The Epson Eco Tank ET-2500 Printer Scanner Copier - save a fortune on buying ink!

The Epson Eco Tank ET-2500 Printer is pretty much everything you'd hope for in a home printer/copier. Equipped with wireless network access, it connects to your computer, phone or tablet via your household wi-fi network, and promises to save a small fortune on ink (average 70% cheaper). Easy to set up and use, I was printing within 25 minutes of opening the box.

Occasionally when you get an email about a review you do a little happy dance. I did a big happy dance when I was offered this household printer - it arrives with enough ink to last the average family over 2 years - 6,500 colour pages or 4,000 black & white pages worth!

Set up is very easy, and the instructions are clear, with images and very few separate steps to complete in order. Remove the packaging and protective tapes, fill the ink, charge the ink to push it though to the heads, connect to the wireless network by using the WSP button on the router or by cable to a PC, load the paper and go!

The Eco Tank has large reservoirs for the 4 different inks, and filling was incredibly simple, clean and neat. Never have I seen such a beautifully designed ink reservoir, with nice clear windows to see the ink level.

Replacement ink, when you eventually need it, is really very inexpensive. On the Epson website refill bottles for the ET-2500 cost £7.99 each, so your 2 years' printing only costs £32. The bottles are individually shrink wrapped, easy to open and the snap off lid replaces after use to keep everything clean and tidy.

It's worth noting the whole rear of the printer lifts up with the paper guide to allow the power cable to be easily fitted - we felt a bit foolish realising that after trying to post it through the tiny gap for 5 minutes.

Using the Epson app on my phone is simplicity itself, the trickiest bit is finding exactly where you stored your document or image. Using the PC app. is actually slightly slower.

I needed to test the printer, and using the free printable British Birds poster from Miles Kelly, and the Pip Ahoy! printables from my recent review were perfect because they're bright and really show the colour and definition.

The Epson ET-2500 also works as a copier and scanner, and the different ways of sending an image to print did deliver slightly different results, but only slightly.

All round the image quality is very good and crisp, but lacking in depth of colour sometimes, although the results for images are obviously better with photo quality paper. Reproduction of text is superb and very sharp, even with tiny print.

As you'd expect your printout is dry immediately, and there's no transfer from sheet to sheet, even with matt photo paper. The ET-2500 is smaller than my previous printer, and quieter.

I'm really impressed. Photo quality isn't perfect, it's a bit pale, but it's so much better than my previous printer and plenty good enough for anything we will ever want it for, including printing the odd photo to keep and posters our teenagers want for their bedroom walls. Text reproduction is superb, with excellent clarity.

At £229.99 this is a more expensive investment than most households would first consider, however the savings on ink can be huge, and the convenience and time saved adds massive value. Being able to take a photo or screenshot with my phone and print it within around 15 seconds may be an hilarious novelty for my younger children and teenagers, but it has genuine worth for me!

I'm very pleased so far with my Epson Eco-tank ET-2500. I have no doubts that the claims about longevity of ink are true, and the results are very pleasing. It's the first time ever that we've been happy to let our children and young people have free rein to print off whatever they sensibly want at home, and they really are enjoying making the most of it!

I'm always happy to use less resources and save money, it's a double bonus. I think cartridge-free printing is the way forward, and Epson have scored a win with the quality and price of their own refills.

The Epson ET-2500 currently retails at £229.99. It is one of a range of Eco-Tank refillable printers and is available from the Epson website, Amazon and other retailers.