The alarm at 5:45 a.m. triggers a choreography centered on the stainless-steel travel coffee mug. While the kettle hums, beans are ground to the texture of coarse sugar, their aroma mingling with the chill of the pre-dawn kitchen. Hot water meets coffee in the French press, and exactly four minutes later the brew is decanted into the preheated travel coffee mug. The first sip, taken on the...