I sort by New Comments, which means I also see new posts right at the top. It's like an old forum this way. I get a mix of brand new content, as well as what's hot and trendy.

Sometimes the New filter is the best because you can have access to all the stuff people are trying to put out there but can also be a nightmare. Posting a reply to a new post and then a couple hours later realizing that the post went to the front page of reddit and you have hundreds of replies....

I sort on subscribed new by default.