Telcontar

I was in the same boat a few years ago. I ended up paying the premium and got a prusa mini. I don't regret it at all, the thing prints and prints and prints. The few times my prints failed were just because I was getting a little crazy with the settings.

A relative of mine was also looking to get a printer and I helped with the research. He ended up settling on an elegoo and so far has had a great experience with it.

Creality printers generally have the reputation of a tinkerer's printer, so if you don't want to spend a lot of time meticulously dialing in your print settings I would probably steer away from them.

Oh my gosh, I've never seen it recommended before but I swear by this sauce. Perfect balance of flavor and heat