The Best Wine Openers for 2026: Corkscrews, Lever Openers and Electric Picks
By Claire Whitmore. Last updated October 2026.
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The best wine opener is the one that gets the cork out cleanly, in one piece, without a struggle. Sommeliers almost universally use a double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew, but lever openers, winged corkscrews and electric openers each make sense for some drinkers, and a two-prong puller is a must if you collect older bottles.
For this guide, we compared two independent tests. The Spruce Eats tested 17 corkscrews of every type, scoring foil cutting and extraction of both natural and synthetic corks, and consulted wine professionals. Serious Eats opened dozens of bottles to rank electric openers specifically. The two outlets disagree on one electric model, which we’ll explain. We haven’t tested these openers ourselves; prices and availability change.
Quick answer: most people should buy Pulltap’s Double-Hinged Waiter’s Corkscrew, The Spruce Eats’ best overall and the style the pros use. For a gift or a statement piece, the Laguiole en Aubrac horn corkscrew. If you’d rather not use a manual tool, the Peugeot Elis Touch is Serious Eats’ best electric opener.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Type | Source | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulltap’s Double-Hinged Waiter’s Corkscrew | Waiter’s friend | The Spruce Eats: best overall | Almost everyone |
| True Truetap | Waiter’s friend | The Spruce Eats: best budget | Spares and stocking stuffers |
| Laguiole en Aubrac Solid Horn | Waiter’s friend | The Spruce Eats: best splurge | Gifts, collectors |
| Rabbit Wing Corkscrew | Winged | The Spruce Eats: best winged | Easy leverage |
| OXO Vertical Lever Corkscrew | Lever | The Spruce Eats: best lever | Parties, minimal effort |
| RBT by Rabbit Vertical Lever | Lever | The Spruce Eats: best design | Home-bar display |
| Peugeot Elis Touch | Electric | Serious Eats: best electric | Effortless opening |
| Cuisinart Electric Wine Opener | Electric | Serious Eats: best budget electric | Value electric |
| Monopol Westmark two-prong puller | Ah-So | The Spruce Eats: best for older bottles | Fragile, aged corks |
The best wine openers
1. Pulltap’s Double-Hinged Waiter’s Corkscrew: best overall
Best for: anyone who opens wine regularly.
The Spruce Eats’ top choice is the tool many wine pros carry. The Barcelona brand’s corkscrew has a fold-away serrated foil blade, a nickel-plated double-hinged lever and a Teflon-coated worm that worked on both natural and synthetic corks. Testers opened bottles in just 3.5 full turns with the cork intact. Wine-club founder Carrie Wynkoop told the outlet she’s happy with any double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew.
The double hinge is the key feature: the first step lifts the cork halfway, the second finishes the job, so you never have to yank. The only gripe was that no instructions are included, so beginners may need a quick tutorial (see our steps below).
Pros
- Pro-favorite design
- Two-step lever
- Works on synthetic corks
- Pocket-sized and affordable
Cons
- Slight learning curve
- No instructions
2. Laguiole en Aubrac Solid Horn Waiter’s Corkscrew: best luxury corkscrew
Best for: gifting, collectors and anyone opening special bottles.
The Spruce Eats’ splurge pick is a heirloom-quality waiter’s friend from the French maker, using top-tier materials including Sandvik stainless steel and a solid horn handle, presented in an ebony storage box. Testers likened its worm to cutting through butter and praised how solid it feels.
The hinges were a bit tight, and its bulk can be harder to maneuver for smaller hands. Function is no better than the Pulltap; you’re paying for craftsmanship and the pleasure of using a beautiful object, which is exactly the point.
Pros
- Heirloom craftsmanship
- Horn handle, gift box
- Smooth worm
Cons
- Expensive
- Tight hinges
- Bulky
3. True Truetap Waiter’s Corkscrew: best budget
Best for: keeping spares in kitchen drawers, picnic baskets and vacation homes.
It offers the Pulltap’s essentials, a serrated foil cutter, double hinge and nonstick worm, for significantly less money. The Spruce Eats had no trouble opening natural or synthetic corks, and it comes in several colors.
Pros
- Very inexpensive
- Double-hinged
- Many colors
Cons
- Feels less substantial
4. Rabbit Wing Corkscrew: best winged
Best for: people who find a waiter’s friend fiddly.
Wing corkscrews can be flimsy, but The Spruce Eats found Rabbit’s version smooth and reliable. A slip ring centers the worm on the cork, an anti-rotation clamp keeps it steady, and the plastic grip stabilizes entry. It’s made of brass-finished stainless steel and matte black plastic with a one-year warranty. Corks were occasionally tricky to remove.
