Unfortunately, the Second Golden Age of the AK is rapidly fading. If you're looking to get in now, your options are much more limited, prices are higher and the quality much lower than even just 4 or 5 years ago.
That said, here's my very generalized hierarchy:
TOP
Bulgarian milled receiver (SLR95, SAM5, SAM7, etc)
Yugo M70 (Mitchell import)
Hungarian SA83/85 series
Steyr Maadi
Pre-89 Polytech
Vector
Kit builds by Krebs, InRange, Tromix, AK-USA and POHF (and others)
MIDDLE
Bulgarian stamped receiver (SLR-105/106/107 and SLG series)
Arsenal USA/Global Trades SSR series
Saiga
Pre-89 Norinco
Early Romanian imports (MkI and MkII, CUR-1/2, ROMAK)
Interarms Tantal
Yugo M70 (Century Build)
Hungarian AMD65 (Century Build)
TGI AK74
Kit builds by Lancaster, Henderson, Red Jacket and ORF (and others)
BOTTOM
Norinco MAK90
Century SAR series
Century Tantal
Maadi MISR
InterOrdnance STG & AK47C series
Century GP1975
Century WASR series
Kit builds by Wellco Arms (and others)
DON'T EVEN GO THERE
Hesse/Vulcan
Kit builds by Elite Firearms (Fort Worth, TX) and Joeken/JKF (and others)