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Which one should you buy?

A double-hinged waiter's corkscrew. It's small, cheap, fits in a drawer and opens just about any bottle once you've had a few goes. Here's what I'd point you to:

Walk into any good restaurant and the person opening your wine will be holding one of these. It's small, simple and it works on every bottle. There's no big lever contraption to find a home for, no batteries and very little to go wrong.

It does take a little practice. The first couple of bottles might feel clumsy. By the fifth you'll be doing it while chatting to your guests, and you'll wonder why you ever wrestled with anything else.

How a waiter's corkscrew works

There are three parts. A small knife folds out to cut the foil. A spiral, called the worm, screws into the cork. And a hinged arm rests on the lip of the bottle so you can lever the cork up instead of yanking it.

The lever is the clever bit. With a single hinge you lift the whole cork in one long pull, and a long cork can bend, tear or snap halfway. A double hinge gives you two steps. The first lifts the cork about halfway, then you move to the second step and lift the rest. Each pull is short and straight, so it's much less likely to snap the cork.

The worm matters too. A good one is an open spiral with a sharp point and a slippery coating, so it glides into the cork rather than chewing it up. A solid screw or a blunt, uncoated spiral is what turns corks to crumbs.

Pulltap's corkscrew at a glance

A word of warning: copies of the Pulltap's have turned up for sale in the US. A genuine one says "Made in Spain". If the worm bends when you press on it lightly, it's almost certainly a fake. Buy it sold by Pulltex or a seller you trust.

What to look for in a corkscrew

• A double hinge. Two short lifts are easier on your arm and gentler on the cork than one big heave.

• A serrated foil knife. It cuts the foil cleanly instead of tearing it into jagged bits.

• A long, coated worm. Look for a spiral of about 1¾ inches or more, so it reaches deep enough to grip long corks, with a nonstick coating so it slides in.

• A sharp point. The tip should bite into the cork with gentle pressure. A blunt tip wanders off-centre.

• Something that feels solid. Flimsy hinges and soft worms bend. A good one feels tight with no wobble.

The Pulltap's ticks every box, and it has been the standard tool of wine waiters for years. Just make sure you're buying the real thing.

Who it suits, and who should skip it

Good for you if

• You open wine fairly often

• You want something that lives in a drawer or a pocket

• You don't mind practising a few times

Skip it if

• You have arthritis, weak hands or sore wrists: a corkpull that you simply keep turning is far easier

• You open a bottle once a year and don't want to learn a technique

How to get the best from it

Cut the foil

Fold out the knife and cut all the way round the foil, just under the lip of the bottle. Lift the top off. Cutting below the lip keeps the wine from running over the foil as you pour.

Get the worm in straight

Put the point in the cork just off the centre, so the spiral itself runs down the middle. Hold it upright and turn it in, keeping it straight, until there's about one turn of the spiral still showing. Too shallow and the cork can snap; too deep and you'll push bits of cork into the wine.

Two steps up

Rest the first step on the lip of the bottle, hold it there with your thumb and lift the handle. When the cork is about halfway out, move to the second step and lift again. For the last little bit, ease the cork out with your hand so it slides out quietly rather than popping.

Old or crumbly corks

Go slowly and keep everything straight. If the cork breaks, turn the worm back into the piece that's left at a slight angle and try again. If bits of cork end up in the wine, don't panic: pour it through a fine tea strainer into a jug or decanter and nobody will ever know.

Never on bubbly

Champagne, prosecco and cava are under pressure. Don't go near them with a corkscrew. Remove the wire cage, hold the cork firmly under a cloth, point the bottle away from everyone and turn the bottle, not the cork.

Looking after it

• Wipe it clean with a damp cloth after use and dry it well.

• Keep it out of the dishwasher. Hot water and detergent are hard on the hinges and the little knife.

• Fold the knife away before you put it down or hand it to anyone. It's small but sharp.

• Mind the foil. The cut edges can be sharp, so bin them straight away.

The one rule

Straight in, one turn showing, two steps up. Get that right and the cork comes out whole every time.

Questions people ask

Why does my cork keep breaking?

Usually the worm didn't go in deep enough, or it went in at an angle. Go in straight down the middle and leave just one turn showing before you start lifting.

Is a double-hinged corkscrew better than a single hinge?

Yes. The two-step lift pulls the cork out more evenly, and it's much less likely to snap a long cork halfway.

Does a waiter's corkscrew work on synthetic corks?

It does. A coated worm slides into synthetic corks smoothly. They can be a bit stiffer to pull, so take your time on each step.

How can I tell a fake Pulltap's?

Look for "Made in Spain" on the corkscrew and the packaging. If the worm bends under light pressure, send it back.

What's the easiest corkscrew for weak hands?

A twist-style corkpull, where you just keep turning the handle and the cork climbs up the spiral. It takes no strength and no technique.

Pour it with

A glass with dinner, like my Chicken Bolognese, or something from my Cocktails recipes.

Updated October 2026. Prices change often, so check before you buy.