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You don’t need something fancy to open a bottle of wine. Sommeliers, winemakers, and beverage directors have told us that a double-hinged wine key (also known as a waiter’s corkscrew) is the best type of wine opener. It offers excellent leverage and also comes with a small blade to cut the foil off your bottle. “The classic double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew is the gold standard that people should master. It’s probably one of the most common types in the wine world,” said Peter Mondavi, Jr., co-owner of Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley.
We’ve also included other options in case you prefer a quick electric opener or something for your older bottles. Learn about the differences between wine opener types (wine key, winged corkscrew, lever, Ah-So, and more). After opening 36 bottles of wine, we found the five best wine openers to keep in your drawer. There are photos and videos throughout this article to show you exactly how to use each wine opener.
We’ve also got plenty of expert-backed tips and tricks, like where to find the best wine glasses, which wine subscriptions are worth it, and where to buy wine online.
Our top picks for the best wine openers
Overall Best: Le Creuset Waiter’s Friend Corkscrew – See on Amazon
The Le Creuset Waiter’s Friend Corkscrew is a beautiful wine key that is comfortable to hold and provides the leverage to pull natural and synthetic corks with little resistance.
Best winged: OXO Winged Corkscrew with Removable Cutter – See on Amazon
With a built-in aluminum cutter and substantial design, the OXO Winged Corkscrew is comfortable to hold and simple to use.
Best lever: Rabbit Vertical Lever Corkscrew – See on Amazon
With stainless steel construction and a comfortable, textured grip, the Rabbit Vertical Lever Corkscrew makes removing corks easy with a single pulling motion.
Best budget: Truetap Hinge Corkscrew – See on Amazon
It’s not the most comfortable to hold, but the Truetap Double-Hinged Corkscrew gently and effectively removes corks. It comes in many different colors so you can find one that suits your personal style.
Best electric: Secura Electric Wine Opener – See it on Amazon
The stylish, fast-charging, cordless Secura Electric wine opener can pop 30 corks on one charge. All you do is press a button and it does the work for you.
