Having kept all the varieties of hamster from two Roborovskis, a russian dwarf and now a syrian and a Chinese, my own personal preference is for the Chinese hamster. Probably underestimated as a pet purely because they are not as popular as the russian dwarf or syrian hamster, but it depends what your looking for from the hamster.
Most dwarf varieties are fun and easy to keep, low maintenance, yet highly entertaining. Chinese hamsters are more `mouse` like in their appearance and character, which appeals to me since I`ve kept pet mice now for ten years.
If your looking for a single hamster that is less likely to nip, I would say the Chinese hamster is the one. They are happy little creatures who love to dig and tunnel, so need at least four inches or more of substrate and ideally, should have a tank style habitat (but NOT Rotastak or anything modular). They need as much space as you can give them and something the size of a Zoozone 1 or Gabber Rex perpex tank is ideal. A glass aquarium or BIN cage would also be fine, as long as it`s big enough and well constructed and safe.
Chinese hamsters are naturally shy, so need plenty of hiding holes and natural accessories and a wheel. A regular silent spinner wheel is ideal and easily bought. They will happily take treats from your hand and once settled, they become more used to you.
I would say do your research, but don`t read too much into some internet babble that Chinese hamsters are not as popular as the other small hamsters. That`s probably because they have never caught up with their counterparts as wonderful little pets! Rehoming one from a rescue is a lovely idea, but just remember that they need time to settle in and don`t like change, so make sure you have a good tank already set up if you bring a new hamster home as messing around with him/her too often can unsettle them.
So, the Chinese is my choice.
LocoRoco, why won`t you have another Chinese? You seem to like them?