8 best corkscrews that open bottles with ease

This black and copper corkscrew from kitchenware experts Stellar is a simple but effective piece of gadgetry. Using a very basic corkscrew system, the opener needs little effort and punctures through cork and plastic with ease and no awkward wrangling. 

The exterior is made from non-slip, soft-touch plastic that stays securely in your hands even if wet, while the screw is made from zinc and the handle is plated in copper-coloured chrome. It looks modern, understated and best of all it has a lifetime guarantee – not that you’re likely to need it. 

Winged corkscrews are often cheap, flimsy affairs, but this one from barware experts CellarDine has survived 15 years of heavy-duty use in our house: an impressive feat. This traditional corkscrew with arms is made from strong stainless steel across the body and worm, with non-slip, rubber-coated handles for a comfortable pull. The worm stays sharp and effective for years, while the body is robust and the bottle opener on the end makes this ideal for having out at parties. 

This corkscrew from Brabantia is the least expensive to make it onto this list, and offers good value and quality at once. It’s guaranteed for five years and is reassuringly sturdy, so while it is cheap and cheerful – particularly with its rosy colour – it certainly does the job. Position the corkscrew over the bottle neck and it will quickly and smoothly uncork natural and synthetically corked wines via its extra-large turning handles. The Brabantia tasty collection also has many other kitchen goods to match your new pink corkscrew, should you desire. 

This manual corkscrew features a bottle opener, corkscrew and foil cutter in one piece – and it is styled as a cactus, so what’s not to like? This novelty item is ideal for leaving out at parties and looks sweet on the worktop anytime. The worm is sharp and strong enough to make quick work of natural corks, though a bit of effort was required for synthetic ones. The cactus branches aren’t just for decoration, either, as they are handily placed to provide a bit of extra grip when opening more stubborn bottles. 

For anyone who struggles with – or simply dislikes – opening wine using a turning or wing mechanism, this lever-action corkscrew may suit. Use the separate foil cutter provided, then angle the worm over the cork and let the lever do all the work: this opener requires very little strength or effort and no cork proved problematic, so you can keep your cool opening the goods at future dinner parties. It also comes with a spare worm and a bottle chiller to keep white wines cool for up to five hours. It’s a good-quality set from the CellarDine brand, all in 100 per cent recyclable packaging.

A waiter’s-friend-style corkscrew is an essential piece of barware, and the Kikkerland models are all worthy of a look: strong, sturdy and well made. This is a rosewood and stainless steel version that’s subtly styled in the shape of a sparrow. It features the usual foil cutter, bottle opener and worm and just requires a bit of practice if you’ve never used one before. This is weighty, attractive and effective, and looks set to last and last through many bottles of wine.

While researching this list, Le Creuset’s wares kept coming up time and time again in the recommendations. The brand’s waiter’s-friend-style corkscrew is a high quality, great option, but the strongest endorsements were for its original model. This simple piece of kit has lasted some over 20 years of happy, wine-soaked use, and it’s universally easy to use, self-pulling turn mechanism does most of the hard work for you. Arthritis sufferers have also reported that they find this model comfortable to use. There are a few variations in style, but this black reinforced plastic model with sharp worm will appeal to many. 

Not just a corkscrew, the clever people at Coravin have devised a way for you to pour a glass of wine without removing the cork – allowing the bottle to stay fresh to enjoy weeks, months or even years down the line. There are various models with all sorts of bells and whistles, but this basic version allows you to clamp the device onto any wine with a natural cork closure. It inserts a needle through the cork and pressurises the bottle with argon gas. When you’ve finished, the cork naturally reseals the bottle for another time. Yes, it’s expensive, but can you put a price on being able to dip into a great barolo vintage whenever you fancy?