Waiters' Corkscrew
PROS: fits in the pocket, has integrated foil cutter
Waiter's corkscrew is one of the most widely used wine openers. It is not expensive and usually comes with an integrated foil cutter. There is a special technique to make pulling action easier on you.
Check How To Use Wine Openers video at the bottom of this page.There are two different lever types to consider when choosing one to buy.
Lever Wine Opener
PROS: very fast, and also easy to use once you know how
CONS: no foil cutter, bulky
I think that lever wine openers are underestimated. The speed and ease is definitely worth that extra place in your kitchen's drawer. It is also known as 'rabbit ears' - a little prominent look on dark lever opener on the left.
The idea is to help you hold the bottle in place while that cork is being penetrated and pulled. Extra points for engineering - an innovative and easy way to open those wine bottles.
Great for large parties like weddings, when you need to open a lot of bottles quickly. That's why you can even see them attached to the wall in some places.
Twin Wing Wine Opener
PROS: quite easy to use, no force required
CONS: cheaper versions don't tend to last very long
Twin wing wine opener type is probably the most recognised out of all. It is really easy to use by driving a worm in a cork and seeing those two 'wings' (levers) coming up. Then just pull them down to see cork coming out nice and easy.
The only danger is with the brittle corks that might break. Also try not to drive the worm too deep as it will penetrate the cork inside the bottle to then leave cork bits floating in your wine.
Classic Corkscrew
PROS: it will last a lifetime
CONS: requires quite a lot of force when pulling the cork
It is one of the most reliable corks out there. Literally unbreakable, and very straight forward to use.At the same time, too many times I have seen the wine spilling when pulling that cork in full force. Especially after one glass too many.
Having said that, there are great craftsmen out there who make exceptional designs that would enhance your household.
Air Pressure Wine Opener
PROS: easy to use, no force required
CONS: I am still to see a really nice and innovative design
Air pressure is a genius way to open wine bottles with very little force used. Let the physics take care of it for you instead.Air pressure wine opener acts as a pump injecting air into the wine bottle through its long needle. I like that it does not require any batteries but more as a manual bicycle pump.
It is a relatively new way to pull (or shall we say push out) corks in the wine bottles. I definitely find it quite fun to use.
Two Prong Wine Opener
PROS: good for old and fragile corks, a great talking point
CONS: requires some strength
French waiters invented it to sip wine from future client's bottles and then reseal them with undamaged cork. Now it is spread around the globe but is still quite exotic on dinner tables. It 'hugs' the cork hence a very different way to pull it.
Nevertheless it is a very efficient tool that fits in the pocket. These days two prong wine openers are mainly made in France and in Germany.
See How To Use Them
I show you how to use each of those wine openers in real life. See how to hold it, how it works and how to get the most out of your chosen corkscrew.
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