What is the best corkscrew? Surely they are all much of a muchness, right? Wrong. As with most products your choice of corkscrew affects your enjoyment of the owning and drinking experience. A cheap, poor quality corkscrew can break under torsion, with repeated use or you might end up with the cork crumbling and no-one wants to fish cork chunks out of their wine. A good quality corkscrew can make the opening process a joy and can also be a talking point for your guests.
In this review we will look at the best corkscrews over a range of prices starting with the affordable sub $20 market. These corkscrews – regardless of price bracket – are our choices of top quality and performance for the money.
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Dodo Wing Corkscrew and Wine Bottle Opener
Dodo make good quality products at a great value price. These wing corkscrews may look like discount models you can pick up at any convenience store but you would be pleasantly surprised. These are made from a rust resistant, strong zinc alloy with a stainless steel screw. It has soft touch panels to give you a comfortable, non-slip grip. The Dodo corkscrew is a tried and trusted design that works flawlessly time after time. As you twist the auger into the cork, the wings lift until the corkscrew cap meets the top of the bottle. The stopper prevents the auger from breaking through the bottom of the cork. To remove the cork you grasp the wings and bring them together. Simplicity itself.
The Dodo corkscrew package comes with four cork coasters bearing novelty messages such as ‘Eat, sleep, drink repeat’ which are a bit of fun. Rounding off the set is Dodo’s 100% satisfaction guarantee should you not be totally happy.
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HiCoup Kitchenware Wing Corkscrew Wine Opener by HiCoup
For a few bucks more you can pick up the HiCoup Kitchenware wing corkscrew, a classy looking, weighty device that feels good in your hands. As with the Dodo version, this corkscrew is a reliable operator and its two-inch wide handle gives you a good purchase when you turn it. The handle doubles up as a bottle opener and you also get a bottle stopper in the package that fits snugly in regular bottles and can extend the life of a red wine for an additional three days.
The HiCoup wing corkscrew is finished in a crisp matte black with a polished, stainless steel auger and its collar carries the modern HiCoup logo. It’s a rather attractive and functional device.
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Esther Beauty Wing corkscrew
The third wing corkscrew in our review is this ultra-stylish unpolished zinc alloy wine opener with stainless steel auger. The device is rust resistant and is easy to clean although we recommend hand drying to keep it fee from water marks. The spiral drill is very sharp and it makes light work of any cork. Rubber braces on the wings give you excellent purchase and confidence when retracting the cork. If you have any difficulties in using your hands then this ergonomic device could be the corkscrew for you! The ‘buckle’ design acts as a wine cap and bottle opener. It also acts as a useful hook from which to hang the opener when not in use.
The package comes with a vacuum seal bottle stopper and a foil cutter. The foil cutter leaves the wine bottle with a neatly finished mouth and makes you feel every bit the professional sommelier!
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Le Creuset Pocket Model Wine Opener
Looking for something a little different? Then look no further than this unusual and rather unique corkscrew from Le Creuset. This is a self-pulling corkscrew that takes its design cues from Herbert Allen’s original table model. It’s easy to use and requires only one finger to rotate the extraction handle! It looks great in frosted black and feels just as good too thanks to its ergonomic, soft grip handle.
This is the foldable pocket-sized model that measures a mere 7.6 inches in length and weighs only 0.8 oz. Not bad for a bar tool that is as useful and as stylish as this. The Le Creuset comes with a foil cutter and a five year limited warranty.
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Targherle Rabbit Wine Opener
Going for a totally different look and method of operation is Targherle’s lever bottle opener. The popular rabbit wine opener model has some great advantages over regular corkscrews. The first is that these can open any size of wine bottle. Another is that the operation is usually simple and quick; three seconds is typically all you need to extract the cork.
The Targherle opener has a zinc alloy body for rust resistance and durability. It can be given as a gift as it comes in a smart black box complete with a foil cutter and easy-to-follow instructions.
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Plaisir de la Cave Sphinx Wine & Bottle Opener
If you want something that will raise a smile and a few eyebrows then this cat-shaped bottle opener could be for you. Aimed at cat lovers and novelty buyers the Sphinx Wine and Bottle Opener looks fun and actually works very well. The zinc alloy body is 14kt gold plated to add a hint of luxury. The black cat is an ergonomic design that is realised with a soft-touch material that feels warm in your hand. It lends itself to a good grip which is especially important when handling glass bottles. The double hinged mechanism makes opening bottles that bit easier. The corkscrew itself is Teflon coated which makes driving the auger into the cork effortless.
The Sphinx bottle opener has an optional color scheme that is of a white cat and rose gold plated metalwork. All they need now is one for Garfield!
This bottle opener comes in a really attractive black presentation case with the logo picked out in gold foil.
