It depends on what you want. For cooking, I go with Crystal. Its cheap, and relatively mild (eg forgiving) it also has a little sweetness to it. You put a few drops too many in a chile or a gumbo or an etouffe and you're not out of business. It is my go to sauce. For at the table for just heat, I go with tabasco or chotihula (sic) as both pack a lot of punch, though little flavor beyond heat (a pinch of cayenne pepper wll do the same). For a smoky taste, as in beef or pork, chipotle is the way to go. It is a back of the tongue heat so you need to be careful. First taste, it will seem mild. Give it a minute and you will feel it. As far as making my own, I have Datil peppers in my back yard. I put 4-5 of these in salad dressing/olive oil jars with the the metal pour spouts you see in Italian restaraunts, covered in dry sherry. These are great for seafood. Put them over a crawfish etoufe, a jambalaya, a fish chowder, or an oyster Po' Boy and you will see the light. Sweet, acidic and hot, works beautifully with seafood, particularlly shellfish. Serranos will work as well. Just let the whole pepper stew for a couple of weeks in the sherry before using.
FQ13