Best Wine Openers and Corkscrews
Do you need one of the best wine openers?
Any wine connoisseur should have a sturdy, reliable wine opener that makes opening your bottle fast and easy. You also want to make sure your bottle opens in a way that lets the wine aerate properly so that you can enjoy it the right way.
But with all of the styles of bottle openers out there, how do you know which is the best one for opening your favorite wine?
We’ve come up with the top wine openers out there from the good old corkscrew to the high tech electric bottle openers. If you didn’t know about the wide scope of bottle openers available out there, we’ve broken it down for you.
Here are our picks for the best wine opener and corkscrews to buy today.
Editors’ Choice: Oxo Steel Vertical Lever Corkscrew
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Our top choice for wine openers is one of the fastest and easiest styles of wine bottle openers you can find.
Three seconds with the Oxo Steel vertical lever corkscrew is the only thing between you and your favorite glass of wine. This model uses the lever-pull method or the rabbit method to open your wine bottle.
Place the corkscrew on the top of the bottle with the lever pulled upright. Push it down, then pull back out to release the cork from the bottle.
We also love this corkscrew for its quality. The handle is made of non-slip material, and the lever is made of die-cast zinc.
Another perk is the easy foil cutter that makes opening wine bottles a quick and painless experience.
Oxo Steel Corkscrew Pros
- Easy method: This corkscrew requires little to no arm strength.
- Extra screw: Oxo wants your wine opener to last you a while, so they’ve included an extra screw in the package.
- Foil cutter: This corkscrew comes with a removable foil cutter so that you can quickly open the bottle.
Oxo Steel Corkscrew Cons
- Less compact: The corkscrew is medium-sized, so it isn’t the most compact wine opener on the market. It’ll fit in your kitchen drawer, but it might be harder to take with you.
Best Value: HiCoup Wing Corkscrew Wine Opener
Amazon
You don’t need to shell out that much money to get a sturdy, easy-to-use wine opener. The HiCoup wing corkscrew proves that.
This wine opener is perfect for people who are familiar with opening a wine bottle or two. It’s a waiter’s corkscrew, but it’s not too hard for beginners to use.
With a little bit of technique, you can twist the screw into the cork and use the two wings to pop out the cork.
This wine bottle opener is also easy to carry around because it is compact and not bulky. The HiCoup is versatile because it can be used with any size cork and both natural and synthetic corks.
HiCoup Wing Corkscrew Pros
- Affordable price: For the quality, you’re looking at an excellent price.
- Portable design: The size and design make it easy to take with you on a trip or to a party.
- Wine stopper: The package includes a wine stopper so that you can preserve your opened bottles of wine.
HiCoup Wing Corkscrew Cons
- Larger size: Some users complained about the corkscrew being a bit wide and chewing up the cork when removing it.
Best Screwpull: Le Creuset Pocket Model Wine Opener
Amazon
If you are more of a traditional wine enthusiast who loves to open your bottle the old-school way, you’re probably in the market for a screwpull wine opener.
Le Creuset is one of our favorite choices for this particular style because it modernizes the classic screwpull method. This option is a manual twist-and-pull corkscrew, but it has sturdy materials that will last.
Insert and twist the screw into the bottle, then manually pull it out using the handle. If you’ve got some experience using the traditional methods, you’ll have no problem using this one.
Plus, you can impress your wine friends with the original design of wine openers.
Le Creuset Pocket Model Pros
- Compact size: The design is compact and straightforward, making it easy to take along with you wherever.
- Sturdy design: You’re getting the best quality when you choose this wine opener made from kitchenware pioneers Le Creuset.
Le Creuset Pocket Model Cons
- More expensive: You’re paying for quality and brand reputation, so this little wine opener costs a little more.
- Self-pull design: This wine opener requires some arm strength and coordination because it’s a self-pull corkscrew. We don’t recommend this model for beginners.
Best Rabbit: Brookstone Compact Wine Opener
Amazon
Rabbit wine openers are popular for their two- or three-step opening.
Rabbit wine openers tend to be a top choice among wine connoisseurs because of the durable design. Most users raved about the durability of this Brookstone model, meaning you can count on it lasting you a long time.
The Brookstone Compact wine opener will get the job done. The simple, lever-pull design opens a bottle in a matter of seconds and requires little arm work.
Brookstone Compact Pros
- Durable build: The design of this bottle opener is low-manipulation, so this will last you a long time.
- Fast opening: Place the lever on top of the cork and then pull down in two easy swipes. You can then enjoy your bottle of wine.
