Pulltap Waiter Corkscrew – $5.50
By: Ben Madeska
I’ve opened hundreds if not thousands of bottles of wine over the years at home, bars, tastings, retail shops, picnics, and table-side at restaurants, and I can state emphatically that the Pulltap Waiter Corkscrew is the only corkscrew worth using. This tidbit is sort of an open secret, something so obvious to people in the industry that it’s not even worth pointing out. It’d be like saying, “Boy, sometimes people don’t tip very well, eh?” Yet I continue to see people shell out $50-$90 for fancy, largely ineffective corkscrews or try to save a buck or two on cheap ones that break after the first use.
So what makes the Pulltap superior in every way? Simplicity and durability. Like any other ideal tool, it gets the details right and it does the job it is meant to do perfectly. To wit, the blade is serrated which, in my experience, cuts the foil capsule more easily than any non-serrated blade and will not dull nearly as quickly after being used to open case after case of wine. Next, the two-step hinged lever allows extra leverage for even the stickiest and/or longest of corks without sideways stress or undue effort. Finally, there’s an intangible quality to the compact design that allows me to do all the actions smoothly while standing at a table, chatting with the customer, with one hand holding a bottle. This all results in a fast, clean opening. And it lasts. My current one is going on four years and other than a couple spots of rust (the result of spending the night lost in a sink full of dishes) is as good as new.
Best of all, this little guy shouldn’t cost you more than $10 and a little shopping around should get you it for $5 or $6. Beware of knock-offs that don’t have the Pulltap name on the lever as these are made with inferior materials resulting in sticky levers, bent screws and broken corks.