“Electric wine openers are great for people with [hand and arm] mobility issues,” says Lilly DeForest Campbell, sommelier and proprietor of 1897 Beekman House B&B in Dundee, New York. The force from the charge or the batteries removes the need for arm strength and nimble fingers. To figure out which deserves a place on your bar cart, I tested some popular models. I opened bottle after bottle, testing each for speed, ease of use, and power. I also tested the foil cutters that were included, rating each on sharpness and comfort. For an easier happy hour in your abode, here are the best electric wine openers for a smooth and powerful cork extraction. What We Don’t Love: Comparatively large, takes 6-8 hours to charge The Secura Automatic Electric opener excels on every possible front. Its electrical charge provides plenty of cork-removing momentum, the tube fits perfectly onto the cork end of a wine bottle, and the fact that the lower tube is made of transparent plastic gives users full visibility throughout the cork removal process. The opener uses a front-facing switch on the device itself. The “down” button plunges the corkscrew into the cork and performs the extraction, while the “up” button allows you to release the captured cork from the device. Some users may find the presence of two buttons a bit too fiddly, this switch’s compact nature and position at the front of the tube makes it easy to access. In terms of pure speed, the Secura opener defeated all competitors during testing, with an average opening time of 18 seconds, including the removal of the cork from the device itself. The power charge gives the corkscrew enough of a boost to glide through the cork, and the process of lifting the cork from the bottle happens seamlessly. If you’re looking to conserve space on your kitchen counters, then the Secura could pose a problem, as it can’t be easily tucked into a drawer or a small cabinet along with its charger base. That said, the base features some intuitive design features like a perfectly-shaped bracket to hold the foil cutter, so you may decide that it’s worthwhile to devote a section of flat kitchen real estate to this affordable and effective tool. Price at time of publication: $30 Dimensions: 12 x 2.7 x 7.5 inches (with dock), 9.5 x 2 x 2 inches (without dock) | Material: Stainless steel | Average Open Time: 18 seconds | Power Source: Plug-in charging dock The Rabbit brand has a long-standing reputation for excellence in the world of wine openers. So it’s hardly surprising that its electric wine opener is intuitive, speedy, and attractive. The Rabbit Automatic opener requires plug-in charging, but, unlike many other openers I tested, the device comes fully charged when you open the package and you can begin using it right away. The opener’s plastic material feels smooth and substantial in the hand, making it easy to maneuver and fit onto the top of the bottle. Since the Rabbit opener is automatic, there’s no need to worry about buttons or switches. With just a bit of pressure, the opener takes the initiative to lower the corkscrew into the cork, to pull it up and out, and to present the removed cork for the user to discard or put back on the bottle. Anyone seeking an ideal wine opener to bring to a picnic or a party will appreciate the compact nature of the Rabbit Automatic. The slender, tube-shaped opener can be easily stored in a kitchen drawer or the corner of a cabinet, and because the foil cutter fits into a compartment on the opener tube itself, you can stow the whole thing in a tote or a backpack and take it on the road. Price at time of publication: $59 Dimensions (DxWxH): 3.25 x 3.25 x 13.5 inches | Material: Plastic | Average Open Time: 25 seconds | Power Source: Plug-in charging cord An electric wine opener with a charging dock seems designed for countertop displays, so it’s always a plus when a model comes out that’s as pleasant to look at as it is to use. That’s exactly what you’ll get from the Oster Cordless Electric Wine Bottle Opener. This opener has a sophisticated silhouette with rounded edges, a black-and-silver color scheme that’s easy to match with most kitchen decor, and features designed for ergonomic benefits, like the soft plastic sleeve that covers the device itself. The control buttons are easy to maneuver, although the direction arrows are a bit difficult to see, as I discovered while testing. Another downside is the foil cutter is not the sharpest, but it did get the job done. Overall, this opener performs smoothly and efficiently, and it makes an attractive addition to your counter landscape. Price at time of publication: $30 Dimensions (LxWxH): 15 x 5.5 x 5.3 inches (with dock); 11 x 2.25 x 1.75 inches (without dock) | Material: Plastic | Average Open Time: 30 seconds | Power Source: Plug-in charging dock It’s easy to understand the appeal of a battery-operated wine opener; there’s no need to keep track of chargers and cables, and there’s also no need to wait several hours for your charging device to become operational. For those who prioritize that level of convenience and portability, the Brookstone Automatic Wine Opener makes a worthy purchase. The lightweight opener is encased with a soft plastic that’s pleasant on the fingers and palms, and the control buttons are easy to access. While you can certainly stow this opener in a drawer, the device comes with a stand that doubles as its accompanying foil cutter. The foil cutter works exceptionally well when I tested it. It achieves a perfect fit to the top of the bottle and smoothly and swiftly strips away the foil. While the Brookstone opener has many advantages, it also suffers from some inherent deficits of a battery-operated wine key. The batteries enable you to use the tool right away, but you’ll find that it doesn’t pack the same power level as the