The 10 Best Champagne Bottle Openers
Special Honors
Vagnbys Champagne Set A characteristically sophisticated Danish design, the Vagnbys champagne opener is available on its own or as part of a handsome trio of accessories, including a pourer and stopper. These tools are minimalist and sleek, fashioned in a zinc alloy with a slim silhouette. vagnbys.com
Editor's Notes
September 24, 2020:
While traditional corkscrews abound, the champagne-specific market is relatively small. Because of the slightly more unpredictable and high-pressure nature of these corks, the range of extraction tools tend to approach them in one of a few ways. First, there's the safety-conscious, fully enclosed style of opener, like the super-secure Descorjet Gold or the Final Touch Popper. Some less fussy, utilitarian models like the Le Creuset Star are essentially static tools to strengthen one's grip on the cork. A nice middle ground is the articulated plier option, such as the Vacu Vin Basic Steel Opener, which is great for someone with decent hand strength who is mostly interested in streamlining the bottle-popping process.
Every set of human hands is different, as is every champagne bottle. So to some degree, it's helpful to have an idea of what physically feels the most natural to you. Bubbly drinkers with arthritis may prefer something more like the Franmara 7460, as they may naturally hold the bottle in a different way than someone with especially small hands or a weak grip, who might favor the Fan Vino Salute 8540. If you're not sure what's the most comfortable for you, try looking at this selection and imagine gripping each style as you open a bottle to determine which might suit you best. Once you get the hang of your gadget of choice, you may find you need to stash a lot more corks than you once did, so you may also want to consider an attractive wine cork holder.