Coffee Appreciation

i want to invest in some stuff to make nicer coffees at home than my current cafetiere / pre-ground coffee combo...

does anyone have tips on good grinders to buy?

and does the quality of the cafetiere make much difference to the brew? i know the rules for how hot the water should be and how long you should leave it before pluging etc.

also, i got one of those metal stove-top espresso maker things, but it was pretty cheap, and the coffee i make with it always tastes a bit odd. i dunno if it's because i'm doing it wrong (how much coffee? should the water be brought to the boil slow or fast? etc), or coz it's a cheap piece of turd.

advice please folks!

I use the same equipment as Jim, but am not in the position to replace it, ie Bodum Cafetiere and a stovetop. I always do the following, rate my skillz.

Cafetiere

Put some coffee in the cafetiere (How much? I'm never sure)
Put fresh boiling water directly onto the coffee (Again, how much and can I 'scald' it?)
Plunge and lift the plunger, creating a whirling coffee-ground maelstrom
Leave it until I'm really hot for coffee (Maybe 4 minutes)
Guzzle thoughtlessly, maybe with a biscuit

Generally this leaves me with a not unpleasant buzz, but am I doing something that I could change to improve things? Ground coffee never seems to have any 'recommended dose' and there are no instructions with cafetieres, so I'd be interested to hear how an afficionado might approach my very limited equipment.