Recently I was on a quest to find the best corkscrew wine opener, and there are no shortage of options. Screwpulls, rabbits, wings, butterflies, leavers, and pulls of all types, both manual and electric. With this kind of design variety and price variance, I had do get to work. Here are the top candidates:
Reviews
I first checked Amazon for reviews on the major issues, durability, and plus and minus of each design. While most had good reviews, here are the major themes of each:
- Butterfly– Good design and easy cork lift, but plastic ring seat for bottle top has poor fit and is prone to breaking.
- Rabbit- Smooth action, but cork is not always easily removed. Various plastic and rubber parts prone to breakage.
- Pinch- Effective design for easy cork removal. Plastic materials restricts durability over time and cheaper models break at shoulders.
- Seahorse- A waiter favorite for its durability and simple slim design. Cheap imitations exist and have issues with the screw breaking.
Quality
- Butterfly– Metal construction, plastic ring is the Achilles.
- Rabbit- Mostly plastic construction, various complex moving parts.
- Pinch- Plastic construction, breaks at shoulders over time.
- Seahorse- All metal construction, solid hinges.
Price
All can vary drastically from genuine product to imitation design, generally the original product performs better and will last better than their cheaper generic alternative.
- Butterfly– $10-$20
- Rabbit- $30-$50
- Pinch- $20-$30
- Seahorse- $30-$40
Bottom line- the best value (and what I have in my kitchen drawer) is the Pulltabs waiter-style corkscrew wine bottle opener. It fits in your pocket, is easy to use, and will last forever.
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