Zwilling Sommelier Waiter's Corkscrew Review
I bought this in February 2020 from Amazon after a giveaway opener broke on me. The brief was simple: something that will not break, looks good to the eye and feels nice in the hand. Six years on it is still the key I reach for, one or two bottles a month, mostly natural cork with the occasional beer cap.
Usability & Features
Three tools on one hinge, and all three get used. The worm goes in straight and centred without any attention on my part, same as the day it arrived. The two-step lever is the feature that matters: the first notch lifts the cork halfway, the second walks the rest out, so a long cork comes out as cleanly as a short one. My wife opens bottles with it without a second thought, which was not the case with the cheap key.
Tight corks are where the price earns itself. A few times, leaning on a stubborn one, I have caught myself being glad to have this in hand rather than watching another cheapo blow apart.
The cap lifter opens beer. That is the full extent of my experience with it.
Aesthetic & Design
It looks good, which counts for a tool that comes out in front of guests. The 18/10 stainless and linen Micarta handle are the same pairing as my Kramer santoku, and the two make sense next to each other.
At 109 g it is heavier than a giveaway key, and that weight reads as substance. When you lean into a difficult cork it feels like the tool will take the force rather than fold, and so far it has.
Durability & Care
Six years in a utensil drawer, rattling around with everything else, and the handle looks new. No wine staining, no chips, nothing loose at the hinge. The worm works as it did on day one. If there was a non-stick coating on it I never noticed it, and I have not noticed it going either.
The one thing that has changed is the foil blade. It used to swing out with a fingernail. Now it takes a coin or the edge of another knife. Nothing visible at the pivot, no rust, no gunk. I have never oiled it, and I suspect a drop of oil would fix it. That is on my list, and on yours if you buy one.
Care otherwise: none. Wipe it, drop it back in the drawer.
Final Thoughts
Would I buy it again at 60 USD? Yes. It is pretty, sturdy, and does the job well enough that I have not thought about it in six years, which is the only compliment a corkscrew needs. Zwilling quality at a price that is not silly, so the buy-once logic works for most people.
Skip it if you want one of the lever openers with arms that do the pulling for you. This one asks for a bit of work.
