I wouldn't touch Hotmail with the proverbial bargepole. There are far too many complaints from people who find that they suddenly can't access their mail. (It happened to me three times before I learnt better!). Anyway, Hotmail is now part of Microsoft and renamed as Outlook.
Google's Gmail service is liked by many users (and generally reliable) but some people don't like the way that it automatically scans every message so that advertising can be directed at you.
My own choice is GMX. The web-based access has a clean, simple interface but you can also access your mail through an email client, such as Windows Live Mail or Thunderbird, if you prefer. (Many free email services don't offer that option):
http://www.gmx.co.uk/
(Simply click the big green button and follow the instructions).