Brookstone Compact Cons
- Foil remover: Most premium wine openers come with an extra accessory that helps to remove the foil easily. This one does not.
Best Electric: Secura SWO-3N Stainless Steel Electric Wine Opener
Amazon
Whether you’re trying to impress your friends at a party with a new gadget or want the easiest wine opener out there, the Secura automatic wine opener will get the job done.
The Secura wine opener is a cordless, electric wine bottle opener that opens wine in seconds. Press a button, and the screw automatically twists into the cork. After it’s done, press the button again so the wine opener can release the cork.
The Secura doesn’t require brainwork. It’s completely foolproof. If you struggle with opening bottles and breaking corks or wine bottle openers, let an electric wine bottle opener get the job done for you instead.
This bottle opener is easy on the eyes too. It comes with an LED light that lets you see where the corkscrew is.
Secura Electric Wine Opener Pros
- Affordable price: This amazing electric bottle opener comes in around $20, which is cheaper than some of the manual electric openers on this list.
- Cordless design: The cordless, battery-operated design means you can take this with you anywhere.
- Easiest wine opener: Let this wine opener do the arm work for you instead of fighting with difficult corks.
Secura Electric Wine Opener Cons
- Batteries required: If you get this wine opener, it will be another thing you’ll have to buy batteries for.
Types of Wine Openers
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There are seven types of wine openers. Get to know the different types to determine which one you’d prefer.
Screwpull
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The screwpull may be one of the most traditional and simple types of corkscrews on the market.
Traditionally, screwpulls are a metal screw attached to a handle of some sort that is often wood. Today, manufacturers offer new styles.
The simplistic design means that it takes some technique to get the hang of opening a wine bottle with this tool. It’s called self-pull for a reason, so we don’t recommend this type for beginners.
- Pros: Simple design, generally affordable
- Cons: Self-pull required
Waiter’s Corkscrew
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This is the style of wine openers you will typically see waiters and bartenders use in a nice restaurant. They are also usually found at home because they are easy to use and can come at affordable prices.
The waiter’s corkscrew is the style that looks like a pocket knife when it’s not being used. It consists of a screw, a lever, and often a small knife to use as a foil remover.
Waiter’s corkscrews are easy to use and pretty sturdy. We think they are an excellent option for anyone who has opened a few bottles of wine in their day.
Beginners with no experience may find it difficult to use, but you’ll quickly get the hang of it.
- Pros: a lever helps pull the cork out of the bottle, sturdy
- Cons: If used improperly, it could break the cork in half
Rabbit
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Perhaps one of the easiest manual wine openers out there, the rabbit has taken over the homes of wine enthusiasts everywhere.
Rabbit or lever-pull corkscrews are much easier to use than they seem to be. They usually have two handles on either side of the bottle that secure it as it manually twists the screw into the cork. After pressing down the lever and twisting in, lift it up and watch as the cork comes out.
They are also great gift ideas to consider getting if you want to gift it to someone who is new to opening wine. They won’t be disappointed, and neither will you.
- Pros: Two-step opening system, extremely easy to use
- Cons: They tend to be big and bulky
Air Pressure
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An air pressure wine opener is a fancy, screw-less corkscrew that uses CO2 to open your bottles.
Instead of dealing with a screw, you insert a small needle into the cork that releases C02 into the bottle. The pressure pushes out the cork.
If you have any issues with your joints (such as arthritis), this could be an ideal type of wine opener for you.
On the other hand, these wine openers aren’t sustainable. They have only a certain amount of CO2 in them. To make sure your wine opener lasts, get one that takes reusable or replaceable C02 capsules.
- Pros: Easy opening with no arm work or strength required
- Cons: You’ll need to replace the C02 after about 80-100 uses.
Air Pump
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The air pump is similar to the air pressure wine opener.
Instead of pumping carbon dioxide into the bottle to push the cork out, it pumps air into the bottle. The cork will slowly rise out of the bottle just like with the air pressure bottle opener.
The major difference is that you will have to exert some energy into pumping the air into the bottle. Without you pumping in the air, the corkscrew won’t come out!
- Pros: No screwing required to open
- Cons: Requires manual pumping to get the cork out
Ah So
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Ah so wine openers are for old and vintage wine bottles. These bottles tend to have delicate corks that aren’t the easiest to get out. These corks can rupture if you use the wrong corkscrew
Experienced wine connoisseurs should try this style of a wine opener. It isn’t for the faint of heart.
The ah so works by inserting tiny metal needles on either side of the cork in between the wine glass bottle. Once the needles are inserted, twist and nudge the cork until it comes out fully. It’s tricky to do because the cork can easily go further into the bottle of wine.
