Wine Openers

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By stephhicks68


If you enjoy a bottle of fine wine as much as I do, you know that the first trick is getting the bottle open. There is a wide selection of wine keys on the market these days, ranging from $5 corkscrews, to $100 (or more) silver gadgets that twist their way into the cork and then pop it out, almost seemlessly. These devices range widely in cost, effectiveness and value. Moreover, you can often find bargains on some of the more trendy openers, if you buy them through eBay, or at garage sales, rather than at boutique wine stores.

This article will go through a few of the primary types of wine openers, and compare them. You may decide to have one or two in your kitchen drawer. One size doesn't always fit all.

And, once you figure out how to get to that nectar, read more about the foods with which you should pair your drink.


Lever Wine Opener Model
Lever Wine Opener Model

Lever Wine Opener

Cost: Approximately $40

Benefits: Easy to use. Position over the top of the cork, lift the lever down and the screw will drive down into the cork. Press the lever up and the cork comes out. Depending on the tightness of the cork, you may have to grip the bottle tightly.

Drawbacks: Relatively expensive. Does not last forever (models break after about 1-2 years). Not very portable. Takes up a lot of room in your kitchen drawer.


Tabletop Wine Opener

Cost: Approximately $75

Benefits: Easy to use, like the lever wine opener above. Plus, it will look really cool in your kitchen, or in your bar. Impress your guests or date! No struggling with the bottle if the cork is tight, the base of the tabletop wine opener has a suction that grips the counter, allowing physics to do the work for you.

Drawbacks: Expensive. You must really be into wine to buy this gadget! It will always be out, taking up space on your counter. Not portable at all! If it breaks, you're out a lot of bucks.


Waiter Corkscrew

Cost Ranges: $5-15

Benefits: Cheap, Portable, Multi-functioning (you can use it to open beer bottles too). Small enough to be stored very easily. Once you get the hang of it, they are relatively easy to use.

Drawbacks: Not intuitive to use. If you get the corkscrew in crooked, you could end up breaking the cork, or getting half out. Have you ever been to dinner and watched a novice waiter try to use a corkscrew?


Air Pressure Opener

Cost: $30

Benefits: Ease of use. No struggling with getting the cork out. Portable.

Drawbacks: I've never seen this before, so I'm not sure if this would actually work as advertised. It appears that you simply pump air in and then pull out the cork. If its really that easy, then I'm game to try! On the expensive side.


Regular Corkscrew

Cost: Varies widely, depending on materials, $5-$150

Benefits: Portable, easily stored, can be a beautiful piece of art, a gift, or heirloom. For those that know how to use them, simple mechanism that does not break.

Drawbacks: Like the waiter corkscrew, its not easy to use for novices. Must be precisely positioned and handscrewed into the cork. User must then use their own muscular force to extract the cork.


Butterfly Wine Opener

Cost: Ranges from $10-40 (or more, depending on materials)

Benefits: Ease of use, portable and easy to store. Position the corkscrew over the top of the cork. As you drill down into the cork, the "wings" raise up on the side, allowing you to press down to release the cork.

Drawbacks: You may have to "re-drill" before the cork will come out. Positioning is key, as with many of the other models discussed in this article. Not the least expensive model.

Still Need Help Opening that Bottle of Wine?


In the Market for a Wine Opener Now?

Oster 4207 Electric Wine Opener Oster 4207 Electric Wine Opener
Price: $11.95
List Price: $29.99
Emerson BO60 Electric Wine Bottle Opener Emerson BO60 Electric Wine Bottle Opener
Price: $19.99
List Price: $24.99
Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Gift Set, Silver Metrokane Rabbit Wine Opener Gift Set, Silver
Price: $38.77
List Price: $110.00
Pedrini Wine & Bar Pocket Waiter's Corkscrew Soft Grip Pedrini Wine & Bar Pocket Waiter's Corkscrew Soft Grip
Price: $7.99
List Price: $8.99
Oster 4208 Inspire Electric Wine Opener with Wine Chiller Oster 4208 Inspire Electric Wine Opener with Wine Chiller
Price: $25.99
List Price: $47.08
Pike Street Wine Corkscrew Opener Pike Street Wine Corkscrew Opener
Price: $5.98
List Price: $30.99
Wine Enthusiast Pulltaps Professional Waiters Corkscrew- Black Wine Enthusiast Pulltaps Professional Waiters Corkscrew- Black
Price: $9.49
List Price: $9.99
Oster 4207 Electric Wine Opener Oster 4207 Electric Wine Opener
Price: $9.75
List Price: $23.36

