I found the Metrokane corkscrew on a recent visit to Napa Valley. This is the best kitchen tool I have ever owned. And so it got me thinking... And before I knew it I was finding out more than one ever wants to understand about corkscrews. And since I'm a self-avowed nerd and like to research things... You may have the joy of reading about the results of my research! I hope you find it fascinating and useful. So let's chat about corkscrews then... And see what we will be able to learn.

So what is all the hubbub? wine making goes back as far as history. Its study gets heaps of attention, but a ton less attention is paid to wine openers. This is a bit ironic seeing as you may have all of the wine you want, but if you can not get the nice bottle open, well then, all is LOST!

The Basic Corkscrew: The first recorded corkscrew goes back a few centuries when corks were initially introduced to seal wine bottles (among other things- like bottles for olive oil and so on ). The basic corkscrew came in a spiral shape ( often referred to as a worm- but that sounds a bit revolting to me- so let's just keep calling it a spiral ). At any rate, you would turn the spiral into the cork and then pull it out with brute force to get the cork out of the bottle. This can be a smooth and faultless process in the best of conditions, but it may also be a total disaster.

For example, the spiral won't go in properly, you can't pull it out, it pushes the cork all of the way in, it breaks or damages the cork in such a way that the pieces fall into the bottle, you can not get the entire thing out and you are forced to push cork in to the bottle. So the basic corkscrew CAN work, but I wouldn't count on it. There are still some very fundamental pitfalls with a basic corkscrew.

So along comes the Wing Corkscrew : This corkscrew essentially looks like it has wings as it has two levers opposite one another on the widget to provide leverage to pull the cork out. This is what mum and dad had and when I was little, I couldn't quite figure it out- I guess that was on purpose.

This one works very well and I would venture to claim that many folks have this one in the back of their kitchen drawer. The disadvantage to this one is that the spiral on this one is quite thick and can often crack, break or crumble the cork. So not only have you now introduced cork into your wine, but also, you can't put the cork back in the bottle if you do not finish the whole bottle.

So turn back the time machine a hundred years and envision the self-pulling corkscrew. It is in fact, the basic corkscrew with a guide. After the spiral goes in, you keep turning in the same direction and the 'stop action' ( or that is what they called it in my study ) will force the cork to drag itself out. Therefore, the notion of self-pulling. This is awesome, unless the cork is in there tight, then you can forget it. It won't come out.

It was not till 1978 that this problem was surmounted by Herbert Allen, a Texan oil pro who applied his drilling know-how to the self-pulling corkscrew. By using a Teflon coating on the spiral, Allen reduced the friction between cork and spiral so seriously the self-pulling action became just about effortless. His new corkscrew design was soon recognized as the most efficient device to date for pulling out a cork.

This concept has been perfected with the Metrokane corkscrew. It has the a levered corkscrew with a non-stick coating on the spiral. Metrokane cork screws, actually come in many models, colors and finishes and make the perfect addition to your kitchen tool arsenal. Please visit my blog for more details and bargains on Metrokane corkscrews.

Before purchasing anything on the Internet, be sure you review the unbiased customer reviews of the Metrokane Corkscrew Outlet.

Posted under Wine