This tool is helpful for taking out a cork that is stuck inside of a bottle. Even if you don’t want to use it to open bottles, they are helpful to have around.
- Pros: Great for damaged, vintage, and delicate corks.
- Cons: Not easy to use, can get the cork stuck further into the bottle, best for experienced wine openers.
Electric
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The electric wine openers are automatic. If you struggle with opening bottles the right way or don’t want to be bothered by screws and corks, consider an electric option.
Electric wine openers work in a matter of seconds and require no arm work. Press the button to automatically insert the cork, then press it again to release it. It’s one of the easiest wine openers out there.
These are also a wonderful gift idea for anyone who loves to enjoy a glass or two in their home.
- Pros: Easiest, hassle-free bottle opening you can find.
- Cons: Most of these require batteries and can be large
Wine Opener’s Buyer’s Guide
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Once you’ve decided which type of wine opener to buy, it’s time to consider other features and aspects that you’d like.
Our buying guide will help you know what to look for while you shop.
Build Quality
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Have you ever been in the middle of opening a wine bottle and it breaks?
This is a buzzkill, but it’s also frustrating to try to get it out of the cork and bottle again.
The quality of the parts and how your wine opener is made will determine how durable the wine opener is.
Look for a wine opener with good users reviews, brand reputation, and sturdy materials.
Cork Type
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Opening a wine bottle successfully depends on what type of cork the bottle has.
Talk to the local wine expert at your neighborhood store to know whether or not the cork is authentic, aged cork, or synthetic cork.
The type of cork matters because it determines which kind of opener to get. For example, lever-pull styled bottle openers will have no issue opening authentic corks. However, they will struggle to open synthetic corks.
If you want to buy a model that works well for all types of corks, choose a winged corkscrew or any of the electric or air pump corks. With these, you shouldn’t have an issue opening these bottles.
If you collect aged vintage bottles of wine, you’ll want to keep an ah so opener handy. These are specifically designed to remove delicate corks seamlessly.
Ease of Use
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There are lots of ways to open a wine bottle, and sometimes it can be tricky. Wine bottles have different designs and types of corks.
Similarly, wine openers are created drastically different and are made for all kinds of bottles. You need to decide how easy you want your bottle opening process to be.
If you take a look above, there are several types of wine openers that are easy to use but have some downsides to them. A good rule of thumb is to know how much experience you have so you can decide what kind of opener you want.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Have you been a waiter or a bartender?
- Are you looking for a one-step wine opener?
- Do you mind manually screwing in the corkscrew?
All of these are questions that can give you an idea of what kind to get.
If you want the easiest possible option, you may want to go with a rabbit or even an electric wine bottle opener. If you have more experience, then something like a waiter’s screw could be a great place to start.
The most important thing to remember is that “easy” varies for everyone, but no one wants to pull a muscle opening a wine bottle.
Price
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This is where it gets tricky. Premium brands, fancy features, and newer styles make prices go higher.
You can get a decent, quality wine opener for under $20. But if you want some of the perks, like C02 pumping or automatic opening, you may have to shell out more money.
If the flashy, luxurious aesthetic is important to you, try brands like Le Creuset, Oxo, and Secura. Look at user reviews to make sure the extra money is worth it.
In general, we recommend staying away from the cheap wine openers. They may be inexpensive, but you’ll be frustrated when they break after only a few uses.
Size
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The size of the wine opener isn’t crucial. There are big wine openers that work wonderfully and small-sized wine openers that work just as well.
The major difference between the compact wine openers and the bulkier ones is the ability to take it around with you.
If portability is something that is a priority to you, go with a smaller scheme or at least one that comes with a compact case. Typically, the screwpulls and waiter’s corkscrews are small enough to throw in a bag.
The other ones on our list like the electric, air pumps, and air pressures can be big. Decide how important size is to you and choose accordingly.
If you’re shopping online, check out the product pages for scaled images and read reviews to see if other reviewers found the item to be too bulky.
Worm Length
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While the size isn’t so important in a wine opener’s quality, the worm length is crucial.
The “worm length” is the length of the screw that goes into the bottle. If you get one that isn’t long enough, you run the risk of rupturing or breaking the cork and debris falling into your bottle.
You should generally look for a worm length that is around 1.75 inches long or longer.
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One of the best wine openers is useful when you are cooking a nice meal for someone, out with friends, or even at home after a hard day.
Use our buying guide and our top picks to help you decide which wine opener to get.
