Wine 101: How to Use a Waiter’s Corkscrew (Video)

While the Waiter’s corkscrew may not be the most innovative bottle-opening tool, it stands the test of time for its functionality (it just works!) and its small footprint. While electric corkscrews and lever corkscrews require less effort, the waiter’s corkscrew folds up easily and fits in a “waiter’s” pocket (no secret how its name came to be). Which means it fits nicely into your kitchen drawers without occupying counter space.

But the steps to use a Waiter’s corkscrew are not obvious to novices, so we had Josh redo one of his most popular how-to videos, originally produced in 2009

10 years later, Josh is older and wiser but the steps are the same! If you aren’t sure how to use a Waiter’s corkscrew don’t be embarrassed. Watch our under-2-minute video and follow the steps.

How to Use a Waiter’s Corkscrew:

1. Press the foil cutter against the neck of the bottle and twist around the neck to remove the foil.
2. Place the point of the worm into the center of the cork and start to drill down until you reach a good place where the hing hits the top of the bottle
3. Rest the hinge on top and then pull the backside of the corkscrew up. The cork should pull up with you. Pull towards you rather than away to avoid bending and potentially snapping the cork.

If you have a particularly wet or dry cork and you run into a snafu where it breaks in half, don’t panic! Watch our video on How to Remove a Broken Cork and you’ll be on your way to sipping in no time!