Though the MP480 suffers from the major flaws found in other budget multifunctions, it largely makes up for these problems through decent quality printing.

Slick, very user-friendly and high in quality, the Canon Pixma MP540 is on the whole a superb printer. It’s perhaps not quite as fast as we’d like but, otherwise, it’s a very good model.

The C4580 continues HP's trend of improving the quality of its low-end inkjets. Though there's still room for improvement, the C4580 is good value for money.

At a bargain basement price the TX200 provides surprising quality and performance, making this multifunction hard to pass up. There are inherent flaws in such a cheap printer, but for families and occasional printing needs the TX200 is a decent purchase.

The Stylus Office TX300F is slow and poorly built, but for its price it’s certainly appealing. The unit provides a slight compromise between dirt cheap and acceptable quality, and the automatic document feeder is a welcome feature.

Scanning certainly isn’t a strong point of the M2727nf, but this is more than made up for by its print quality and speed.

It's too bad about the inks, because the Dell V305W is a nice printer in many ways. But even if you don't print all that much, you'll notice the dent in your wallet fairly quickly. And unfortunately, this printer doesn't print money.

Even if you're looking for a cheap-as-chips multifunction, the F2280 isn't necessarily a compelling choice. It's slow and noisy, and text quality isn't that great. However, if you need a cheap solution for printing the odd photo then this unit does the trick.

If you need a dirt cheap multifunction to scan and print the homework that’s due tomorrow, then the X2650 may be up your alley. But for everyone who expects at least average quality from their devices, keep moving.

For the average family, the X4650 should suffice. Wi-Fi connectivity is an advantage for shared printing and print quality is adequate, but poor printing speeds will deter many people.

Although there are cheaper home inkjet multifunctions, the Kodak EasyShare ESP 5 provides a decent all-round experience for its price. Its focus on print and scan quality allows for good results, particularly with photos.

Wi-Fi connectivity is a bonus for small office networks, and this multifunction has some useful features that can be used without a PC. However, it suffers poor print quality and can be quite slow.