We Tested More Than a Dozen Corkscrews — and Our Favorite Pick Costs Less Than $10 (2024)

Our Top Picks

The Pulltap Professional Double-Hinged Waiter’s Corkscrew is classic and functional. During testing, we found that it was easy to use and felt very comfortable in the hand. This style is most often recommended and used by sommeliers and received the highest rating during our tests. It’s lightweight but sturdy and built well with a tight and controlled hinge that makes uncorking bottles a breeze.

Given its simplicity and affordability, you can’t go wrong with this pick. This necessary wine tool pairs well with one of our favorite wine stoppers once you’ve got the bottle open.

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This is another double-hinged option that came in close second due to its classic look, accessibility, and great value for its excellent form and function. During our tests, we appreciated the chic, all-black look of this corkscrew — although, for those more color-inclined, this brand offers a rainbow of choices. It fits comfortably in the hand with its lightweight construction.

During testing, we noted that it only takes one turn around the bottleneck with the convenient serrated knife to cut the foil. Keep this handy the next time you’re cooking with wine and need to pop open a bottle quickly.

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For those who have a fancy wine collection and like to show off when opening bottles, this classy corkscrew is a must-have. With its heavy, weighted design and beautiful wood finish, it’s aesthetically pleasing and feels nice in the hand. During testing, we found that the heavy, larger-scale style made it more challenging to use for those with smaller hands. With that said, the form and function are equally as good as the other options on this list — making this the right choice for those who are looking to splurge on something special.

It’s a beautiful tool to show off the next time you are cooking something like short ribs braised in red wine and wish to offer a knockout pairing with a touch of elegance upon opening.

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While the Rabbit Winged Corkscrew is a larger style than the waiter’s friend corkscrew, it offers similar ease of use. The screw is sharp and penetrates both natural and synthetic cork easily, and the winged arms make this style a favorite of many. During testing, we found that the hinge is very smooth when flexing the arms down during extraction. While the functionality is high, overall we noted that it's a bit bulky for small, crowded kitchen drawers or well-stocked home bar carts.

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Electric wine openers are the perfect tool for those who prefer high-tech kitchen gadgets and anyone with mobility or strength limitations. The Secure Stainless Steel Electra Wine Opener is made for these users with its uncomplicated electric function. During testing, we found that this was the easiest corkscrew to use, as long as you have the bottle placed on a level surface. This electric wine opener is effortless to hold and seamlessly extracts the cork with a push of a button.

It’s also a sure bet for opening older bottles of wine with stubborn corks. One thing to note: Because it comes with a charging base and cord and is much larger than a traditional waiter’s friend corkscrew, you will need a good place to store all the components.

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This modern corkscrew functions with a one-two punch mechanism: Lock the opener onto the bottleneck and then pull the handle. Due to its non-traditional style, it might be confusing which way the levers are supposed to face upon first use — but once you figure it out, it’s very intuitive and easy to use. During our tests, we liked the sleek look, the comfortable silicone grip, and the bonus of the foil cutter for use before uncorking the bottle.

Because of its ergonomic grip and design that doesn’t require a ton of force to operate, it’s a logical option for anyone who has joint issues, arthritis, or generally struggles to open a bottle of wine.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• How do you use a corkscrew?

  “Using a corkscrew varies on the type of corkscrew that you are using, but the general principle is simple. You drill a worm into the center of the cork and use a lever as a fulcrum to gain leverage to pull that cork out of the bottle,” Kulaga says.

• What should you do if the cork breaks off on the corkscrew?

  Kulaga recommends trying to take out the broken half and reinserting the corkscrew “dead center” before gently pulling upwards with slow and steady pressure to extract the remainder of the cork.

• What are the different types of corkscrews?

  “Corkscrews (and wine openers) come in many shapes and sizes,” says Kulaga. “The three most classic options are the classic wine key or waiter’s/butler’s friend, an ‘ah-so’ [pronged corkscrew], and recently the Durand, which combines elements of both the ‘ah-so’ and the wine key.”

• What's the best style of corkscrew for beginners?

  Beginners should look into a good ‘two-step’ wine key, Kulaga says. “It is the easiest way to become confident with opening a good bottle of wine.”

• Which corkscrew is easiest to use?

  “A classic, high-quality wine key is the easiest and best style of corkscrew to use. From beginners to seasoned wine professionals everyone should have one in their pocket!” Kulaga says.

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