CO2 bottle opener

Someone gave me a CO2 opener many years ago. I found it was not very effective for removing some very tight corks, especialy in some Italian wines. I also wondered if the pressure might not burst such a bottle with a stubborn cork, so I always wrapped the bottle in a heavy towel. Someone also gave me a cork remover that works using a little hand pump to inject air through a needle you insert in the cork. This was no more effective than the CO2 device, and more trouble to use. I have not used either of these devices in many years. For me it was more simple to use a conventional cork screw, but others might like the CO2 model, especially if you do not have bottles with very tight corks. It should not harm your wine unless you leave the device attached to the cork for a long time when the cork does not come out. In that case the wine might have a slight sparkle from the CO2 that dissolves in it over a long time.

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Back in 1970, one of my coworkers got a bad cut when the neck of the bottle exploded in his hand. We were openning about 12 bottles and he had already openned 4 or 5 using that device. I think it was the fault of the bottle rather than the CO2.

Tom, My preference is a rabbit type opener. They are fast and easy to use.

Bob Patrick

One of my buddies was using a CO2 cork remover. The cork was extremely tight - it wouldn't come loose no matter how much he rocked the remover. So, he pulled the remover out of the cork (planning on using a normal corkscrew). The little hole left in the cork became a thin little fountain of red wine - it was hilarious. The red stain is still in his ceiling tile over the bar.....