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BOJ Vintage Inspired Bottle Opener (Handheld) Cellar Type Corkscrew
BOJ have produced this design of corkscrew for close to a hundred years in their base in Spain. It’s a vintage-style cellar type bottle opener that eschews fancy gimmicks for simplicity, practicality and effectiveness in cork removal. The bottle opener is made of a zinc alloy (Zamak) and stainless steel with a chrome-plated finish.
The auger is produced by milling a spiral of metal not the cheaper type of corkscrew made by twisting a wire. This lends itself to strength and reliability and is just one of the reasons why we love recommending this brand and model.
In action all you do is wind the corkscrew down into the cork then flip the bracket over and repeat the action which withdraws it cleanly from the neck of the bottle. No fuss, just the satisfying pop of a freshly pulled cork.
The device measures 6.25” and weighs a healthy 7 oz giving you a good sense of the BOJ’s quality.
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Coutale Sommelier Prestige in Pinewood Crate
Patented in France, this is one from the range that features a spring-loaded double lever. The Prestige is Coutale Sommelier’s premium brand and it certainly feels top quality. Built on a solid stainless steel chassis with a decent chunk of beautifully carved blackwood. The auger is a single piece of stainless steel, a sign that this bottle opener will last you a very long time indeed. One aspect of the auger that we love is that it’s serrated, giving exceptional traction as you screw it further into the cork.
The stainless steel foil cutter knife is also notable for its quality too; you won’t see any snags or rough edges left on the cap.
The Coutale Sommelier comes in a gorgeous (sustainably sourced from California) pinewood crate with the logo stenciled. It harks back to the style of old wine bottle crates.
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ACE Wine Key
The ACE bottle opener is a beautifully designed device that has a great heft and balance. This is a sophisticated, well-engineered piece that stands out among rivals in the sub $50 price range. It makes cutting the foil and removing the cork a breeze, so much so that you will look like a real sommelier! And even if you are a real sommelier we think you will appreciate the owning experience of the ACE Wine Key.
It’s finished in polished high grade stainless steel and well carved black ebony wood. With the extra long auger and double-hinged lever the ACE is the first of our bottle openers on test that can handle everything including those bottles with the unusually long corks.
This comes in a gorgeous magnetic-sealing, black ebony gift box. It really sets the bar high for any corkscrew set in a higher price bracket.
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Rabbit Wine Opener
With a tagline of ‘faster than a speeding bunny’ the Rabbit Wine Opener promises swift and effortless cork-pulling power. And we find ourselves buying into the hype! It certainly delivers on its claims and then some. The original Rabbit – and in our view, the best – comes with an impressive selection of good quality accessories. In the package you get a spare auger, foil cutter, two bottle stoppers and a fantastic presentation case.
Vertical wine openers of this type are used professionally all the time and their repetitive use lends itself to any home bar owner who may have repetitive strain injury or arthritis for example. Regardless, the Rabbit Wine Opener can extract cork after cork without hassle in just three seconds.
The bundled wine stoppers do an excellent job of preserving your wine, the reds can last up to an additional three days. Unlike some wine stoppers you can buy, these ones aren’t the cheap type; these are washable and re-usable time after time.
There are over 50 components that go into making this quality bar tool and, as you might be excited to hear, it is backed by a comprehensive 10 year warranty. Not bad at all, Rabbit.
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Sharper Image Tabletop Corkscrew Wine Bottle Opener
The Sharper Image bottle opener is a table-mounted bottle opener that uses a lever action to withdraw corks and synthetic stoppers. With an adjustable height setting it’s a breeze to accommodate different size bottles. The foil cutter is integrated into the neck of the device and it is simplicity itself to use. The smart-looking bottle opener sports a matte black finish with chrome accents and adds a professional air to any kitchen counter-top or your home bar area. It is fastened to the surface with good-performing suction cups and we found these were strong enough to hold it firmly in place over the course of an evening’s bottle openings.
The Sharper Image requires very little strength to use and is suitable for left-handed and right-handed people.
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Vinturi V9031 Vertical Lever Wine Opener, Silver
If you’re in the market for an even more premium product that is guaranteed to turn heads then we recommend this offering from Vinturi. It features a die cast body giving it exceptional strength and durability. Given a beautiful clean chrome finish, the Vinturi looks gorgeous, the only added detail is the debossed logo. This wine opener measures a pocket-friendly 6.9” in length and sports a built-in bottle opener and foil cutter. In use, the Vinturi makes light work of any cork or synthetic cork, its lever action retracting the cork with ease rather than you having to put all the effort in pulling. The package comes with a spare auger.
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Summary
All the wine and bottle openers in this article are our picks of the best bar tools in a range of prices. Whatever your budget we feel you will be happy with any of our choices!