Le Creuset Portable Travel Corkscrew

The Le Creuset Screwpull Wine Opener.

Screwpull Video Demonstration of the Le Creuset Pocket Corkscrew

Opening a bottle of wine should be simple.

It should not involve a sweaty brow… what would your significant other think? … easy. affordable. right. The Le Creuset.

To be deft with a good corkscrew requires a good corkscrew. My bet is if this is important to you, you will be as pleased with the Le Creuset Screwpull as I have been… for nearly a decade now.

Here in Japan, we love a good end to the evening. A quaint visit to the izakaya, a rambunctious hour or two at the tachinomi, a nice evening at home with a loved one prepping vegetables with the most gorgeous Yoshihiro Damascus Nakiri vegetable knife imaginable. Most (if not all, really… right?) involve some form of lovely libation. And when you’re deep in the middle of the last of my three comparisons, you’re going to need a good corkscrew.

Enter, the LeCreuset. Wait a minute, the what?

Is Screwpull owned by Le Creuset?

Yes, Screwpull is owned by Le Creuset. The Screwpull brand, which had been manufactured by Hallen International Inc. was purchased by the French cookware in 1991.

Under the Le Creuset brand, their line of corkscrews absorbed the Screwpull name, and essentially produces the same tool. Some reviewers have commented this version manufactured after 1991 is a lesser version of the original Screwpull, but evidence to that claim seems to be without much justification.

About ten years ago or so I first purchased my first screwpull wine bottle opener, and it was a workhorse for years.

When I left for Japan, I gave my original away to lighten my travel load a bit, and then purchased another one when the time came to open a bottle of wine in my new Kobe home. Alas, not all was good right out of the box…

How’s the Quality of the Le Creuset Pocket Model Wine Opener?

Surprisingly, on the very first open, my model broke. Oops. That wasn’t expected. But, I contacted customer service at Amazon and had another one delivered free within a day or so. That second one has been going strong for about two years now.

So, things break… it doesn’t they should be avoided entirely. Everything breaks. And, pretty much everything can be fixed or replaced. My second corkscrew gets a lot of use. And it is dead-simple to use.

Check out the Le Crueset Pocket Model for yourself.

How do you open a wine bottle with a Screwpull?

Why not check out my video demonstration? You’ll see that opening a bottle of wine with a Le Creuset Pocket Screwpull is as easy as pie.

You’ll also be able to see how they beat—hands down—any other wine bottle opener you’ve likely used in the past.

Me? I’ve used a Rabbit. Sure… they look cool. But they’re heavy as hell. And… well, awkward. Like a bad date. Like an albatross. Architecturally beautiful wine openers like those are (sadly, as it often is), not engineeringly (is that even a word?) sound.

I’ve also used pocket corkscrews recommended for waiters. After all, I was a waiter for many years. Most of them are difficult to use. And, when you’re in front of guests struggling to open expensive bottle of Malbec, that’s the last thing you want your guests seeing.

That said, there have been improvements to pocket corkscrews and the others I recommend in the sidebar, come highly recommended by Food & Wine, Saveur, and Liquor.

This travel wine opener from LeCreuset, though, is a beauty in the funcionality department.

And, dare I say, attractive as well?

It’s light.
It’s easy to use.
It’s affordable.
It WORKS.

Give it a shot. If you get a wonky one, contact support. Get a new one. It could happen. The model you see in the video I’ve included is several years old now. It works great. And, it is a replacement. Not bad, right?

Open your wine with ease. Just like I did in the video…

Your love is waiting… and, it’s time to turn on the music.

P.S. Already got a solid bottle opener, and need wine and whiskey instead? I’ve got the fix for that as well.

Peace,
Doc
Kobe, JAPAN