I know, sounds riveting right!?
No, thats why I have included pretty pictures, in order to illustrate my point.
Waiter's FriendProbably the most common type of corkscrew, if you don't have one in your kitchen draw, its most likely because you don't drink. This is a simple design that is easy to use and affective. Sam wrote about The Legless Pirate Waiters Friend a while ago, this is a great example of a quirky corkscrew that makes a good gift. For something a little more traditional though, look to John Lewis and their Le Creuset Waiter's Friend, although at £21.00 I think I would rather buy the pirate one...
Whether you love them or hate them (I think they are an over-engineered waste of time), Hand Held Corkscrew machines are becoming more popular.
They are good for wowing simple people, because they are big and shiny and get the cork out of the bottle "ooooooh, ahhhh, woowww!". But so does a shoe if you know how to use it.
"The Rabbit" corkscrew is a classic example of a Hand Held Corkscrew Machine. Available from The Ideal Glass, it is not only one of the least erotic Rabbit machines available on the internet, it costs £51.00. I like it because wine.
Finally, something cheap and practical (you are welcome, world). The winged style corkscrew is a simple and affective design. Another common one, up there with the Waiter's Friend, you can probably steal one of these from a friend if you don't have one already*...
These are great for slightly stiffer corks or people with bad joints**. At £4.99 from WineBase, you definitely can't go wrong.
*Don't steal from your friends.
**Don't smoke bad joints.
Going a bit old-skool is the good old "T-Bar" corkscrew. A favourite of show-offy waiters throughout history, the T-Bar guarantees drama and a certain level of tension. A great choice if you want to have to hold the bottle in-between your legs in order to be able to get enough purchase on the bottle.
In that case, there is always the chance that the cork might break, that the bottle might slip from between your legs and smash on the floor, or even that you will suffer a serious spillage. With all that in mind, if you are a lover of risk and danger, the T-Bar is for you, and depending on how reckless you are, maybe this one from Wineware would be right up your street, at the bargain price of £295.00. Eeeek! Or... or you can get a little wooden-handled T-Bar corkscrew from Tesco for £3.77. Your call.
Those winged corkscrews are terrible - while they're cheap, and fine for low-quality soft corks that come out of the bottle easily - don't plan on opening anything with them that contains a good quality cork that provides a strong seal. The central core and drill-like screw end up drilling a hole straight through the cork and fragmenting it long before you extract it from the bottle.
ReplyDeleteBits of cork floating in your expensive glass of wine? Yuk.