I have a simple old waiter’s friend and a Durand, it is all I need.
My aunt worked for Le Creuset so she used to bring me the different Srewpull pocket models. They’ve always performed.
I just bought a double-hinged waiter’s model from Coutale (Sommelier Prestige) that I really like so far. Stainless steel and a nice sturdy weight. I’ve only had it for about a week so we’ll see
Costco has their own screwpull model for $30! Works pretty well
I own pretty much at least one of all of them but the Pulltex Pullparrot is my overwhelming favorite with the Pulltap as my second favorite. I like the Pullparrot as it is a slight bit longer and allows you to fully extract the cork using the lever action.
I use the Durand for older (>25yrs) wines, where the cork can be questionable. Seems to work better than the Ah So.
I’ve occasionally had that happen with older corks that have shrunken a little, or where the Leverpull hasn’t been “recocked” to ensure that the thread is turning as it goes into the cork. That’s why I use one of other devices for older corks.
I’ve never had the Leverpull do that with a young bottle. And I watch carefully when the thread goes into the cork to make sure its turning and not just pushing down. I’ve owned Leverpulls for 15 years and used them on hundreds and hundreds of bottles with very few problems. And, hell, I’ve pushed corks in with an Ah-So on occasion!
+7
Durand is good for ancient corks but the original non-lever Screwpull is longer, simpler, requires no skill and no muscle, and works on 99+% of corks.
Perhaps a sacrilege, but I received a motorized wine opener a few years ago as a Christmas present. I scoffed at first, since I’m a wine geek, and what self-respecting wine geek would be caught dead using such a contraption?
Well, I used it until it broke, as I found it incredibly easy to work with, fast, and neat. It’s been about a year, and I still wish I had another one.
Yeah this (plus an old plastic screwpull screw type).
The lever model I have pushed corks through before resulting in a fountain of wine as mentioned, and broken one screw off trying to open a synthetic corks. Personally, don’t like them.
Nothing beats the Durand for older bottles though.
Super Record… all the way
I have an older model Screwpull that has never failed. It looks like the LM250, but it has no serial number. It never pushes corks in and has only broken a couple of old corks. I cannot believe it still works as well as it does. I have never replaced the corkscrew either. I will say newer/modern models don’t work nearly as well.
C-Record is far more classy
For me, it was more of a shirt-coating geyser of wine.
I was gifted with a LM-400 earlier this year and I find it far and away the most effective corkscrew I’ve seen. It is indeed heavy, and takes a bit of initial force but is then effortless. It is also far and away the easiest and fastest for getting the cork off the screw.
That said, I’m too cheap to have bought one for myself (I guess a pretty good definition of a well-aimed gift), and I’d still use an Ah-So for an old and likely crumbly cork.
Charles
The 400 is great and the easiest opener I’ve ever used. We loved it. But it broke within 6 months of relatively frequent use. I got it as a gift and sure wouldn’t spend that much for the short life. Google it and you will see its pretty common with this one.
So I’m back to an old lever model. Oh well, could be worse.
I don’t know if this will be the case in France, but my Rabbit screwpull came with a lifetime guarantee. It broke within a year and they replaced it cheerfully and quickly. The new one has worked reliably for some years now.
My wife, however, much prefers the old pocket screwpull (which you can get for well under 10 bucks here–more like 5-8). The leverpull takes too much strength, whereas gthe pocket screwpull takes none. One just twirls ones finger. Its drawback is that the worm always pierces the bottom of the cork and leaves flecks of cork in the wine.
And, of course, no screwpull works well with corks that crumble or adhere to the neck of the bottle. Neither does my waiter’s friend. I have a primitive worm attached to a bar for that, which allows me to work the worm in at angles and lever it out. I should use an Ah-so but I’ve never gotten one and so never gotten the hang of it…
Not sure why or what I can do about it, but mine no longer grabs the cork…worm goes in and then comes out without the cork… Is the worm shot?
I have the LM-2000 which has worked flawlessly for me for 4+ years (over 1000 bottles). The corkscrew is still in great shape, even after having been used on several synthetic corks.
Yes. You should be able to buy a replacement corkscrew.
That’s what I was afraid of - end up costing me more to replace the corkscrew than I spent for some Houdini sets earlier this year ($12 per) - I guess I won’t be giving those as gifts and using them myself as disposables…