Corkscrew

A corkscrew is a tool used for opening cork stoppered bottles. A spiral-twisted metal bar with a sharp pointed end is pushed deep into the cork stopper through a twisting motion that lodges the corkscrew deep inside. The handle can then be used to either manually pull the cork out through sheer straight pulling force, or some models of corkscrews may have "rabbit ear" handles, which employ leverage to help lift the cork most of the way out of the bottle. When the cork is fully unstoppered, it must then be gently twisted off the end of the spiral.

Attempting to use a corkscrew on stoppers other than those made of cork can result in breakage of corkscrews. Likewise, overzealous attempts to leverage an improperly secured corkscrew have been known to snap the spiral right off the handle. If this happens, discard the corkscrew immediately. If you should have an expensive, high-end model of corkscrew, you can opt to attempt to fit a replacement part. Replacement corkscrew parts are available online for purchase.

The different parts of the corkscrew include:

• The twisted metal helix, "spiral", or "worm", which is plunged into the cork.
• The handle or "grip", which comes in a wide variety of styles and materials (wood, metal, or plastic), depending on if you're looking for ease of use, comfort, or durability.
• The lever is a feature that some models, such as typical "waiters-style" corkscrews, may have. This is a folding metal piece that braces against the bottle lip to provide leverage for pulling out the cork.
• The foil cutter is an optional feature that allows you to cut away the foil wrapping around the mouth of the bottle, exposing the cork for the worm. In some corkscrew sets, this may be included as a separate tool. Or it may be attached to the corkscrew itself.

The first step to opening a bottle of wine is to remove the foil covering the cork. Cut around the top of the foil with the tip of the corkscrew or a knife and remove it. Next you need to use an even pressure and turn the corkscrew so it screws down into the cork. Leave a little space at the top. Use the lever of the corkscrew to draw out the cork.

With a double winged corkscrew remove the foil as described above and then wind the corkscrew with an even pressure into the cork. The wings will go up as the screw gets deeper into the cork. After the screw is mostly in force the wings down; this will lift the cork out of the bottle. Then hold the corkscrew in your fist and pull it and the cork out of the bottle.