Comments

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Stacie Naczelnik profile image

Stacie Naczelnik  says:
5 months ago

I'm a butterfly wine opener fan myself.

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
5 months ago

Me too! Most reliable and cheapest

Zsuzsy Bee profile image

Zsuzsy Bee  says:
5 months ago

Me too! Cheers red or white ladies? great HUB.

regards Zsuzsy

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
5 months ago

Do we have to choose? LOL

Shadrack profile image

Shadrack  says:
5 months ago

You know when I was a waiter I had such a trouble in having to open bottles of wine for the table that I will be serving. On my first day I had to push the cork inside and I had to pay for a new bottle from my tips. I am now a professional when it comes to that. Thanx to your hub

Angela Harris profile image

Angela Harris  says:
4 months ago

We always use the butterfly. I'm not a wine drinker, but I have friends and family that insist.

Peter M. Lopez profile image

Peter M. Lopez  says:
4 months ago

Nice hub. I though the "Kitchen Gadgets To Make You Laugh Out Loud" hub would have made the finals for sure. Good luck on this one, though.

...I'm hope I'm not imagined on anyone's cabinet with knives in me. LOL!

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
4 months ago

OMG, Peter - you totally have me dying here! Perhaps the Kitchen Gadget one pushed the envelope a bit too much! Thanks! :-)

compu-smart profile image

compu-smart  says:
4 months ago

Im going to think about the butterfly opener..I actually bang the base of the wine bottle against a hard wall using a towel to stop bottle from breaking! Each firm bang and the cork slowly rises.

Benefits. You don't need anything except a wall and cloth..

Drawbacks. Can annoy the neighbors!!

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
4 months ago

Good one Compu-Smart! LOL!! Or, you could also try one of the screw-top wines. No implement needed, and the wines are actually getting much better these days.

compu-smart profile image

compu-smart  says:
4 months ago

Hmm..

Ill think about the screw tip!

Thanks!!

Lissie profile image

Lissie  says:
4 months ago

Screw top wines are the norm in Australia and NZ !

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
4 months ago

You're right Lissie - much of the wine that I buy that originates from those countries has screw tops. I think that the wine stays fresher, longer, once you open it. But no fancy gadgets necessary. :-)

2patricias profile image

2patricias  says:
4 months ago

I think its worth getting to grips with the waiters friend type opener. I think I've got the hang of it now that I've practised a lot. Shame about the hang over though.

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
4 months ago

LOL - 2patricias! I think you can get the hang of any of these openers. But do watch for the hangovers... :-)

Caregiver-007 profile image

Caregiver-007  says:
4 months ago

The table-top is too bulky and lacking in elegance. I've heard good things about the air pressure opener from users. The butterfly has been a fall-back that works O.K., and the regular corkscrew is a royal pain.

My all-time favorite to which I keep returning is the waiter's corkscrew. A GOOD one. Not all corkscrews are created equal! It's quick and efficient (when I pay attention), light-weight, and I can keep one in my travel bag and one in my purse. Never again do I want to arrive at a remote lake location with a great bottle of wine and no opener! (Hey -Does compu-smart's noisy trick actually work???)

stephhicks68 profile image

stephhicks68  says:
4 months ago

Waiter's corkscrews are very convenient, especially when you know how to use them. And quite portable! I've never tried Compu-Smart's trick... but it must work for him! LOL!!

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