Corkscrew

Which corkscrew to choose?

There is an ocean of corkscrews to choose from on the market. All of them specifically designed and developed to solve the same task.

The funny thing is that, given the fact that the task of pulling a cork out of a bottle of wine may seem straightforward, it's impressive to see the level of ingenuity among manufacturers of corkscrews.

Finding the best corkscrew is about getting the one that suits you the best. Whether it's a specific colour you like best, or if it's a fun and unusual feature that makes you prefer a certain corkscrew over another, is totally up to you.

It's all about being happy when using your favourite corkscrew.

What makes a good corkscrew?

However, if you are searching for a very good corkscrew and you are a unsure of what to look for, we have a few general things that you can consider in your search.

In the short video on this page, our in-house sommelier, Michael Kahr Jørgensen, shows what makes a great corkscrew.

There are several details and design solutions that you can look at to when you want a good corkscrew.

Corkscrew with spiral

The screw should be a spiral, and preferably a Teflon coated spiral, if possible. A spiral is gentler to the cork and more efficient at pulling the cork out of the bottle.

Corkscrew with knife

If there is a folding knife onto the corkscrew, it is a good thing if the blade is curved. Such a curved blade will cut a fine cut along the bottle's capsule.

Sometimes a separate foil cutter is also a nice thing to use.

Ergonomics is always a wise thing to take into consideration, and a good corkscrew must therefore be with a comfortable grip.

What corkscrew is the best?

Our sommelier is not in doubt if you ask him to choose a favourite: the waiter’s friend. Professional as he is, he wants a tool that is reliable and easy to work with, and precisely these criteria are met by the sommelier knife or the wine key, as it is also called.

Read more in the article here: Which corkscrew is the best?

See here how to use a waiter’s friend (Danish spoken English subtitles available).

Ah-So corkscrew for old wines

The twin-blade corkscrew, which is designed slightly differently than a classic corkscrew, go under many names. Ah-So is called it, which may be a reference to what you may say when you figure out how it works.

The distinctive twin blade cork puller is in French called a tire-bouchon "bilame", a name pointing to the two blades that slides down between the bottleneck and the cork. The English term of this instrument is the Two Prong Corkscrew.

The Ah So is particularly suitable for handling old and fragile corks as it does not penetrate the cork itself. Old cork plugs are quite fragile, so the two-pronged corkscrew comes in handy.

Legend says that the Ah-So was a particularly popular piece of serving tool among the waiters in the Parisian cafes and "bistrots" because they could secretly drink off the wine bottles and push the corks back into place without it being discovered.

See here how to use an Ah-So corkscrew.

Houdini, rabbit or lever corkscrew

If there is anything we can deduct from this, there are many names for the same kind of corkscrew. The Houdini corkscrew is an example of this. It is also called a rabbit corkscrew or a lever style corkscrew. 

There is a variety of styles, but the main principle is that with a pair of arms the instrument holds the bottleneck while a lever or handle pushes the spiral down through the cork.

Highly popular variants of the lever style corkscrew are the large wall- or table-mounted versions, where you get a very powerful pull on the cork. They are especially good at opening many bottles in a short period of time, and therefore well-liked in the hospitality business and catering businesses specializing in large companies.

See how to use a rabbit corkscrew.

Self-pulling corkscrew

The conceptual design behind the so-called screwpull corkscrew was created in 1979 by American oil drilling engineer Herbert Allen. The self-pulling corkscrew is quite simple with a very long spiral and a base with a two-arm handle to hold the top of the bottle.

The longer you spin the spiral through the cork, the more the plunger is automatically lifted out of the bottle while the spiral pierces the cork. The fact that the cork is fully penetrated is the weakness of this type of corkscrew, as the cork can easily crumble, and it takes a while to liberate the cork from the spiral after use.

See here how to use a screwpull corkscrew.

The winged corkscrew - a classic

The most widely used corkscrew-type is the winged corkscrew, that most of us are familiar with. With the two very characteristic wings that rise into the air like the arms of a ballet dancer, the appearance is easily recognised.

The user’s manual is also very simple: the screw is going through the cork and the arms are pushed back down along the frame, and your wine is open. One of the disadvantages of this corkscrew is that they are often equipped with a screw instead of a spiral.

Electric corkscrew

To the great benefit of people with reduced strength in the hands, the electric corkscrew is an ingenious thing. They come in various designs, but the concept is the same. Inside a cylinder is a small motor that drives the spiral down through the cork which is pulled up through the spiral. The electric corkscrew may resemble a pepper grinder at first sight, but it is a sought after tool that makes it much easier to open a bottle of wine for people with, for example, arthritis.

Basic corkscrew

The very basic corkscrew, also called the t-shaped corkscrew, is the one it all began with. If you're a fan of simplicity and back-to-basics, then this is the corkscrew for you. The concept is very simple with a screw or a spiral with a handle across, making the whole device looks like a big T. The spiral is screwed down into the cork and a good amount of raw strength is required until the plug comes out with a big POP! Simple, basic and not least handy. This type of corkscrew is also seen in conjunction with pocket knives such as the Victorinox Swiss knives or the classic knives from French Laguiole.

Alternative methods of opening a bottle of wine

Corkscrews are not the only tools designed to open a bottle of wine.

Special bottles call for special solutions. And the solutions can appear more or less spectacular.

The Champagne sabre – Get the party started with a bang

Champagne bottles and similar sparkling wines holds a large pressure in order to keep in the exquisite bubbles. A clever, original and highly festive way to open such a bottle is by using a sabre. The effect is spectacular and festive, but it's really not the optimal way to open such a bottle if the wine were to decide. It should be done completely analogue and handheld, controlled and with an almost silent sound. We have a large selection of champagne sabres right here.

The Champagne bottle can be opened in style, using our beautiful champagne sabres of the design Fredrik. 
See how to open a bottle of champagne with a sabre. (Danish spoken - English subtitles)

Port tongs - brilliant for old bottles

Another festive and spectacular way to open wine is using the Port tongs. Unlike the champagne sabre, there is a professionally good reason for using this tool. Wines with several decades and sometimes a century behind them often have very fragile corks that starts to crumble as soon as you just consider the idea of opening it. With a Port tong warmed up to red-hot degrees in a bonfire or over a gas flame, a wet cloth can cut the bottle neck below the cork and thus access the wine without touching the cork.

It's quite a show to pull out, and it will not disappoint the curious crowd. At the same time, now you have a perfect professional excuse for going full throttle on the wine opening equipment.

See how to open wine with Port tongs. 

Wall-mounted corkscrew

Whether you prefer a luxury wine opener, such as our stylish BOJ wall mounted corksscrew, where you do not have to use any effort and easily open bottle after bottle or you're more into a simple design, you'll definitely find your wine opener here.

Types of corkscrews

We have lots of high-quality corkscrews and many beautiful models. How about a trendy butterfly corkscrew with two handles in the side, so the wine opening becomes easy?

There are also more classic editions: for example, our very simple BOJ waiter’s friend. A waiter’s friend is the best-known version of a corkscrew. In any case, it is clearly the type of corkscrew that are sold most.

Open Champagne with a sabre

A champagne sabre is great for special occasions, such as graduation, anniversaries, birthdays, weddings or the like. It is also a good gift idea for those looking for a little extra something. 
How to sabre a bottle of champagne.

Port tong for old and fragile wine

We also offer a set of Port tongs, so you can open your old vintage port wine - it is specifically designed to open very old bottles with extremely fragile corks without the cork crumbling into the wine.

Foil cutter

Last but not least, you will also find foil cutters in our wide range of different quality wine openers.