A couple of months ago I bought a new Bernette b35 for £199 on Amazon primarily to encourage my daughters to sew somethings themselves. It's a mechanical machine made by Janome and closely resembles their J3-24 so I knew roughly what to expect, but I must say I'm very pleased with it and in no hurry to pass it on
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What I like about it for a beginner is that it's hands on, it won't run away from you and the functions it does have are simple, clear and intuitive. It's reasonably robust, not plasticky, and seems like it would take a learner reasonably far, from the basics like cushion covers and curtains through to clothes and simpler patchwork without too much trouble. The one step buttonhole is as good as any other machine I have and the machine also has a free arm facility by removing the tool box. It has a needle threader and there are several decorative stitches but of course it won't embroider and it's not too happy if there are too many layers. I have a box full of Madam Sew Janome-style snap on presser feet and they all fit this machine so there's plenty of scope for playing about with those if someone wants to improve their skills.
It's not often I would recommend a machine to absolutely anyone, because it's often horses for courses, but I think this one is really quite good for what it is and a beginner would be in safe hands. I hunted around online and found one at about £30 less than some other sellers.