An extreme travel mug for coffee-lovers

Coffee. A morning without its caffeine-induced high? Unimaginable.

Every morning, I adhere to the same routine.

• Fill up kettle (fresh water only).

• Turn stove to "Hi."

• Grind beans (2 heaping tablespoons espresso beans — no exceptions) for 15 seconds, then one long pulse followed by one short pulse.

• Spoon into French press.

• Add boiling water. Stir.

• Wait 15 minutes (the hardest part).

• Plunge and pour...

But, pour it into what?

The vessel is as important as the brew itself. Certain criteria must be met:

• Stainless-steel interior, never plastic. Plastic imparts an awful aftertaste, ruining even the best brew.

• One-and-a-half-hour's heat retention. Cold coffee is not an option.

• 16-ounce capacity. One cup definitely is not enough. A cup and a half? You're getting there. Two cups? Perfect. A mug much bigger than 16 ounces is unwieldy. Coffee should never be a burden.

If a coffee mug doesn't meet these minimum standards, don't even bother. Here are some additional perks to look for:

• Leakproof. No spills and better heat retention - a dream come true.

• Carabiner clip. Slap the mug on your bag and enjoy hands-free coffee transport.

• Fits into a car's drink holster - a road-trip essential.

So, what to pour the coffee into? The Contigo Extreme Travel Mug.

I never start a day without this trusted companion. My only complaint is in order to savor the final sip of coffee, I must remove the top because my nose impedes the necessary tilt angle when drinking with the lid on.

The extreme travel mug meets all of the above criteria: stainless-steel interior, keeps brew hot, 16 ounces, leakproof (turn it upside down and shake - not one drop escapes), clippable and road-trip ready. It also scores points for sliding easily into a bike's water-bottle holder - perfect for the morning commute.

The Contigo is a coffee junkie's dream.