The best free host is http://www.doteasy.com It is free with NO banners and NO popups. They just charge a little more for the domain registration, but no monthly fees. I have used this webhost since August of this year with no problems.
It has an excellent webmail program. It does add a little 2 line text ad to the bottom of outgoing messages, but that's it.
That being said, I will be moving to another service early next year. My pages tend to load more slowly than I would like. Esp. on dial-up. Plus there are no site stats with the free hosting. But other than that, doteasy has been great for a new site, just starting out.
Best wishes,
Sandra