electrically-charged versions. If you’re working with a newer bottle or a bottle with a plastic cork, then this likely won’t present much of a problem. But if you’re dealing with a vintage bottle or a bottle with a drier cork, then the propulsion of the corkscrew can result in splintering, and in pieces of cork floating in your wine. Price at time of publication: $45 Dimensions (LxWxH): 3.8 x 2.8 x 10.8 inches | Material: Plastic | Average Open Time: 60 seconds | Power Source: 4 AA batteries While some users might prefer a very lightweight electric wine opener, there’s something to be said for an opener that can anchor the bottle and prevent wobbling and sliding. The Cuisinart Electric Wine Opener offers exactly that type of stability, thanks to its sturdy stainless steel construction. However, this opener doesn’t waver into the cumbersome territory, wielding its more substantial presence as a benefit rather than a drawback. This wine opener is one of the fastest I tested, with an average opening time of 20 seconds. The control buttons are clearly labeled “Remove” for getting the cork out of the bottle and “Eject” for releasing the cork from the corkscrew, while the foil cutter is effective and user-friendly. The Cuisinart opener comes with a matching silver stand which features a compartment for the foil cutter, and the overall effect of the display gives off very futuristic vibes. Price at time of publication: $30 Dimensions (LxWxH): 10 x 4.75 x 3 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Average Open Time: 20 seconds | Power Source: Plug-in charging dock and rechargeable batteries
How We Tested
Our tester and writer Taylor Tobin sifted through dozens of highly-rated electric wine openers, closely looking at consumer reviews and available manufacturer information, to choose her top picks. We then purchased these products for Taylor so she could put them to the test in her home kitchen. She used each to open cork-sealed bottles of still wine, measuring how long the entire process took. She also tested any included foil cutters, rating how sharp and effective they were. After testing, Taylor submitted feedback about what she liked and didn’t like about each opener and rated each one on the following features: Ease of Use, Quality, Effectiveness, and Overall Value. Learn more about how we test products.
What to Look for When Buying an Electric Wine Opener
Size
Electric wine openers come in any number of shapes and sizes, and the right choice for you depends on both your usage plans and your storage capacity. If you want an opener that you can slip into a kitchen drawer or take on the road, then a battery-operated version or a chargeable version without a dock will suit that purpose. If you don’t mind an opener and charger that sit on your countertop, then a dock-based model might be the correct option.
Bottles Per Charge
On average, electric wine openers can do about 30 bottles of wine on a single charge. That said, different models will make different quantity claims, and the amount of weight you place on said claims rely on your usage plans for the tool. Since the rechargeable openers require at least 6 hours of charging time once they run out of power, you won’t be able to swiftly recharge if your opener zonks out (unless, of course, you’re using a battery-operated model). However, unless you’re hosting a large event or are working as a professional wine server or sommelier, a single charge can suffice for a while for the typical household user.
Ease of Use
The biggest advantage of an electric opener versus a manual opener comes from its ease of use. Waiter’s corkscrews and winged corkscrews require a certain level of dexterity, and many a wine drinker has suffered the sad fate of a splintered or stuck cork when their manual wine opening efforts went awry. Many electric models include control buttons that dictate the direction of the corkscrew and the opener’s power, and these buttons tend to be large and easy to maneuver. But if you want an even simpler process, seek out a truly automatic opener that removes the cork with just some downward pressure and ejects the cork from the corkscrew once it’s out of the bottle.
How do you use an electric wine opener?
While different electric wine opener models have different characteristics and may vary in their operation, most work in a fairly similar fashion. If it’s a rechargeable opener, you first need to make sure that it gets the proper amount of charging time, which ranges from 6 to 12 hours. If it’s a battery-powered opener, check the labels and make sure that you have the correct type of battery. Once the opener is charged or battery-loaded, you use the foil cutter to remove the cap on top of the wine bottle and fit the bottom of the opener onto the said top. If it’s fully automatic, you just push down and let the opener do its thing. If it requires button operation, you’ll push and hold the “down” button until the cork comes out of the bottle. Then, you’ll either lift and wait for the opener to automatically eject the extracted cork if it’s fully automatic, or you’ll press the “up” button to make this process happen.
How do you remove the cork from an electric wine opener?
As with the actual wine-opening method, the way that you remove the cork from the opener will depend on the nature of your opener. If it’s fully automatic, you’ll just lift the opener from the bottle top and wait for the opener to automatically eject the extracted cork. If it’s button-operated, you’ll press the “up” button, and that will kick the process into action.
Why Trust Simply Recipes?
Taylor Tobin is an Austin, Texas-based freelance journalist who specializes in recipe testing and deep dives into popular dishes, drinks, ingredients, and pieces of kitchen equipment. Read Next: The Best Magnetic Knife Holders
