What Makes a Good Screw?

Corkscrews. That’s what we’re talking about; get your mind out of the gutter for a second (just for a second as we’re sure we’ll throw in a hooker reference eventually). Corkscrews come in all shapes and sizes. From the rabbit to a flynut or even the gas-injected powered option, there is literally a corkscrew for everyone. But do all these fancy contraptions really make our lives easier or are they just another esoteric wine gadget to waste money on?

Surely, we need the novelty penguin corkscrew with foil cutter beak, but it’s best to save your money for the wine. Here are some great, affordable corkscrews that will have you whipping open bottles of wine like a pro…um, sommelier.

The Pulltap Corkscrew:
If you are only going to have one corkscrew, this is one to have. It’s inexpensive (most cost about $10) and the double hinge gives you just the right amount of leverage to effortlessly remove the cork. Compared to a regular wine-key, those with embarrassingly little upper-body strength (not a judgment) will find this corkscrew a vast improvement.

Screwpull:
While the Pulltap gives you leverage, the Screwpull, another beautifully simple corkscrew, gives you torque. To extrude the cork simply turn the handle on top in one direction and before you can complain about your carpel tunnel, the cork is out. This corkscrew is foolproof.

Puigpull Corkscrew:
This unusal corkscrew functions like a car jack. While unlike the other two, this one takes a little time to get used to, but once you’ve pasted the learning curve you’ll find it to be quite user friendly.

Perhaps we’ve spent too much time thinking about corkscrews but anyone who has fallen victim to a broken cork can empathize with its importance. Cracking open that bottle of wine shouldn’t be a challenge. Finishing that bottle off, well, that’s where the effort to should go.