Where can I find a better wine foil-cutter?
September 15, 2010 9:54 PM Subscribe
WineFilter! [Mmmmm!] Where can I find a better foil cutter? A really good foil cutter?
A few centimeters below the top of most bottles of wine, there is a bulge. I'm sure there's probably a name for it, but I don't know, so I took a picture.
Why do most foil cutters slice the foil just above the bulge rather than in the middle of it? (as noted here) Where can I find a foil cutter that cuts just a little lower (not to mention a foil cutter than does a really good job?)
Years ago, an ex gave me a housewarming gift of a corkscrew with a foil cutter attachment, and that attachment was AWESOME. The attachment cupped the top of the bottle a bit deeper than most foil cutters... but it was cheaply made and quickly broke (a blade fell off). I've never been able to find anything like it.
Help?
A few centimeters below the top of most bottles of wine, there is a bulge. I'm sure there's probably a name for it, but I don't know, so I took a picture.
Why do most foil cutters slice the foil just above the bulge rather than in the middle of it? (as noted here) Where can I find a foil cutter that cuts just a little lower (not to mention a foil cutter than does a really good job?)
Years ago, an ex gave me a housewarming gift of a corkscrew with a foil cutter attachment, and that attachment was AWESOME. The attachment cupped the top of the bottle a bit deeper than most foil cutters... but it was cheaply made and quickly broke (a blade fell off). I've never been able to find anything like it.
Help?
You can just slide the foil off.
posted by rhizome at 11:28 PM on September 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 11:28 PM on September 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
Learn how to use a double-hinged waiter's corkscrew. That's why they have the little knife.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:35 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:35 AM on September 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm going to say something that will change your wine life forever: Get yourself a two-stage waiter's corkscrew.
Don't bother with the shitty 99 cent red corkscrews they sell in the liquor department, the only thing those are good for are for making stabby motions in a comedy sketcy, –and not a good one either. Those crappy red corkscrews are wastes of metal, plastic, and the environment. Whomever designed that thing should rot in hell.
Furthermore, don't bother with a wing corkscrew or any of those fancy corkscrews that look like they were designed for use in space. Extra parts are extra complications. You shouldn't need an instruction manual to open a corkscrew. Nor should you need multiple tools. One is enough.
Instead, find yourself a good two-stage corkscrew. These things should fit well in your hand, while still have enough weight and heft that you don't feel like you'll snap it just by looking at it. As an added bonus, you can easily slip it into your pocket or bag if you're going out on a hike.
Personally, I'm partial to Pulltap, but there are plenty of others. They basically have three working parts: a knife, the lever, and the screw. The knife on some are serrated (like on the Pulltap), others are not. It's mostly personal preference, but I find the serration usually catches better on tricky foil (it's not the serration that does it, it's the shear number of pointy bits).
Here's how you use one:
posted by thebestsophist at 1:28 AM on September 16, 2010 [4 favorites]
Don't bother with the shitty 99 cent red corkscrews they sell in the liquor department, the only thing those are good for are for making stabby motions in a comedy sketcy, –and not a good one either. Those crappy red corkscrews are wastes of metal, plastic, and the environment. Whomever designed that thing should rot in hell.
Furthermore, don't bother with a wing corkscrew or any of those fancy corkscrews that look like they were designed for use in space. Extra parts are extra complications. You shouldn't need an instruction manual to open a corkscrew. Nor should you need multiple tools. One is enough.
Instead, find yourself a good two-stage corkscrew. These things should fit well in your hand, while still have enough weight and heft that you don't feel like you'll snap it just by looking at it. As an added bonus, you can easily slip it into your pocket or bag if you're going out on a hike.
Personally, I'm partial to Pulltap, but there are plenty of others. They basically have three working parts: a knife, the lever, and the screw. The knife on some are serrated (like on the Pulltap), others are not. It's mostly personal preference, but I find the serration usually catches better on tricky foil (it's not the serration that does it, it's the shear number of pointy bits).
Here's how you use one:
- Flip out the knife hook the blade under the bottom lip of the bottle (I don't think it has any special name). Holding it tight against the bottle, turn the bottle until you've sliced through the foil. Even if it isn't fully cut, it should be pretty easy to pull off.
- Twist the screw into the cork down as far as you can. If you aren't drinking the whole bottle, take a little care to make sure you don't go all the way through.
- Put the shorter notch on the lip of the bottle and pull the cork up. Once it is as far as it can go, switch to the longer notch and repeat, the cork comes out in seconds every time. No wings, gears, or clamps. Simplicity at its finest.
posted by thebestsophist at 1:28 AM on September 16, 2010 [4 favorites]
This looks satisfying.
We have one of these though, and it's got a delicate, sharp, curved knife which works just fine. It's a good corkscrew and feels satisfyingly workmanlike.
I like the foil cutters but would rather not fumble with two different devices. As someone mentioned above, many times it is possible to just pull off that top piece like a sock.
Not as elegant feeling as cutting it off, though. No flourish in pulling off a sock unless you're a really style-y person.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:21 AM on September 16, 2010
We have one of these though, and it's got a delicate, sharp, curved knife which works just fine. It's a good corkscrew and feels satisfyingly workmanlike.
I like the foil cutters but would rather not fumble with two different devices. As someone mentioned above, many times it is possible to just pull off that top piece like a sock.
