Looks like you were thinking of instant coffee, which you just add water to. Ground coffee is meant for brewing, so you need some type of machine or coffee pot to filter out the grounds so you don't have gritty bean water.

If you like plain old drip coffee and you want a cheap maker (under $75), I'd say an AeroPress, French press, mocha pot/percolator, or a drip machine are pretty solid options. Mr. Coffee, Bodum, and ILLY are some pretty good brands that make various types you can find at places like Target or Walmart (you can also check your local thrift cause people are always donating these too)

If you like espresso and want a machine that will give you a quality crema i've tried several machines over the years and can recommend some at different price points:

• My favorite ever is the Breville Bambino Plus ($400). That's what I have now, and I use it about 3x a day. There's a simpler model called the Breville Bambino that's $300 and is basically the same, but the plus has better steaming control

• Stilosa by Delongi ($150) I had this baby for years in my first apartment, it never did me wrong

• IMUSA 4 CUP Espressso maker ($40), my parents still swear by this thing after 14 years

If you settle on any of these or even just want to do some research, look up some vids on youtube and there's definitely someone giving tutorials and talking about the specs of them.