The 6 Best Wine Openers, Tested and Reviewed

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

• Le Creuset Original Table Model Wine Opener: The five-inch spiral worm is great for longer corks. However, some testers said they didn't like the plastic body for fear it would break during cork removal. It also does not come with a tool to cut the foil capsule on a wine bottle.
• Peugeot Clavelin Sommelier’s Corkscrew: We liked how this wine opener was sturdy and included a spring mechanism in the lever, which can help remove longer corks. However, it was triple the price of our best overall winner while not being a vast improvement over it.
• Le Creuset Waiter's Friend Corkscrew: This wine opener comes in a plastic case and is available in fun color options, such as Le Creuset's signature flame orange. The performance, though, got mixed reviews: One tester had no issues at all using the foil cutter knife and levers while another found the position of the knife as well as the levers awkward and uncomfortable.
• Viski Copper Double Hinged Waiter’s Corkscrew: It gets the job done but the pivot and hinge points felt stiff compared to our best overall winner, which is about half the price of this model.
• Viski Oversized Double Hinged Waiter’s Corkscrew in Rosewood: The size of this model is larger than standard waiter's corkscrews, which may appeal to those with bigger hands. The foil cutter knife was difficult to open and overall, the parts suffered from the same stiffness as its copper counterpart above.
• Rabbit Vertical Lever Corkscrew with Foil Cutter: Similar to the OXO lever corkscrew, this model removes corks with two motions: Push down to pierce the cork and pull up to release it. Some strength is required to pull up on the lever to remove cork from bottle. The gold finish may appeal to some, however, it's pricier than our lever-style winners.

We tested other models that did not make the list including ones from Cuisinart, Oenophilia, Rabbit, WMF and Peugeot.

We tested 18 manual wine openers and 10 electric ones side by side to evaluate performance and ease of use. We used each to open two different bottles. Factors we considered:

• Ease of use: When done properly, using a wine opener should be a smooth operation, requiring little effort and elbow grease. It should keep the cork intact and the process shouldn't feel much more difficult than opening a can with a can opener. We gave low marks to products that were needlessly complicated or required a lot of strength and exertion.
• Comfort and stability: As with any kitchen tool, a wine opener should feel ergonomic and safe to use. We gave high marks to models that felt comfortable in the hand and stable during cork removal.
• Speed: When guests are ready for their next glass of wine, you don't want to take too long to open up a bottle. You want to be able to reliably uncork a bottle in a minute or two, without making a mess.
• Foil cutter: Did the knife on a corkscrew or the accompanying foil cutter make a clean incision on the foil capsule? Jagged edges on the foil capsule not only look messy, they can cause cuts on your hand.
• Durability: Did the wine opener feel sturdy and give us confidence it would withstand dropping or years of use?
• Integrity of the cork: A good wine opener should not break or shred the cork. It should also be easy to remove the cork from the screw.
• Size/drawer footprint: A slim profile was a plus. If a model was large or bulky, was its size worth the extra benefits it provided?
• Value: Our best value winner was a $5 corkscrew (when on sale), which is a phenomenal deal. Were models with extra features worth their steeper price tags?

Every winner on our list performed well in opening a wine bottle but that doesn't mean they are all the right models for you. How does it feel in your hand? Do you like the way it looks? Perhaps one is best for when having guests over while another is the workhorse corkscrew you keep handy in your kitchen drawer for weeknight drinking.

✔️ Type: Most importantly, choose a type of wine opener that you feel confident using. Among manual corkscrews, you can choose from three styles:

• Waiter's (a.k.a. waiter's friend, wine key, sommelier knife): A slim double-hinge corkscrew that you can fit in your back pocket
• Lever: A larger device with two handles that requires just an up and down motion (no twist on your part)
• Winged: A wine opener with a central spiral screw and two "wings" or arms

There might be a slight learning curve to mastering a waiter's corkscrew so you might consider a lever-style wine opener if your budget and cabinet space allow.

• Electric: This type of wine opener relies on a charged battery to power the spiral screw in and out of the cork so requires no physical exertion from the user; however, this type will usually be pricey.

✔️ Material: Look for a wine opener that's durable, sturdy and won’t rust. If you're drinking wine, you might be prone to dropping the corkscrew. You'll want a product that can withstand some abuse and won't warp — or worse, break.

✔️ Comfort: Many factors can come into play when it comes to comfort, such as the shape, size and finishing of a wine opener. If certain features, like soft, rubberized grips, are more comfortable for you, seek those out.

✔️ Speed: By far, electric wine openers are the fastest at uncorking bottles, followed by lever-style corkscrews. However, those are much more expensive than waiter's or winged corkscrews.

✔️ Size: One of the best things about a waiter's corkscrew is that it's easy to store and take out at a moment's notice. Lever-style wine openers require more space to store and may be more of a production to whip out.

✔️ Appearance: If you're less likely to use a product that's unattractive then consider how the wine opener looks.

If you have a double-hinge waiter's style corkscrew:

1. Cut the foil: Some wine openers come with a foil cutter or a small knife that can be used to cut the foil around the top of the wine bottle. If your wine opener doesn’t come with a foil cutter, you can carefully use a sharp paring knife. Make a clean cut just below the lip all around, then carefully peel away the cut part on top. (You can skip this step if the bottle does not have foil.)
2. Insert the corkscrew: Place the tip of the corkscrew in the center of the cork. Twist it in a clockwise motion, continuing until the corkscrew is embedded about three-fourths of the way in the cork.
3. Pull the cork: Holding the bottle steady with one hand, use your other hand to rest the notch of the upper hinge on the lip of the bottle and gently pull up on the lever. The cork should come out smoothly part of the way. Raise the handle of the wine opener and repeat with the lower hinge until the cork is completely removed.
4. Remove the cork: Once the cork is out, carefully unscrew it from the spiral worm.

If you have a lever-style wine opener:

1. Cut the foil: see directions above.
2. Insert the corkscrew: Position the opener with the corkscrew centered over the cork. Gripping the corkscrew shaft with one hand, use the other hand to push the lever handle down all the way.
3. Pull the cork: Lift the lever handle up to remove the cork.
4. Remove the cork: Once the cork is out, push the lever down then up to release the cork or follow the directions for your particular model.

If you have a winged corkscrew:

1. Cut the foil: see directions above.
2. Insert the corkscrew: Position the corkscrew centered over the cork. Gripping the corkscrew shaft under the wings with one hand, use the other hand to twist the knob until the wings go up and you can no long twist into the cork.
3. Pull the cork: Use two hands to bring the wings all the way down.
4. Remove the cork: You may need to jiggle the end of the cork out of the wine bottle if it's not removed completely. Depending on the model, either twist the knob counterclockwise to eject the cork from the screw or grab the cork and twist it counterclockwise.

If you have an electric wine opener:

1. Cut the foil: Most electric wine openers come with a foil cutter, a small, handheld tool that you rotate around the foil covering the top of a wine bottle. Lift the foil cutter up to remove the cap-shaped piece of foil.
2. Insert the corkscrew and pull the cork: Place the wine opener over the cork and either press a button or simply push down to activate the cork extraction.
3. Remove the cork: Depending on the model, push a button or hold the device horizontally to eject the cork from the screw.

Yes, ideally you should clean your wine opener after every use to avoid rusting and debris from getting stuck in the parts. Simply wipe it all over with a damp cloth and let it dry completely before storing it.

It depends on the wine but if stored properly, most wines will last two to five days.

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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.