Pros
- Easy leverage
- Self-centering
- Sturdy for a winged opener
Cons
- Bulkier than a wine key
5. OXO Vertical Lever Corkscrew and RBT by Rabbit: best lever openers
Best for: parties and anyone who wants minimal effort.
Lever openers clamp the bottle neck and drive the worm in at the ideal angle with one pull. The Spruce Eats liked OXO’s die-cast zinc model, which includes a foil cutter and replacement worm and needs little strength, though the foil cutter felt flimsy and synthetic corks were less seamless. It suggests it for gadget lovers and caterers.
For a home-bar centerpiece, the RBT by Rabbit is the design pick, with an elegant, weighty metal body and a black-and-gold foil cutter. Extraction was quick and smooth, though testers felt it could be more durable for the price.
Pros
- Effortless extraction
- Consistent angle
- RBT looks luxurious
Cons
- Larger to store
- RBT durability concerns
6. Peugeot Elis Touch Electric Corkscrew: best electric
Best for: anyone with limited hand strength or who wants push-button ease.
Serious Eats found most electric openers wobble on the bottle, so the worm enters at an angle and scrapes the glass. The Peugeot was the exception: it wiggled the least, entered the center of the cork almost every time with no crumbling, had an intuitive interface, and its lithium-ion motor was the fastest tested. It weighs about 2 pounds and is made of acrylic and stainless steel. The catch is price: over $100.
On a budget, Serious Eats liked the stylish Cuisinart Electric Wine Opener, with simple up and down buttons, a claimed 50 bottles per charge, and about 10.7 seconds per cork. Hold it straight, because it sometimes entered at an angle.
Pros
- Most stable electric tested
- Fastest
- No crumbled corks
Cons
- Over $100
- Needs charging
7. Monopol Westmark Two-Prong Cork Puller: best for older bottles
Best for: collectors opening aged wine.
Old corks become brittle and crumble when a worm pierces them. A two-prong puller, often called an Ah-So, slides its blades down the sides of the cork and twists it out without penetrating it. The Spruce Eats liked this German-steel model for its protective cover and five-year warranty, though it has a learning curve.
Pros
- Saves fragile corks
- Inexpensive
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- Takes practice
Where the reviewers disagree: electric openers
The Spruce Eats named a Secura stainless-steel electric opener its best electric pick, citing fast, clean extraction, a charging base, foil cutter, LED light and up to 30 corks per charge, though it noted you must press down firmly and the unit can wobble on its base. Serious Eats tested a Secura model too and found it wobbly, with the screw entering at an angle more often than not. Both found Rabbit’s pressure-activated electric opener troublesome: Serious Eats said it starts at the slightest touch and can’t be stopped mid-cycle.
Our read: wobble is the universal weakness of electric openers, which is why we favor the Peugeot, the one model Serious Eats found genuinely stable. Choose models with up and down buttons rather than automatic starts, and look for a separate foil cutter.
How to choose a wine opener
- Waiter’s friend: compact, cheap and what professionals use. Choose double-hinged.
- Lever: fastest and easiest for entertaining, but bulky.
- Winged: intuitive leverage; quality varies widely.
- Electric: best for limited hand strength; prioritize stability and buttons.
- Two-prong: a specialist tool for aged or fragile corks.
- Worm: a coated, open-spiral worm grips better and works on synthetic corks.
- Price: The Spruce Eats notes a great wine key costs under $20, most electric models $20 to $75, and display stands up to about $130.
How to use a waiter’s corkscrew
Following The Spruce Eats’ method: cut the foil under the bottle’s lip with the serrated blade. Center the worm on the cork and screw it in until about three-quarters of it is inside. Rest the first hinge on the lip and lever the cork halfway out, then switch to the second hinge to draw it the rest of the way. If a cork breaks, unscrew the piece on the worm and repeat on the remainder at a slight angle.
Complete the ritual
A great opener deserves the right glassware and storage. See our guides to the best luxury wine glasses, the best wine decanters and the best wine fridges.
FAQ
What corkscrew do sommeliers use?
Overwhelmingly a double-hinged waiter’s corkscrew, or wine key; the pros quoted by The Spruce Eats say so.
Are electric wine openers worth it?
For people with arthritis or limited grip, yes. Choose a stable model; Serious Eats found most wobble.
Do corkscrews work on synthetic corks?
Yes, with a coated worm. Pulltap’s, Truetap and OXO all handled synthetic corks in testing.
How do I open an old bottle?
Use a two-prong puller to avoid crumbling a brittle cork, and decant if sediment is present.
The bottom line
Buy the Pulltap’s Double-Hinged Waiter’s Corkscrew and you’ll likely never need another opener. Add the Laguiole en Aubrac if you want something beautiful, the Peugeot Elis Touch if you want push-button ease, and a two-prong puller if you cellar older wine.
