KODAK HERO 9.1 Pro Reviews

Kodak's Hero 9.1 gives you all four multifunction-features and an excellent array of connections, while it manages to combine many of the advantages of its younger siblings. Printing speeds are plodding and scan quality is disappointing.

Kodak's latest all-purpose machine shows off Kodak's versatile set of features like a fresh exterior design, cloud printing, and mobile print apps coupled with dual paper trays, an auto-document feeder, and simple double-sided printing. It might not outshine the competition in performance speeds, but homes shopping for a new multifunction printer certainly won't be disappointed by the Kodak Hero 9.1's array of intelligent technologies.

Kodak makes reliable AIOs that consistently produce and reproduce good-looking prints, scans, and copies...and these printers do so without battering your wallet for consumables. The Hero 9.1's per-page day-to-day operational cost is, in our opinion, a good reason to buy this AIO. The printer also sports all of the features that most small offices would consider crucial in a low-cost color printer, and even some added bonuses that we don't tend to see on AIOs in this price range, such as a duplexing ADF and a wealth of "print from anywhere" features. If you don't need a speed demon and want a reliable AIO that doesn't break the bank each time you run out of ink, the Hero 9.1 is a worthy candidate.

The Kodak Hero 9.1 has a lot going for it, but its slowness, as well as the physical flaws we encountered, prevent a wholehearted recommendation. Many people may prefer the cheaper Office Hero 6.1, or alternatives such as the Epson Artisan 837 or the HP Photosmart 7510.

I've been hard on certain Kodak printers in the past because the photo quality hasn't been up to snuff, or certain devices didn't work right, but in my humble opinion, Kodak has done a really good job on improving on past mistakes. The Kodak ESP 9250 was a good printer, and the HERO 9.1 takes it up a notch further. The design itself includes almost every feature available on AIOs in its class: a 30-page ADF, large 4.3-inch touchscreen, separate photo tray, front side USB port and automatic duplexing. Plus, Kodak throws in excellent software with the Home Center, a unique 3D print option and jumps on board with Google Cloud Print and Kodak Email Print. All of that would be for naught if the quality and print speeds were off, but the HERO 9.1 delivered the best print quality and print speeds I've seen from a Kodak printer since I reviewed the ESP 9 two years ago. And the HERO 9.1 offers the lowest total ink replacement in its class. The only complaint I have is that the black and white quality isn't quite as good as what you'll see from a flagship Canon AIO because they offer both pigment and dye-based black ink cartridges in their model.

If you're looking for a home printer that prints great photos and text pages, but won't break the bank every time you need a new set of inks, the Kodak Hero 9.1 is definitely worth considering. It's not without its problems, but overall, it's a definite step up in quality for Kodak printers.

The Kodak HERO 9.1 All-in-One Printer is a good fit as a home printer or for the dual role of home and home office printer, as long as your print needs are distinctly light duty.

If you want your Kodak printer with extras, this machine delivers them. The touchscreen control, powered photo tray and ADF are certainly worth having, but the print quality, speed and low running costs are available from the hero 5.1, for around £70 less. And you'll need to keep your page margins wide, if you don't want either printer to reduce the page image when printing duplex.

The Kodak Hero 9.1 is the costliest printer in the Hero series, but you get a true all-in-one for your money. If you're a creative home user, it will meet all your needs. Keep it for a couple of years and you'll get your money back in saved ink costs too.

The Hero 9.1 is a good, solid printer, but falls short on the more advanced functionality it aspires to provide. It comes with a slew of extra features that you pay extra for, but they don’t work seamlessly, and they required more effort on our part than competing printers have. Adequate printing can’t really erase those faults.