10 Corkscrews – An Un-Screwed Review
Nov, 24, 2007
Photography: Corkscrew by James Rye
I have uncorked a lot of wine bottles in my days, thousands I am sure. Corks themselves can vary slightly in materials, shapes, sizes, and difficulty of removal. However, Corkscrews tend to come in hundreds of shapes and sizes.
I have used many different types of Corkscrews. Some seem to be more mechanical than others, however they all serve one purpose: to remove a cork. Removing a cork involves inserting some sort of apparatus into the cork, which will be able to maintain enough friction so that it will remove the cork with it as it is pulled away from the bottle.
Initially it was brawn versus the cork. Corkscrews were simply a metal rod formed into a screw shape which was inserted into the cork, after which it was sheer muscle power needed to pull the cork out. Now it is not so hard. Even the most basic Corkscrew will feature a lever system, creating a fulcrum point above the cork with the use of an anchor placed on the rim of the bottle. Some Corkscrews have been developed recently which create even more lever action with the use of gears and longer levers.
“This Corkscrew will fall apart at exactly the wrong time. For example when you are about to open that second bottle of wine at your house with your hot new girlfriend on a rainy day.“
To me, I need a Corkscrew which will open a bottle of wine without breaking the cork and do so without me pulling a muscle. Now, unless you are opening wine bottles from South America, (which I have noticed tend to break very easily and often), breaking a cork is hard to do. Some designs are easier than others, some look nicer than others, and some designs are meant for heavy use. Here are the designs I have found, and what I think about them:
1 – Pulltap’s Professional Waiters Corkscrew
I am listing this Corkscrew first because it is my favorite. This is the most common Corkscrew you will see being used by bartenders and waiters. It does not break. It features a double-hinged design which gives you two steps to use when removing the cork. It has an excellent foil cutter on it which isn’t too long and just sharp enough so that you wont bleed to death when it cuts you. Also, you can put it in your pocket and barely notice it is there. Great Corkscrew for bartenders because it also features a really easy to use bottle opener.
2 – Napa Essentials Easy Out Cork Puller
I have seen this type of Corkscrew in many homes. It is nice because it is hard to not get the screw into the cork in a straight line, which is the biggest reason people break corks. Other than that, I think it is ugly and ungainly to use. But it does stand up and can be easily found wherever you put it.
3 – I am featuring this Corkscrew as an example of what not to get, unless you are on a budget. This Corkscrew will fall apart at exactly the wrong time. For example, when you are about to open that second bottle of wine at your house with your hot new girlfriend on a rainy day. Also, this is an example of a Corkscrew without that second step on the lever that I swear by. You have a better chance of breaking corks with this, and if you have weenie arms you might have trouble getting the cork out at all.
4 – This is also a popular style of Corkscrews. This model is made of nice heavy gauge metal, so it will be hard to break. Also, because the screw is positioned automatically directly over the cork, it will go in straight. The gear and lever construction makes it easy to remove corks. This is a nice starter Corkscrew, one to keep in the kitchen drawer, as I believe everyone should have at least 3 Corkscrews on hand at all times.
5 – Carl Mertens Camero Corkscrew
This is the Corkscrew that I dream about possessing. Described as “perfect” by many. It is made of the finest stainless steel, so it won’t break, and it also looks like a 10 on the beach. I admit, the hefty price tag of $135 increases the “wow” effect. If I were ever to give up my Pulltap it would be for this beauty.
6 – Waiter’s Friend Corkscrew by Vacu Vin.
This is one Corkscrew I have yet to use. It has been said that its lever is amazing and removing a cork is as easy as pie. I like that it is handmade in Japan and is inlaid with ebony wood. The $200 price tag, again, makes it sexy. Throw it in your glove box for random picnic use.
7 – Estate Corkscrew with Stand
Now this is a great Corkscrew. It has a lever action much like the Rabbit, but on a stand. Keep it on your kitchen counter, put it in your sun porch, or even mount it in your trunk. I have used this in bar settings and worked very well, easy and fast. There is also a model in which you can clamp to your table (click here).
8 – Blomus Corkscrew
The Blomus Corkscrew is a unique style of Corkscrews. To remove the cork you just twist the top two handles and the screw slowly goes into the cork, then with a little effort you pull the cork out. Because the screw is positioned directly above the cork, it goes in straight every time. I also applaud the modern design elements.
9 – Lever Action Corkscrew by Blomus
This Corkscrew is a play on the popular Rabbit by Metrokane. This Corkscrew is made in Germany and built to last. It features a long lever handles and excellent gripping mechanism. The simplistic design works great and doesn’t look too yuppie. Also the price is great, this is one of my favorites. This also comes with a nice and easy to use foil cutter, but I always lose them.
10 – Metrokane Rabbit Corkscrew
Speaking of, this is one of the most popular Corkscrews among wine drinkers. The reason is that it is so easy to open a bottle of wine using this. The funky design makes a great conversational piece, as non-wine drinkers think it looks like some sort of sex toy. The screw always goes into the cork straight, and removing the cork is a simple as gripping and pulling. It is also very easy to remove the cork from the screw once removed from the bottle. There are many different models and knock-offs available. They even make a chrome plated Rabbit that comes in a leather case.
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