The 8 Best Corkscrews of 2021

Best Overall: Pulltap's Double-Hinged Waiters Corkscrew

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"As long as it's a double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew, I'm happy,” says Carrie Wynkoop, owner and founder of Oregon wine club Cellar 503. While Wynkoop buys her corkscrew of choice in bulk at auction from the TSA, you can now pop open some of your own bottles at home with Pulltap's Double-Hinged Waiter Corkscrew. This Barcelona-based brand's corkscrew is our top choice, since it's an ever sturdy and reliable option featuring a foldaway serrated blade for foil-cutting, a nickel-plated double-hinged lever, and a Teflon-coated worm (the screw part) that works perfectly on both natural and synthetic corks. Many wine pros and online reviewers swear by this durable, classic option.

Best Electric: Secura Stainless Steel Electric Wine Opener

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While electric wine openers aren’t necessarily a go-to for serious oenophiles, they do have their moments, especially for those with limited mobility who might otherwise struggle to remove a cork. Electric wine openers are also perfect for anyone who just isn’t comfortable with a wine key, lever system, winged corkscrew, or other manual tool. Plus, they're fast, easy, rechargeable (if not battery-powered), and often come with a display base and an accessory or two. Such is the case with the top-rated Secura electric wine opener, a stainless steel device that comes with a charging base and a great foil cutter, which is always great to have on hand no matter what kind of corkscrew you’re using.

This model can remove up to 30 corks on one full charge (perfect for events), and the built-in LED light helps immensely with visibility, though the device is designed to guide the worm in nice and straight without extra effort on the user’s part. 

Our product tester was impressed with how quickly and cleanly the cork comes out with this tool, especially compared with a traditional corkscrew. She notes, however, that you have to make sure to press down firmly on the opener, otherwise it will just rotate but not make contact with the cork.

Best Lever: OXO Vertical Corkscrew with Removable Foil Cutter

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Lever-style corkscrews are another smart alternative to traditional wine keys for wine drinkers with limited mobility (or anyone who just prefers an easier means of opening a bottle of wine). This type of tool is generally made up of two long clamps that secure around the base of a bottle’s mouth, with the corkscrew attached to a single lever that drives the screw downward into the cork at the ideal angle.

OXO’s steel vertical lever corkscrew, which comes with a nifty foil cutter, is made up of a die-cast zinc handle and nonstick worm (plus a replacement screw), meaning it works well with natural and synthetic corks alike. It’s also incredibly easy to use, requiring minimal physical effort to remove any cork. Plus, it’s easy on the eyes thanks to its sleek, smart design.

Best Winged: RBT Winged Corkscrew

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Winged corkscrews can often be a bit flimsy, since their arms can go rogue whenever handled (there’s a reason they’re sometimes referred to as “cheerleaders”). But Rabbit is known to offer some seriously sturdy tools, and its RBT line just so happens to be even more functional and aesthetically pleasing than its standard counterparts. With supreme leverage for easy bottle-opening, the ultra-compact RBT winged corkscrew could not be more simple to operate, thanks largely to its slip ring at the base (this helps to ensure perfect alignment with the cork) and anti-rotation clamp feature, the answer to a common problem with everyday winged corkscrews. This corkscrew is made up of brass-finished stainless steel and matte black plastic parts, and it comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Best Budget: True Truetap Waiter's Corkscrew

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Though Pulltap’s standard waiter’s friend is relatively affordable, there is a less expensive equivalent for those who love a bargain. Enter the True Truetap Waiter's Corkscrew. You’ll get all the same bells and whistles that the Pulltap offers—serrated foil cutter, compact size, double-hinged design, nonstick worm, and thoughtful design—at a significantly lower price point, which several reviewers give it high marks for. This is a great option if you’re buying in bulk for an event or gifting endeavor, or just simply stocking up on wine keys (the more, the merrier).

Just note that a few customers say it takes a bit of arm strength to open and close the corkscrew, but they add that it might loosen up with extended use.

Best Splurge: Laguiole En Aubrac Solid Horn Waiters Corkscrew

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Some occasions (such as impressing guests or gifting the wine expert in your life) call for an extremely fancy wine key, and nothing really fits the bill quite like the Laguiole en Aubrac Solid Horn Waiters Corkscrew. This is a tried-and-true brand known for its heirloom-quality products, and this particular corkscrew is the product of top-of-the-line materials––think Sandvik stainless steel combined with solid Nigerian Zebu horn––and craftsmanship. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re cutting through a stick of butter when opening a bottle of wine, this is the ticket. The ebony storage and gift box is a nice touch, too.

Best for Older Bottles: Monopol Westmark Germany Ah-So Cork Puller

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If you plan on opening an older bottle at any point, make sure you prepare accordingly: Older corks can become brittle and fragile, and if you want to avoid the woes of crumbling one into your wine, you’ll want to have the right gadget on hand. The Monopol, a two-prong steel opener made with German steel, is as great as they come, complete with a protective cover and a five-year warranty. This sleek and relatively inexpensive tool is designed to safely remove even the most compromised corks with ease. The stylish cork pull is made up of two prongs that slide down the sides of the cork, which work together to remove the cork from the bottle’s neck without penetrating it down the middle. A good, high-quality Ah-So cork puller is essential to keep on hand for this kind of occasion, and it also makes a great gift for the wine enthusiast in your life.