I want to start up a wordpress blog to see what it is all about. Is there a free webhost around or do I have to go with bluehost etc? What are your recommendations?
if you want to start a professional blog by which you have to earn you can go for paid webhosting otherwise you can choose Freewebhosting Also there are some good hosts like awardspace are there..
I'd go with the paid hosting. I think most free hosting plans display ads for the hosting company. There are some quality cheap plans to choose from. Hostgator is good.
I think if you want a reliable WordPress blog, you should go for paid hosting. There are many cheap options in paid hosting that are reliable at the same time. If you will use a lot of plugins, your free host might not like them.
I agree go with a paid host over a free one. If you just want to mess around with wordpress and try a free one there are free hosts that do not have ads - http://www.thefreehosts.com.
I suggest you try Asmallorange. Their tiny plan should fulfill your needs ( unless you are doing a photo blog or something), and it also comes with unlimited addons. With a coupon, your price could come down to something like $20 for a year.
You could always see what WordPress is all about at WordPress.com. It's like a hosted version of WordPress. If you ever want, you can get a paid host and have your blog moved over too through WordPress.