The Best Electric Wine Openers, Tested and Reviewed

Here are the other electric wine bottle openers we tested, but that didn't make our final list:

• Rabbit Automatic Electric Corkscrew: We liked the slim design and that this product comes in a nice range of colors, like champagne gold, but it felt a little flimsy for the price. It also started automatically when not in use, which used up the charged battery power.
• Rabbit Compact Electric Corkscrew Wine Bottle Opener with Foil Cutter Base: This model had a clever design where the charging base doubled as a foil cutter. It worked fine for the first bottle but then stopped removing the cork midway during the second bottle and the "down" button for cork removal never powered back on. This was an issue with the one particular model we tried and we will perform the tests again on another model.
• Rabbit Pro Electric: In terms of performance, it was on par with our Best Value winner but at nearly double the price, we couldn't justify picking it over the Cuisinart.
• Cuisinart Vacuum-Sealer Cordless Wine Opener: We thought the size of this model was too wide and was less comfortable to hold. It comes with a vacuum sealer for wine bottles, which is a nice bonus, but not essential for our tests.
• Ozeri Nouveaux Electric Wine Opener: This model was on par with the Ozeri Travel Series, which edged it out with its smaller size and price tag.
• Peugeot Line Reverse Carbone Lithium-ion Energy: Another handsome model from Peugeot that performed well but we thought the ridged metal exterior was less comfortable to hold in the hand than our Peugeot winner.

We tested 10 different models of electric wine openers side by side to evaluate performance and ease of use. We used each to open two different bottles.

We evaluated for comfort and stability when holding each electric wine opener. Some models, like the one pictured, require you to hold down a button and keep it pressed to uncork a bottle. We found this slightly more cumbersome than the buttonless automatic activation that other models featured.

We tested buttonless models that automatically activated when the tip of the screw was pressed against the cork, like our Best Overall winner pictured here. We observed how easy it was to position the gadget over the cork and if the screw entered in the proper location.

We observed extra features, such as the clear plastic shaft and blue light pictured here, to see if they improved the cork extraction process. While the transparent casing and illumination on this model helped to reveal the corkscrew mechanism inside, it did not make the cork extraction process easier during testing.

We tested how easy it was to eject the cork from the electric wine opener once it uncorked a bottle. Some models, like the one pictured, required you to press a button to eject the cork.

We listened for noise during the cork removal process and noted which models were quieter and which were louder.

Buttonless models, like the one pictured, automatically start ejecting the cork from the screw when you hold the product horizontally.

Every model we tested got the job done: It pulled the cork out of a wine bottle intact and did it quickly. But the nuances can make or break the deal. Is it quiet and smooth during operation? How does it feel in your hand? Do you like the way it looks? Are the extra perks worth the price?

✔️ Operation: Some people prefer buttonless wine openers that start automatically when the tip of the screw is pressed against the cork, then will eject the cork when the gadget is held horizontally. Others prefer to control the model with up and down buttons to activate cork removal and extraction; those opposed found it cumbersome to keep pressing a button for the duration of cork removal. We found that both kinds of wine openers worked equally well, so choosing one with or without buttons is a matter of personal preference.

✔️ Stability: During testing, we took notes on how much each model jiggled and shook during operation. The goal was to have the wine opener remove the cork as smoothly as possible to minimize cork shedding.

✔️ Comfort: We observed how comfortable each model felt in the hand, which is especially important when uncorking several bottles in succession. Some specs to take into account: Is the circumference of the product too big or too small for your hand? Does the model feel too tall or short to hold steady?

✔️ Noise: We noticed if any of the products were especially noisy during testing. If you’re opening wine during a nice dinner and don’t want to make a racket at the table, a quiet model is ideal.

✔️ Design: We remarked on the appearance of each model and whether it was display-worthy on a bar. If you’re hosting an elegant event, you don’t want to whip out an unattractive gadget.

✔️ Charging method: All of our winners charge via USB cord, which includes a couple that had a charging base. Choosing a model with or without a charging base is another matter of personal preference.

✔️ Accessories: Each of the winning models came with a foil cutter, which is a small, handheld tool that you rotate around the foil covering the top of a wine bottle. It's by far the quickest and easiest way to make a clean and precise cut so you can remove just a cap-shaped piece of foil above the lip of a bottle neck. The foil cutter for some models, like the Cuisinart CWO-25, can be stored in its charging base, which may help it from getting lost.

Where an electric corkscrew really excels over a manual one is that it minimizes user error. Even the simplest, least expensive model sets you up for success every time, positioning the tip of the screw (also known as “the worm”) dead center over the cork. This is where most people botch the job from the start when using a waiter’s corkscrew: inserting the screw askance, which ends up pulling out the cork at an awkward (breakable) angle.

Another common mistake electric models help eliminate? Screwing the worm in too deep or not far enough. An electric wine opener senses when the screw has sufficiently entered the cork and will then automatically begin the extraction process.

It almost feels too easy: Cut away the foil from the wine bottle using the the included foil cutter, if the wine opener has one. (If a foil cutter is not available, use a corkscrew knife or small paring knife to cut a circle around the foil just below the lip of the wine bottle, then make a vertical cut to lift and peel away the slip of foil.)

Place the wine opener over the cork and either press a button or simply push down to activate the cork extraction.

Yes, electric wine openers effectively extract synthetic corks as well as natural corks.

Different wine openers have different mechanisms: For buttonless models, simply hold the gadget horizontally to automatically eject the cork from the screw. For models with buttons, hold the "up" button to do the same.

It depends on the model, but it usually takes six to 10 hours for an electric wine opener to fully charge. Per each brand's website, here's how many bottles our winning models can open on a single charge:

• Peugeot Elis Reverse: 50 bottles
• Cuisinart CWO-25: 50 bottles
• Williams-Sonoma Heritage: 60 bottles
• Ozeri Travel Series: 80 bottles

Susan Choung is the recipe editor for Good Housekeeping and leads all drinks coverage for the brand. Her previous experience includes four years working at a boutique wine and spirits shop in Brooklyn, New York, where tasting and evaluating samples was a daily occurrence. During her five-year tenure as books editor at Food & Wine, she tasted, edited and coordinated testing of all beverage recipes for the cocktail book series.