Anne found out about the Cork Pops Legacy wine opener through a press release from the company. However, we decided that we would buy one for ourselves, which we did at Total Wines.
The idea behind the opener is to use pressurized gas inserted between the cork and the liquid in the wine by a probe to push the cork out of the bottle. It’s the same sort of thing that pops corks out of bubbly bottles. According to the release, the Cork Pops Legacy opener makes it easier for people who have trouble opening bottles with conventional corkscrews thanks to problems with their hands.
We tested the opener both at home and at a party. We kept count of how many opens we got because the cartridge that has the gas will only open so many bottles. The note on the page for the refills says 60 to 80. We did not buy the refills, and at $12.99 for two, that’s not so bad, assuming the refills really do open that many bottles.
The results
Alas, we are skeptical about the open rate. It may have been that the cannister that came with the unit didn’t have the full charge, but we only opened 35 bottles.
While Michael didn’t have any trouble, Anne found it really hard to insert the probe, then press the discharge button. Anne’s hands are in decent shape. Someone with arthritis or another issue will have a lot more trouble.
But the Cork Pops Legacy does open wine bottles. It just doesn’t open them any faster or more easily than the usual methods. Plus, there is the problem with all the refill cannisters creating more waste, and adding an ongoing cost to using it.
But this is the ongoing reality of such gadgets. Most of them do not come close to doing what they claim, nor do they really help enhance the wine experience.