quality of its output. Real-world factors were taken into consideration, such as ease of setup and ease of use. (Does the control panel have an easy to use interface? What software does it come with? Its overall versatility (Can it scan, copy or fax? Can it do automatic 2-sided printing? Finally, I checked the price of replacement ink.
I tested the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e by connecting it via Wi-Fi to a Windows 11 laptop. The printer printed pages on 20-pound paper using the default print quality settings. To gauge speed, I measured the time it took each printer to output a ten-page PDF document containing text, graphics and photos, starting when I pressed “print” through to when the last page finished. I looked at the page’s quality and weight as well as the clarity and color of the graphics. I also printed various 4 x 6-inch test images on standard glossy paper, and then sent the photos from HP’s Smart app.
Are people still able to print photos at home?
It was once a huge deal to make your own glossies at home. Nowadays, most photos are stored on smartphones and rarely printed. Personally, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve printed a photo at home in the past five years. And according to a recent (very informal) Twitter poll I conducted, a whopping 90% of people print photos at home “rarely” or “never.”
Adds Gap Intelligence analyst Valerie Alde-Hayman: “Home printing use cases have shifted primarily due to disruption from smartphones and computing. Instead of printing photos, users are sharing images on social media.”
So ask yourself whether photo printing is really an important consideration for you or it’s just something you Used Important things to remember. The HP OfficeJet Pro 9105e isn’t a champ at printing photos, but I consider its images good enough for typical home use.
Will HP’s Instant Ink Subscription Save Me Money?
This is a tough question to answer unless you know exactly how much printing you’ll do every month and how much you might spend otherwise for à la carte ink cartridges. HP’s automated cartridge-replenishment service costs anywhere from 99 cents (for 10 pages per month) to $25 per month (700 pages), with three additional tiers in between. If you’re an “occasional” user paying $4 per month for 50 pages per month, that works out to $48 annually for 600 pages—a cost of about 8 cents per page.
An entire set of replacement cartridges can be purchased separately for $113. However, how long would the cartridges last you? Again, it’s challenging to say, because everyone prints differently. Your best bet: Take advantage of HP’s free 6-month Instant Ink trial and see how it all plays out.
Is the HP OfficeJet 9015e a big space hogger?
The HP OfficeJet 9015e printer is a compact home printer. Even if you have a small work space, the HP OfficeJet 9015e should be able to find a place for it. The output tray doesn’t stick out very far beyond the input tray, so you don’t need much extra clearance in front. Unfortunately, you can’t park the printer right up against a wall, as the power cord does protrude a bit from the back, and the ADF also requires a couple inches of rear clearance if you have to lift all the way up.