Wine Openers and Corkscrews

There are several different kinds of wine openers, the most common being the corkscrew. While screwcaps on wine are becoming more prevalent, we’ll continue to use corks for many years to come so you can safely invest in one.

When the waiter gives you the cork at a restaurant, just take a quick look to see if the cork looks fine. Don’t bother sniffing the cork as the only real test is to take a sip.

Corkscrews

Corkscrews are probably the most common way for folks to open wine bottles. They come in many different shapes and sizes, and run from several dollars to many thousands of dollars. Let’s go over the most common type of corkscrews.

Waiter’s Corkscrew

The Waiter’s Corkscrew is probably the most common type of corkscrew around. They’re great because they’re portable and let’s be honest, there’s something inherently romantic about being able to use it like a professional.

Pros:
1. Very portable. They fold up into a tiny package like a swiss army knife and most will also have a foil cutter and bottle opener.
2. Various price ranges. You can get a really cheap one for carrying in your picnic baskets, another for the car, one in your office, etc. And for your home, you can get a really fancy one made from exotic materials.
3. If you learn how to use this well, you’ll impress your friends and guests

Cons:
1. Harder to use
2. longer learning curve
3. If you’re not careful, you can scratch or chip the top of the bottle as you try to pull the cork out.

Lever Corkscrew

This is my go-to wine opener as it’s beautiful and works like a charm. As with the waiter’s corkscrew, the lever corkscrews use leverage to pull the cork out of the bottle. There are many different versions, in many designs, colors and materials. You’ve probably seen the Rabbit which is one of the most popular. Another version is the double winged lever model. It’s easier to use than the waiter’s corkscrew, but less efficient than a regular lever model like the rabbit. Since there are more moving parts with this type of wine opener, beware of cheaper models appearing on the market. I’ve gotten a couple of no-name models thinking I got a great deal, only to have them fall apart on me (literally!) after opening a few bottles.

Pros:
1. Easier to use than the waiter’s corkscrew
2. Stylish and cute designs

Cons:
1. Less portable than the waiter’s corkscrew.
2. Usually more expensive, although they are coming down in price
3. Unknown brands can fall apart quickly

Twist Corkscrew

These twist corkscrews are actually pretty good as all you have to do is align the screw and start twisting. The screw will first dig into the cork and start to pull it out. No pulling or awkward tugging required.

Pros:
1. Compact
2. Simple to use

Cons:
1. Take a little longer
2. Feels a little dorky…

Electric Corkscrew

These are generally easy to use and is based on the same principle as the twist corkscrews.

Pros:
1. Very easy to use
2. Looks good
3. Entertainment for your guests

Cons:
1. Consumes electricity, has to be recharged
2. Greater chance of breaking down

Mounted or Stationary Corkscrew

These mounted or stationary corkscrews are clamped on to the bar edge, or displayed directly on a flat surface of a table or bar if it has a stand. Great if you plan on opening many bottles, or to add flair to your bar or tabletop.

Pros:
1. Great for opening many bottles
2. Says you’re a serious wine connoisseur (or you have a drinking problem – kidding, just kidding…)

Cons:
1. More expensive
2. Less portable

Other Cork Extractors

Prong

These two-pronged cork removers are harder to use, but are great if you do not want to punch a hole into the cork (for repurposing on other projects), or if the cork is falling apart.

Pros:
1. Cheap
2. Does not damage the cork

Cons:
1. Harder to use
2. If you’re not careful, you may force the cork down into the bottle! (Yes, I’m speaking from experience)

Gas

This gas cork extractor is fun and great to use when you’re having a party. You stab the needle into the cork, pump slowly and viola, the cork literally pops out of the bottle. They’re lots of fun at parties and guests will line up to try them!

Pros:
1. Easy to use
2. Great fun for you and your guests

Cons:
1. Requires replacement gas cartridges

Have You Tried This?
How to uncork a wine bottle without a cork extractor. I’ve never tried any of these methods, but am including an interesting video here for some alternatives. Note that it is included here purely for entertainment value only. This is why it’s useful to have a couple cheap waiter’s corkscrew laying around.

Recommendation

Here’s my recommendation based on where you think you’ll need a wine bottle opener.

At Home
If you open many bottles, or have a wine bar, you should consider a stationary or mounted wine bottle opener. Otherwise, a lever corkscrew is best. And if you can swing it, it’s also nice to have a gas wine bottle opener on hand for guests try and have fun with!

Picnics, traveling, etc.
A waiter’s corkscrew works best since they’re small and portable. And if you’re worried about losing them, you can get a bunch of cheap ones as well.

Office
Since they’ll be passed around, the best compromise is a twist style corkscrew opener. They’re easier to use than the waiter’s corkscrew (which not everyone will know how to use), but less bulky and more discreet than a regular lever version. After all, you really don’t want to be known as the guy with the wine opener in his office as it may send the wrong message! But if you really want to get a nice lever model, label it or it will disappear very quickly. Learn from my mistakes…

As a Gift
Either for someone or even for yourself, you should check out the corkscrew gift sets that come in various configurations.

Oh, and get a foil cutter. It’s inexpensive and makes a nice clean cut. Unevenly cut or ripped foil just looks sloppy.

For the most up-to-date version of this guide, check out the WineGuppy Guide to Corkscrews.

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Tagged as: corkscrews, foil cutters, wine openers