The Best Waiter’s Corkscrews

HiCoup Waiter’s Corkscrew

All in One

This one tool is all you need for opening your bottle of wine in a timely and clean manner.

Best Overall

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Make your wine presentation look seamless with the help of this corkscrew from HiCoup. The long, serrated foil cutter starts you off on the right foot, and the double-hinged fulcrum provides plenty of leverage and an innovative way to remove even the longest corks. This model’s screw is specially designed to reduce the risk of breakage and crumbling to avoid those dreaded bottle-service blunders. The comfortable, high-quality wood grip is available in over 20 colors, so you can choose the one that best fits your style.

Pros:

• Can remove cork in just five turns
• Available in over 20 colors
• Made of 420 stainless steel

Cons:

• The foil cutter can dull with use

Chef Craft 1-Piece Waiters Corkscrew

Tried and True

This classic corkscrew's design has withstood the test of time.

Best Classic

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There are plenty of gadgets out there that help open a bottle of wine, but many of them seem so complicated that it defeats the purpose. That’s why we love a trusty classic corkscrew to open wine when you need it. This one from Chef Craft is small, compact, and still packs a lot of punch. The corkscrew is sharp enough to easily cut through even the toughest of corks. And the foil cutter is reliable, too. If it gets dirty, this tool can be thrown on the top rack of the dishwasher for a quick and easy clean.

Pros:

• Simple yet effective
• 4.5″ size is small and easy to carry
• Sharp corkscrew

Cons:

• The foil blade is shorter than some others

Barvivo Professional Waiter’s Corkscrew

Form and Function

When you’re pulling out a corkscrew on the regular, you want it to look good.

Best Style

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We love this waiter’s corkscrew from Barvivo when we want to take things up a notch. Made of stainless steel and bai ying wood, this option is stylish and sophisticated without sacrificing performance. Its durable construction allows you to open bottle after bottle with no issue and with quick precision. It was designed with Barvivo’s two-step process in mind and made to open a bottle without compromising the cork. The added beer opener is a nice touch to consolidate your beverage-related tools in one neat package.

Pros:

• Made of stainless steel and bai ying wood for an elevated look
• Double-hinged fulcrum to get the cork out cleanly
• Features beer opener, too

Cons:

• The knife can be difficult to get out

Coutale Sommelier Prestige Waiter’s Corkscrew

Straightforward Service

This no-frills wine opener will give you what you need to smoothly open some wine.

Best Functionality

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Coutale’s Sommelier range of corkscrews features its patented spring-loaded, double-lever technology, making this model stand out in the corkscrew market. Made of solid stainless steel, this corkscrew has a sleek, understated design that is built to last a long time. The sharp cutter on the opener makes quick work of thick foils and sets you up for a clean foil removal. You won’t have to worry about rusting or other issues with the worm, as it’s coated in Teflon to protect against external damage.

Pros:

• Features Coutale’s patented spring-loaded, double-lever build
• Solid stainless steel for lasting efficacy
• Worm is Teflon-coated

Cons:

• Heavier than other models on the market

Laguiole By FlyingColors Wine Opener

Gift in Style

That special someone on your list in need of a wine opener deserves to get it in a good package, too.

Best Gift

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If you’ve got a wine-lover in your life, this waiter’s corkscrew makes the perfect gift. The corkscrew comes in a custom-fitted wooden gift box, but, as they say, it’s what’s inside that counts. The handle is ergonomic, making it comfortable and easy to use. And Laguiole offers a range of gorgeous handle finishes to choose from, so you can make sure you choose one that fits the recipient’s style. When it comes time to test it out, the foil cutter gets the job done by cutting smoothly through, and the double corkscrew pulls out corks with ease.

Pros:

• Comes in a custom-fitted wooden gift box
• Handle is ergonomic
• The foil cutter is sharp

Cons:

• The knife can be difficult to open

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you use a waiter’s corkscrew?

It is a multi-step process but an easy one. First, cut the foil under the lip of the bottle and remove it. Next, position the “worm” in the middle of the cork and twist the corkscrew to work it securely inside. Then, put the first notch on the lip of the bottle and hold firmly. Lift the handle up to pull the cork halfway out. Finally, move the second notch to the lip of the bottle and pull the cork out the rest of the way.

When was the waiter’s corkscrew invented?
The idea was brought to life in 1882 by a German man named Karl Wienke. At this point, it was a much simpler tool that folded up like a pocket knife. Thankfully, the wine opener has evolved over the years to make it more user-friendly.

Can I open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew?
There are likely some ways that you can get a bottle of wine open without a corkscrew, but the chances of your cork (or pieces of it, at least) ending up in your bottle of wine are quite high. We recommend sticking with a wine opener to get the job done correctly.