9 Best Wine Openers To Uncork Your Bottle in 2024

A good wine opener can make your life easy - especially if you like to relax with a glass of wine after a long and tiring day. 

From traditional and compact corkscrews to high-tech bottle openers with sleek designs and additional wine accessories, there’s a wine opener style to suit the needs of any wine lover.

So, let’s find out which are the best wine opener types, how to choose the right wine bottle opener for your needs, and some other handy tips so you can pop your next bottle of wine in no time!

1. Waiter's Corkscrew

Presenting the swiss knife of wine openers - the waiter’s corkscrew (also known as a waiter's friend and a wine key)! It’s a favorite of many sommelier professionals and avid wine enthusiasts. 

This manual corkscrew opener is foldable and durable, making it perfect to use if you’re on the go. Some models even have a foil cutter.

Just unfold the corkscrew and twist it into the cork. Once the fulcrum touches the bottle lip, use leverage to pull out the cork.

Pros:

• Compact
• Durable
• Some models have a built-in or removable foil cutter

Cons:

• Not the best wine opener for beginners
• Need to apply some strength to open the bottle

Best waiter’s corkscrew openers:

• Coutale Sommelier
• Trudeau Laguiole Waiter's Corkscrew

2. Winged Corkscrew

This is another classic wine opener. Its name comes from the two long wings on the sides, which are connected to the corkscrew in the middle. 

Once you start twisting the corkscrew opener into the cork, the two wings start lifting. When the screw is in, just push the wings down, and the cork will come out.

Pros:

• Easy cork removal
• Affordable
• Reliable

Cons:

• If the worm pierces the bottom of the cork, some cork particles might get into the wine.
• Cheaper wing corkscrew models might not be able to lift the cork up.

Best wing corkscrew openers:

• OXO Winged Corkscrew
• HiCoup Winged Corkscrew

3. Lever Corkscrew

The lever opener is also known as a “bunny ear” corkscrew because of the lever handles’ shape. This is a great tool to use if you’re dealing with a stubborn cork.

It’s fairly easy to use - just place the opener around the bottleneck and squeeze the handles. Then, insert the corkscrew by pushing down the top lever. Once you pull the lever back up, the cork will be out, and you can enjoy your glass of wine without even breaking a sweat! 

Pros:

• Suitable for beginners
• Reliable and efficient
• Elegant style

Cons:

• Bulky size
• More pricey

Best lever corkscrew openers:

• Vertical Lever Rabbit wine opener
• Le Creuset Lever

4. Twist And Pull Corkscrew

This is probably the simplest wine opener. You just have to twist and pull. But it’s also the hardest one to use. 

Here’s the tricky part: while all other wine openers are designed to help you pull the cork with some leverage, this manual corkscrew relies entirely on your muscle strength.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Simple design
• Compact

Cons:

• Requires a lot of arm strength
• Not suitable for beginners

Best twist-and-pull corkscrews:

• Westmark Corkscrew
• Le Creuset Screw pull Bottle Opener

5. Tabletop Corkscrew

This is a great choice if you have the budget and want to invest in a wine opener that adds elegance to the dinner table. 

Besides, opening bottles with a tabletop corkscrew is effortless, and anyone can do it. Just place the bottle under the hole, press the lever down to insert the corkscrew, and pull it up. Pop! You’ve got yourself an opened bottle of wine in no time.

Pros:

• Easy-to-use
• Beautiful design

Cons:

• Expensive
• Takes a lot of space

Best tabletop corkscrews:

• Brayden Studio Hardison Tabletop Corkscrew
• RBT Tabletop Corkscrew Puller

6. Ah-So Cork Puller

This is a non-standard wine opener named after the German “ach so!” (meaning “now I understand”). 

Wondering if it can get any weirder than this? This puller has two twin prongs which you should gently insert between the cork and the bottle. Then, start twisting and pulling slowly until you hear the cork pop. 

This is the best wine opener for older bottles with fragile, older corks (especially if you’re dealing with a natural rather than a synthetic cork).