Not as elegant feeling as cutting it off, though. No flourish in pulling off a sock unless you're a really style-y person.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:21 AM on September 16, 2010
Why do most foil cutters slice the foil just above the bulge rather than in the middle of it?
I believe to minimize the opportunity for foil to touch the lip of the bottle, thinking being it's better to make a really shallow cut than a lower cut, which would require more upward scraping to pull it off, thus more scratching against the bottle and foil.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:23 AM on September 16, 2010
Why do most foil cutters slice the foil just above the bulge rather than in the middle of it?
My question for you is "Why shouldn't they? What does cutting around the thicker part of the neck get you?"
Anyway, nthing the Pulltap waiter's model wine key. That double hinge and coated worm is just amazing. Best corkscrew ever. I own like three or four of them.
If you really want a foil cutter, I think Screwpull makes the best ones - but those will just cut at the same old place as the rest, not down on the thick part of the neck like you want.
posted by komara at 7:54 AM on September 16, 2010
My question for you is "Why shouldn't they? What does cutting around the thicker part of the neck get you?"
Anyway, nthing the Pulltap waiter's model wine key. That double hinge and coated worm is just amazing. Best corkscrew ever. I own like three or four of them.
If you really want a foil cutter, I think Screwpull makes the best ones - but those will just cut at the same old place as the rest, not down on the thick part of the neck like you want.
posted by komara at 7:54 AM on September 16, 2010
rhizome: You can just slide the foil off.
Yes! Someone mentioned this advice here a few weeks ago and it completely blew my mind. Doesn't work with every bottle, but with most. Takes 2 seconds, no mess.
posted by mkultra at 8:54 AM on September 16, 2010
Yes! Someone mentioned this advice here a few weeks ago and it completely blew my mind. Doesn't work with every bottle, but with most. Takes 2 seconds, no mess.
posted by mkultra at 8:54 AM on September 16, 2010
Response by poster: "You can just slide the foil off."
Huh? I have a hard enough time finding the little tab to peel it off. Is that what you mean?
"My question for you is "Why shouldn't they? What does cutting around the thicker part of the neck get you?""
I find that it's hard to grip a foil cutter that cuts just barely below the top of the bottle. I suspect it's one of those things one wouldn't realize until using a foil cutter that does it.
Keep in mind, I'm talking about cutting the foil less than half an inch down the neck of a bottle of wine. Still at the top, just a few cm lower. I own something like this and I find it hard to grip.
posted by 2oh1 at 9:25 AM on September 16, 2010
Huh? I have a hard enough time finding the little tab to peel it off. Is that what you mean?
"My question for you is "Why shouldn't they? What does cutting around the thicker part of the neck get you?""
I find that it's hard to grip a foil cutter that cuts just barely below the top of the bottle. I suspect it's one of those things one wouldn't realize until using a foil cutter that does it.
Keep in mind, I'm talking about cutting the foil less than half an inch down the neck of a bottle of wine. Still at the top, just a few cm lower. I own something like this and I find it hard to grip.
posted by 2oh1 at 9:25 AM on September 16, 2010
Huh? I have a hard enough time finding the little tab to peel it off. Is that what you mean?
The foil (or plastic) that covers the cork end of the bottle is called the capsule. Most capsules are easy to pull off completely. Just grip the entire capsule in your hand and try to slide it off the bottle. The vast majority of them will come right off.
I own this kind of foil cutter which I rarely use because I typically just pull the entire capsule off. I have never had problems not being able to hold on to it or use it with ease.
posted by komara at 10:23 AM on September 16, 2010
The foil (or plastic) that covers the cork end of the bottle is called the capsule. Most capsules are easy to pull off completely. Just grip the entire capsule in your hand and try to slide it off the bottle. The vast majority of them will come right off.
I own this kind of foil cutter which I rarely use because I typically just pull the entire capsule off. I have never had problems not being able to hold on to it or use it with ease.
posted by komara at 10:23 AM on September 16, 2010
I'm wondering if your foil cutter just sucks or something - maybe it's not sharp? I'm having a hard time visualizing ever having any problems with a foil cutter. The ones I've used are typically so sharp that you just set them on the bottle, apply pressure with thumb on one side and forefinger on the other, and give the whole thing a turn. Then you're done.
posted by komara at 10:28 AM on September 16, 2010
posted by komara at 10:28 AM on September 16, 2010
Response by poster: Komara, you could be right. My foil cutter is definitely sharp, but it's not particularly well designed. Before that, I had a real cheapie, so it could just be a case of having owned 2 bad ones over the last five years.
I might have steered people wrong by mentioning the foil cutter I had years ago that I loved. It doesn't look like there's anything similar for sale anywhere. I probably should have just asked "What's the best foil cutter?"
posted by 2oh1 at 11:52 AM on September 16, 2010
I might have steered people wrong by mentioning the foil cutter I had years ago that I loved. It doesn't look like there's anything similar for sale anywhere. I probably should have just asked "What's the best foil cutter?"
posted by 2oh1 at 11:52 AM on September 16, 2010
Hey, try this: ignore the damn foil. Just plunge your corkscrew right through it into the cork and pull.
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:08 PM on September 16, 2010
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:08 PM on September 16, 2010
(or do what most people do, use a knife to cut the foil, then pull it off)
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:09 PM on September 16, 2010
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:09 PM on September 16, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Vinters are inconsistant, one tool won't work with all of them.
posted by HuronBob at 10:01 PM on September 15, 2010