If you’re looking for a classic waiter’s corkscrew, we recommend this sturdy OXO Steel Double Lever Waiter’s Corkscrew. Compact and easy to store or carry with you anyplace (picnic, anyone?), this stainless steel corkscrew has a balanced hand feel and a comfortable, nonslip silicone grip. And it has a longer lever than the other waiter’s friend-style openers we looked at, giving you more leverage and an easier time opening tougher bottles. 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. For wine enthusiasts, it’s a great way to do comparative tastings or enjoy just a taste of a specific wine without committing to a full bottle. While the initial price is hefty, note that it allows you to work through more special bottles without opening the full thing. (Though, the cost of refilling canisters can get pricey.) If your wine-drinking situations are more everyday and straightforward, then this expensive product isn't for you.

Featuring stainless steel construction and a comfortable, textured grip, the Rabbit Vertical Lever Corkscrew makes removing corks easy with a single pulling motion. We appreciate the simplicity and straightforwardness of this classic corkscrew: while it's not a prestige piece, it works consistently, and we had no difficulty opening bottles sealed with either natural or synthetic cork. This model also comes in various colors, which adds to its value and versatility. Despite the bargain price, the Truetap offers everything you need out of a corkscrew. Efficiency: How long does the wine opener take to effectively open a bottle of wine? How effectively did the opener work overall, considering effort and pressure involved? As someone who drinks wine very regularly, I've tried many different types and versions of corkscrews. While the rabbit and wing styles are easy, they are, in my opinion, way too bulky to store and carry to be worth buying. If you’re looking for a foolproof lever-style wine opener without any manual stress or labor, consider the Rabbit. This also makes for one hell of a gift for that wine lover in your life.Foil cutter: A utensil used to cut the foil off the top of a wine bottle. It can come in the form of a small serrated knife, or as a circular accessory that has two blades. For the latter, you place the accessory over the top of the bottle, squeeze, and turn it to cut through the foil. As the Ozeri owner’s manual indicates, all you need to do is position the opener directly above the bottle to make sure it’s centered on the cork. From there all we had to do was hit the LED-lit blue “down” button to activate the opening process and let this electric wine opener do its thing.

The Oxo wasn't a difficult device to use, and worked exactly as the instructions detailed. The foil cutter was a bit flimsy, and we lamented that extracting synthetic corks wasn't as seamless as regular corks. Overall, though, we thought the Oxo lever corkscrew would make a great gift for someone who's into gadgets, or a caterer who needs to open multiple bottles of wine at a time. The Le Creuset Waiter's Friend Corkscrew is a beautiful wine key that's comfortable to hold and provides the leverage to pull both natural and synthetic corks out with little resistance. Kate Dingwall is an experienced spirits and wine writer. She has been writing about the bar and spirits world for five years. Outside of writing, she is a working sommelier with her WSET-III. She grew up in wine country and has a bottle collection her partner thinks is excessive. To test these openers, she put them to the test during wine service at one of Canada’s top restaurants. She judged them on the sharpness of the foil knife, the flexibility of the opener, the quality of the worm, and, overall, how seamlessly they opened bottles.There’s a misconception that the more expensive, gadgety corkscrews are easier and better, but that’s rarely the case for me," says Goddu. "Use whatever’s easiest for you, but for me, that’s my trusty wine key.” The most unique feature is the built-in, removable foil cutter. You place it on top of the bottle and twist to pierce the foil. It reattaches to the base of the corkscrew when you want to store it. Foil cutters are nice to have but not strictly necessary, so we like that it's not an extra accessory you have to hunt for. During our extensive real-world tests, we evaluated the form, function, durability of components, and features of a total of 13 manual and electric corkscrews, including winged and lever-style models. Our testing process included opening bottles of wine by cutting the foil, uncorking, and removing the cork. Our selections are based on the following metrics: ease of use, comfort, performance, and value. All our experts recommend the double-hinged wine key. "You basically insert the screw into the cork, then twist and use the bottle as a leverage point to remove the cork" in one piece, said Alison Rodriguez, a winemaker for The Hess Collection. The best corkscrews are an essential item for any good dinner party host. A lot of the best wine is sealed with a cork, as it allows the wine to age naturally without becoming sour. To enjoy these naturally aged wines, however, you will of course need a good corkscrew – the last thing you want is to ruin your evening by shredding the cork into the wine below.