HP DeskJet 2827e Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Scanner, Copier, Best-for-Home, 3 Month Instant Ink Trial Included, AI-Enabled

The quick take

A compact home printer shouldn’t be this hassle-free, yet after a couple of weeks with the DeskJet 2827e I found myself using it more than expected—for household forms, shipping labels, quick scans, and the occasional recipe. It’s a simple all‑in‑one that leans on the HP app and Wi‑Fi, trades speed for size and price, and adds a surprisingly handy AI formatting feature that cleans up web pages and emails before you print. It’s not a workhorse, it doesn’t auto‑duplex, and you’ll live in the app more than the onboard controls. But for light home printing, it hits the right notes.

Setup and first run

I set the DeskJet 2827e up entirely from a phone. The HP app found the printer, joined it to my 2.4 GHz network, pushed a firmware update, and walked me through alignment. The whole process took about 15 minutes. Two tips that saved me time:

• Use 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi if you have a combined 2.4/5 GHz SSID; initial setup is smoother.
• Let the app finish firmware and alignment before trying a first print; it prevents misfeeds and streaks.

This model is clearly designed for wireless-first use. There’s no Ethernet, and the on-printer controls are basic—an icon LCD with a few buttons—so the app is where most management happens. Once connected, the printer remembered my network after a power cycle and a router reboot, which is a good sign for reliability.

Design and build

The DeskJet 2827e is a compact, white plastic all‑in‑one with a small footprint and a 60‑sheet input tray. It feels more solid than typical budget printers, and the lid has enough give to accommodate scanning thicker items like a passport or a slim booklet. It’s light enough to move between rooms if you don’t have a dedicated home office.

You won’t find many conveniences beyond the basics—no automatic document feeder, no front display you can navigate menus on, and no front USB host or card slots. But the essentials are handled well: paper guides are firm, the tray feeds reliably, and the scanner lid stays put at a few angles.

Print quality and speed

HP rates this engine at up to 7.5 ppm in black and 5.5 ppm in color. In my testing:

• A 5‑page Word document in “Normal” quality averaged about 7 ppm.
• A full‑page color brochure with mixed graphics and text averaged around 4‑5 ppm.
• A borderless‑style letter‑size photo print (with margins) in high quality took a couple of minutes.

Text output is crisp and dark enough for homework, letters, and forms. Color graphics look balanced with decent saturation, and small fonts remain legible. On plain paper, photos are acceptable for casual prints; glossy photo paper improves contrast and reduces grain, but this is not a photo‑centric printer. Draft mode is usable for reading copies and quick proofs and significantly speeds up jobs while using less ink.

Noise levels are average for a small inkjet—a brief clatter on feed and moderate whirr during printing. It’s fine for a kitchen or dorm room; if you’re printing late at night, the “Quiet Mode” in the app trades speed for less noise.

Scanning and copying

The flatbed scanner produces clean, evenly exposed scans at 300 dpi for documents and 600 dpi for photos. The app’s scan workflow is straightforward: adjust cropping, straighten, and save to PDF or JPEG; you can file to your phone, cloud, or email. Copies are simple: a color/black toggle and quantity selection in the app or single-button copy on the unit. Expect about 20–25 seconds for a basic color copy.

There’s no automatic document feeder, so multi‑page scans are manual page‑by‑page. For occasional admin work that’s fine; if you digitize stacks of paperwork, you’ll want an ADF.

Connectivity and app experience

The HP app is the control center. From it, I could:

• Print from the phone or a PC on the same network, as well as via cloud.
• Scan and save directly to Google Drive, OneDrive, or device storage.
• Copy, “Mobile Fax” documents (HP’s virtual fax, no phone line needed), and check ink/status.
• Run maintenance tasks like head cleaning and alignment.

In daily use, the printer stayed online and reconnected quickly after sleep. I had one moment during a week of tests where the app reported the printer offline; cycling the printer resolved it. If your network is crowded, assigning a reserved IP or placing the printer near the router helps.

A note on drivers: on Windows and macOS, the HP app and system print dialog handled everything without needing separate downloads. If you prefer a bare‑bones driver install, you can still print via the OS once the printer is on your network.

AI formatting that actually helps

The AI‑assisted formatting feature is more than a buzzword. Printing a recipe page, a flight confirmation, and a news article, the app stripped ads, collapsed odd margins, and fit the important content onto fewer pages without breaking layouts. You can preview and toggle elements before printing. It won’t rewrite content; it just cleans the page structure. For home use, it saved paper and frustration—arguably one of the printer’s most practical software touches.

Ink, costs, and Instant Ink

Out of the box, you get starter cartridges. The printer supports HP’s subscription service, and you can activate a trial period so ink ships before you run out. That trial requires enrollment; after it ends, a monthly fee applies unless you cancel. As always, cost effectiveness hinges on how much you print:

• Light users (a few pages a week) should consider the smallest plan or traditional cartridges.
• Seasonal or project‑based printers might activate a plan for a couple months and pause afterward.
• Heavy color users will benefit most; the service levels out per‑page costs.

The printer is locked to cartridges with HP chips. Firmware updates maintain that lock, so third‑party refills are a non‑starter here. If you rely on off‑brand ink to keep costs low, this model won’t suit you. If you stick to HP’s ecosystem, ink management and delivery are painless.

Energy and materials

The DeskJet 2827e is made with at least 60% recycled plastic and meets Energy Star and EPEAT standards. In practice, it sips power in standby and wakes quickly. The compact design and low idle draw make it easy to live with in small spaces.

Limitations to know

• No automatic duplex: you’ll have to flip pages manually for two‑sided prints.
• No ADF: multi‑page scanning/copying is one page at a time.
• Speed is modest: fine for lists, forms, and homework, not for large color decks.
• Minimal onboard controls: expect to use the app for most tasks.
• Cartridge lock‑in: only HP‑chipped cartridges are accepted; firmware enforces this.
• Wireless‑first: there’s no wired Ethernet, and the best experience is via the HP app and Wi‑Fi.

None of these are deal‑breakers for a budget home printer, but they’re worth noting so you pick the right tool for the job.

Who it’s for

• Households that print a few pages a day or a handful each week.
• Students and remote workers needing a compact all‑in‑one for basic tasks.
• Anyone who values easy mobile printing and clean web/email layouts.
• Families who want subscription ink predictability and don’t plan to use third‑party supplies.

Who should look elsewhere: small offices that need duplexing and an ADF, photo enthusiasts chasing gallery‑quality prints, and tinkerers who prefer third‑party cartridges.

Practical tips from use

• Keep it on 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi for stronger range; avoid hiding the SSID during setup.
• Use Draft for internal notes; switch to Normal for formal documents; High for photos.
• Enable AI formatting when printing from the web—it consistently saves paper.
• For manual duplex, print odd pages first, flip the stack short‑edge, then print evens.
• Run a nozzle check if prints dull after long idle periods; it’s a single tap in the app.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeskJet 2827e for light, everyday home printing where simplicity, small size, and mobile convenience matter more than speed or office features. It produces clean text and respectable color, the app experience is genuinely polished, and the AI formatting makes web and email prints less wasteful. You give up auto‑duplex and an ADF, and you’re committed to HP’s ink ecosystem, but if those trade‑offs fit your needs, this is an easy printer to live with and a good value for a home setup.