A first wheel should not fight you. That means enough torque to hold speed while you centre, enough mass to stay still, and a pedal that responds smoothly from stopped. Everything else on a specification sheet matters less than those three for the first year.
Why torque matters most for a beginner
Centring is the skill everyone struggles with, and it is the moment the machine is under the most load. A wheel that slows when you press gives false feedback: you cannot tell whether your hands are wrong or the motor is giving up. On a wheel that holds speed, every failure is yours to learn from, which is what you want.
Sit properly from the start
Height and posture cause more people to stop throwing than any lack of talent. You should sit with a straight back, elbows braced against your knees or the wheel, and the clay at a height where you are not stooping. Raise the wheel or lower the seat until that is true, before the first session rather than after a sore month.
What to buy alongside
A bucket, a wire, one wooden rib, one metal kidney, a needle tool, a sponge and a bag of smooth or lightly grogged stoneware. That is the whole starter kit, and adding anything else before you have used those is buying storage rather than equipment.
How much clay to have
More than feels reasonable. Almost everything thrown in the first months goes back in the bucket, which is normal and is how the skill is built. A 12.5 kg bag disappears quickly, and reclaiming it properly, kept wet in a lidded bucket, is what makes learning affordable.
Questions people ask about pottery wheel
What wheel is best for a beginner?
One whose stated centring capacity comfortably exceeds what you will throw, heavy enough not to move, with smooth low-speed pedal control.
How much clay should I buy to start?
A full bag. Most early pots are reclaimed rather than kept, which is normal and is how throwing is learned.
What do I need besides the wheel?
A bucket, a wire, a wooden rib, a metal kidney, a needle tool and a sponge. That is genuinely all.