HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e Review

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.

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 Pro 9015e: Simple and Functional Design

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e printer is different than other printers. With its sleek, clean design, it impresses you even before you actually use it. The decor is often detracting from printers. This one enhances it.

The setup process is made easy by HP’s simple-to-follow setup instructions. I was prompted to insert the four cartridges, print, and scan a page. I quickly installed HP Smart on my mobile phone, and connected my printer to my Wi Fi network. 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 is noisy in the beginning and can become louder during maintenance tasks such as head-cleaning.

HP OfficeJet Pro9015e Features – All the All In One Stuff and Time-Saving Shortcuts

The HP OfficeJet 9015e features a bright, 2.7 inch color touchscreen that tilts out. 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 has relegated settings and status information to an entirely different menu (one accessed via a down swipe), which is smart as it keeps the main menu clear.

This printer is about as versatile as they come, and it’s appropriate for either a home or a small office. The printer features a 250-sheet input tray for paper, automatic double-sided print, an automatic 35-sheet automatic document feeder, and support USB drives (printing to and scanning from). 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.

The 9015e also supports Wi-Fi connectivity which allows mobile printing via Apple AirPrint and Mopria, as well as the HP Smart app.

HP OfficeJet Pro9015e Performance Nearly as Fast as a Laser Printer

This printer was also the fastest I tried. It produced our ten-page sample document within 45 seconds. Overall, the print quality was excellent. Graphics were vibrant and bright, but text looked dark and uniform with a little bit of splotchiness. 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. As with all inkjets this can cause the print head to clog up. 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.

No matter what type of printing you prefer, the HP OfficeJet 9015e could leave you with sticker shock about consumables. The replacement cartridge set (includes three colors and a high yield black) costs $113. This works out to a reasonable cost of around 2.2 cents per monochrome and 8.9 cents each color page.

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 free six month 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 Pack

The HP OfficeJet 9015e home printer is an excellent choice. 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. The Brother MFC-J5855DW, our favorite home office printer, can accommodate paper up to 11×17 inches. However, the footprint of this printer is much larger.

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 has been published all over the world. CNET To Yahoo, and I’m the author of the weekly newsletter Deal secretsThe site shares amazing deals and innovative ways to save money. 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 is included? Its overall versatility (Can it scan, copy or fax? Can it do automatic 2-sided printing? The final thing I did was to look at 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 carefully examined each page printed to see the quality of the text and 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 Printing Photos at Home?

In the past, it was quite common to create your own glossies at 4×6 inches 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 Use It is important to pay attention. 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.

A complete set of cartridges is about $113, if purchased separately. 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.

Do The HP OfficeJet9015e Use Up A Lot of Space?

The HP OfficeJet 9015e printer is a compact home printer. Even if your workspace is small, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to put 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.