Pros:

• Suitable for opening a bottle with a natural cork
• Simple and compact design 

Cons:

• Hard-to-use
• Not the most efficient way to open a bottle of wine

Best Ah-So cork pullers:

• Westmark Two-Prong Cork Puller Ah-so
• DeVine- Ah So Wine Opener for Vintage Bottles

7. Electric Wine Opener

If you’re a sucker for cool tech gadgets, this automatic wine opener might be the perfect one for you. Just place the opener over the bottle, press the “down” button to insert the corkscrew worm, and press the “up” button to pull it out. 

Pros:

• Sleek design
• Easy cork removal 

Cons:

• Need to make sure it has enough battery (for the rechargeable models) or that it’s close to an electrical outlet (for the corded models.)
• Some models fail to pull out the wine cork.

Best electric wine openers:

• Secura Stainless Steel Electric Wine Opener
• Oster Cordless Electric Wine Bottle Opener
• Cuisinart Vacuum Sealer Cordless Wine Opener

8. Air Pressure Pump

If you want a non-traditional method of opening your wine bottle, you can try doing it with an air pressure pump. Just insert the needle in the bottle and start pumping air inside it to push out the cork. 

Pros:

• Small and compact tool
• Cheap

Cons:

• Pumping the air takes some effort and time
• Building pressure inside the bottle is believed to be bad for the wine

Best air pressure pumps:

• Wine Ziz Air Pressure Corkscrew
• Tyzine Wine Cork Remover Pump

9. Wine Preserver

If you’re not that big of a wine drinker and just want a glass of wine without opening the bottle, this is a great solution.

The wine preserver inserts a needle into the cork, which serves as a wine pourer, and you can have just as much wine as you wish. To prevent oxidation, argon gas is released into the wine bottle. 

Once you’re done pouring, just remove the needle. There will be no visible punctures or damages on the cork itself, and your wine will be well-sealed like it was never opened. 

Pros:

• Drink wine without having to pop the entire bottle open
• Modern technology and design 

Cons:

• Expensive
• Not suitable if you want to finish a bottle or need to open many wine bottles

Best wine preservers:

• Coravin Wine Preservation System
• Wine Keeper

How to Choose a Wine Opener

If you’re still not sure which bottle opener style is best for you, here are some guiding tips:

• Style: Decide whether you want a wine opener that has an elegant and beautiful design (like most automatic wine openers and wine preservation systems) or something more compact and small you can carry with you.

• Ease of use: If you don’t mind putting some extra effort into opening your wine bottle, you can go for a winged or a lever wine opener. But if you want a 100% effortless experience, you should look for a tabletop or an electric bottle opener. 

• Features: Decide whether extra features like a removable foil cutter, a built-in foil knife, an extra screw, or even a beer bottle opener are things you might benefit from. 

If you want a multifunctional opener, then you might want to go for a waiter’s corkscrew or a winged corkscrew. Or, if you’re dealing with a fragile cork, it’s better to use an ah-so wine opener. 

• Size: Choose a wine opener style that fits your kitchen space - do you want something that can easily fit in your kitchen drawer or even in your luggage or something you can put on top of the bar counter?

• Durability: If you are using your wine opener on a regular basis, make sure you invest in a sturdy and well-built model made with good materials (e.g., stainless steel, good grip on the handles).

Wine Opener FAQs

Here are some more facts to consider before you make a purchase:

How long will your wine opener last?

Simple wine openers like the winged corkscrew and the waiter’s friend can last for years if they are well-built. However, an electric corkscrew wine opener might last a bit less (around 1-3 years) based on how often you use it. 

How to clean your wine opener

An electric opener can be cleaned only with a wet wipe or a damp cloth. If you’re dealing with manual wine openers, then washing them with warm water and soap will do the job.

How long does an opened wine last?

If you’re afraid you won’t be able to finish a whole bottle of wine, here’s some good news: your bottle of opened wine can last for about 5-7 days if re-corked (with a wine stopper or the original cork) and refrigerated. 

So, if you have some leftover wine after dinner, you can simply save it for next time.

Pop That Wine Bottle Open and Relish a Glass of Fine Wine

While there are tons of wine opener options in the market, understanding the basics of the different styles, their uses, and features can help you make the right decision.

So, go to the convenience store, pick your favorite opener, and test it on your favorite wine bottle. 

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