Types of corkscrews and wine openers and how to use them

When I started writing this article, I had a short list of corkscrew types, but I had forgotten all the dark types, so the list grew much larger. I decided to start with the three most popular ones, such as the waiter’s corkscrew, the wing corkscrew, and the lever-type wine opener. I know everyone is familiar with these. The first thing is to remove the foil from the top of the bottle before using any corkscrews, it makes things easier and looks so much better.

Tea waiter corkscrew It is the most popular and used in most restaurants. I’ve read some articles that the waiter’s corkscrew is difficult to use, but I disagree. To use a waiter’s corkscrew, start the tip of the screw in the center of the cork and simply turn the screw down into the cork until the last curve of the screw has penetrated the cork, place the notched lever on the rim of the bottle and then lift the handle and the cork is removed. Once you open a few bottles, it’ll be like riding a bike. They are very reliable and practically last forever. If you need more information on waiter’s corkscrews, check out my article “Waiter’s Corkscrew Styles: Which Are Right For You”.

Tea corkscrew with wings also a popular guy with this corkscrew, you need to align the screw with the center of the cork like you did with the waiter’s corkscrew, then turn the entire corkscrew (with the wings out) until the bottle is flush with the bottom of the corkscrew . Simply push both wings down and the cork will be removed.

Tea Lever wine opener (rabbit or screw) it is one of the easiest to operate. The first thing you need to do is to lift the lever, put the opener on the bottle and squeeze the handles (ears), then push the lever down which inserts the screw into the cork, finally when you lift the lever, the cork will be easily removed . To remove the cork from the corkscrew, first lower the lever so the cork returns to the down position, then squeeze the handles and lift the lever and the cork should fall out. If this is your choice, buy a high-quality one, it will last longer and work better.

rotating corkscrew It is easy to use. Simply place the corkscrew over the mouth of the bottle and turn the handle. The screw will drive into the cork and when it bottoms out, the cork will be pulled out as you continuously rotate the handle.

Tea T-handle corkscrew it’s a simple design, dating back to the 1800s. The screw threads into the cork as described above, but once it’s fully inserted, you simply pull the T-handle to remove the cork, which is easier what it seems like. You will need some strength in your arms. This one is cheap but not very popular. Many wineries put their logo on it and give them away. It’s nice to keep in a picnic basket in case you forget to bring your favorite, but it’s not something you’d use regularly.

two-headed twist it does not have a screw but teeth of different lengths that slide between the cork and the bottle. You will need to move this tool as you insert it into the bottle. Once fully inserted, you should pull on the T-handle while turning the tool to remove the cork. It’s complicated, ever since I broke a bottle with one, I’ve avoided them. They are inexpensive and are sometimes used as giveaways to wineries as well.

Multipurpose Corkscrew remove wine corks, champagne corks, bottle caps, screw caps. These look weird, but if you want one tool that does it all, this is the ticket. These openers use the same technique as the waiter’s corkscrew.

Air Pump Style Corkscrew it has a needle that is pushed into the cork instead of a screw and it has a pump cylinder, which pushes air through the needle into the bottle, causing the cork to pop. I had one, it worked for a while but wasn’t really reliable.

Cork popsicles (Co2) it is a much improved version of the air pump and has received a good response. This works on natural or synthetic corks. There’s no hand pumping required with this Co2 cartridge and attractive design, but you’ll need to order extra cartridges to keep on hand.

electric corkscrew They are becoming more popular and come with a refill holder but they do not recommend using them with synthetic corks. Simply press a button to insert the screw and remove the cork, then press a button to eject it from the screw. It doesn’t get much simpler.

corkage machinery (counter or wall mounted) are designed for high volume and really look good in a wine cellar. Expensive and perhaps overkill for the average wine drinker, but they work just fine. These are easy to use, but still require 2 hands, one to hold the bottle and the other to pull the lever, which removes the cork from the bottle and ejects the removed cork from the screw, all in one motion. For more information on corking machines, see my article “Corking Machines: Is It Worth the Money?”

Other than specialty corkscrews like the Pisces Multi-Lever Corkscrew (fish-shaped), Winemaster or the Replica Antique Vintage style corkscrews that pretty much cover it.

As you can see there is a lot to choose from, some even eject the cork after removal, but others require you to manually remove the cork from the screw. I have several types of corkscrews, but most of the time I use a waiter’s corkscrew, but that’s just my preference.