PLA is still the filament I’d recommend to a beginner if the goal is getting a 3D printer up and running without turning the first few prints into a troubleshooting exercise. It behaves predictably, prints cleanly, and I generally know what to expect when I load a spool. My problem with PLA starts later, once the print is off the bed and in use. I’ve become much less willing to equate “easy to print” with “good material for the job,” especially when that job involves being dropped, bumped, flexed, or otherwise treated like a normal object rather than a display piece.