Metrokane Rabbit Corkscrew, Black
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List Price: Our Price: $39.99 You Save: $10.00 (20%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $27.69 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Metrokane Rabbit Corkscrew, Black
Customer Review: An explanation for some problems
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent product. I took a moment to understand how it works to figure out why some users have had problems with it. The problems with removing the cork probably stem from improper usage due to the poor documentation.Here's how it works. The lever that you swing back and push down moves the corkscrew up and down by a gear and rack mechanism, this is pretty obvious from looking at it. The worm screw is mounted so that it could spin freely if there were no guide mechanism (the metal and plastic part near the hand clamps that the cork screw slides through). The guide mechanism causes the screw to turn as it is pressed down through it. The rotation lets the screw wind into the cork on the downstroke of the lever. The guide mechanism is initially held in a fixed position by two spring loaded latches on either side of the top of it. These latches are pulled back, thereby releasing the guide mechanism when the clamping handles are squeezed on a bottle. With the guide mechanism free to move, and the screw held tightly by the cork, when the lever is pulled back, the guide mechanism moves with the screw and hence does not drive the screw's rotation so the cork is pulled out.
This is the part that is not clear in the instructions. Removing the cork HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW TIGHT YOU GRIP IT WITH THE HANDLES. You must move the lever all the way back forward to remove the cork. Part way, you will feel resistance, this is due to the latches that have now closed since the clamp arms are no longer squeezing on the neck of a bottle. (When you squeeze on a bottle, the hinged ends are forced apart, which opens the latches). The latches are angled so if you use some force you will push the guide mechanism through the latches (just like when you close a door with a spring loaded bolt) and they will snap back into place, locking the guide mechanism down. Now, the guide mechanism can no longer move and acts as a stop for the cork. Now, when you pull back on the lever, the guide causes the screw to rotate and unscrew from the cork which cannot move up because of the latched guide mechanism. Squeezing on the handles only stops the cork from falling on the floor.
It's really an ingenious design.
Customer Review: Effective, Well Made Device---Problem with Plastic Corks?
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm writing this review only because I went online to find a replacement worm for my corkscrew and came across reviews critical of the Metrokane corkscrew's quality. Yes, this is an expensive corkscrew, but it is by far the best one I've ever tried and its quality is impressive. The one I have (bought in a local package store) is called Houdini "from the makers of The Rabbit," but it's the same company and apparently exactly the same as the one Amazon sells. I've used it for over five happy years. I had the same problem as others who have reviewed it: the worm gets squashed (I used a hacksaw to get it out). More on this later.*
So why give it 5 stars?
The mechanical apparatus of this corkscrew is very well made,
The parts you grip are covered in soft nonslip material,
The lever is so large you can apply a lot of force to the cork---little upper body strength needed,
The worm guide keeps the worm lined up in the center of the cork, and the worm---even though I did squash mine---is very strong,
The cork is easily removed from the worm by reversing the action of the lever,
A backup worm is included,
A great foil cutter is included.
* My theory of what goes wrong with the worm: some of the plastic "corks" wineries use these days. The corkscrew's lever action is so strong that when it's trying to penetrate a dense plastic "cork" too much force is placed on the top coils of the worm. I try to avoid wines that have these awful fake corks (for environmental reasons), but I'm also a sucker for three-for sales and I suspect the cheap corks are the culprits in Houdini/Rabbit worm failure.
My advice for people having trouble with their Rabbit/Houdini:
1. It took me awhile to learn how to use it correctly; my wife had to teach me how to use ours because the process eluded me at first,
2. Ask your package store proprietor which wine bottles have real corks and then stick to those labels.
Customer Review: Rabbit vs. Leverpull, and Levers vs. Waiter's Corkscrews
Summary: 2 Stars
I've used the Rabbit a number of times. The Rabbit has a nice feel to it, but tends to be finicky -- more of those "worm goes in, worm comes out without the cork" experiences than with the original Leverpull.
The foilcutter that comes with the Rabbit is cute-looking but not very functional.
If you want a fast, lever-style corkscrew, I'd suggest the Leverpull (by Screwpull) over this one, despite the extra cost. It's the original, and it works well. I used mine for years until I switched to mostly using waiter's corkscrews. The Screwpull foilcutter is better as well.
If you don't care about having a lever, I'd recommend a good waiter's corkscrew. They're generally much less expensive, and while they take just slightly longer than the lever types, they give you more control, which is useful with challenging corks. They're also conveniently small. For these two reasons, they're the preferred choice of wine professionals. There are a wide variety of designs; some, like the Chateau Laguiole, are handmade and elegant, with nice wood or bone inlays, though admittedly those cost as much as the Leverpull. Finally, there's something lovely about the ritual of opening a bottle of wine by hand. Perhaps I'm just sentimental, but if you've got a special bottle you've been cellaring for years, do you really want to rush opening it, or do you want to savor the pleasure? After all, what's an extra couple of seconds after all that time?
N.B. The best waiter's corkscrews have two levels of "leverage," allowing you to use the shorter lever when the cork is all the way in, and the longer lever as you pull the cork out. These are a little harder to find, but are worth looking for. An example of this design is the Coutale, which I've recently fallen in love with. It's as easy to use as the lever types, at a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, mine just broke, though given what it cost, I think I will just replace it!
Customer Review: Beware - or be cautious...
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had one for nearly 6 years and it finally died (the rabbit died)...
What caused it's demise? Well, I've gone through 2 worms (the spiral thingie that penetrates the cork) and now after getting a new worm still can't open a bottle of wine.
Here's what the issue is, the worms are coated with a slick (Teflon?) coating that wears off over time. Also in the top of the cap that holds the worm in the device is a single ball bearing that is supposed to allow the worm to do its thing to the corks upon penetration (it allows the worm to turn under preassure).
Well some of these new fake corks made of plastic are much harder then both real cork corks and most of the foam plastic corks (if you want an example of one, try St Francis Winery & Vineyard bottles) and they take the slippery finish off the worm rather quickly and take a great amount of force to penetrate the 'cork'.
Their 'cork' seal is like a plastic capsule filled with some kind of compressed foam and the damn things seem to be very hard on the Rabbit... Needless to say, after a case and a half of that wine over time (the wife likes the Claret) the Rabbit is dead. The ball doesn't turn in the top of the cap over the worm and while you can get the worms very easily, the cap isn't available, as far as I can tell. I've had to resort to the brute force Screwpull and Xyliss that I had as backups.
The Rabbit has a 10 year warranty and I've thought of sending it in and seeing what happens.
I'd definately recommend having a backup screw around for those crazy fake 'cork' bottles like St Francis... Kenwood switched to a foam filled vinyl sleeve 'cork' and those are a breeze with the Rabbit but if you're too quick you might actually push it into the bottle (Hint to St Francis)...
A great cork screw, if only all the wineries still used real cork 'corks' and not these high tech plastic blasphemous abominations...
Customer Review: EASIEST CORKSCREW EVER!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I could *not* believe my eyes the first time I saw someone use a Rabbit. I've shredded SO many corks and even broken bottles trying to get corks out. I've tried so many different kinds of corkscrews (and the two-pronged non-screw-type cork-pullers), and I've been all kinds of frustrated. I'm a big and strong guy, and I've still been frustrated at how hard some corkscrews are to use.Enter the Rabbit. It's hard to visualize from the picture, but it is SUPER-EASY, once you figure it out.
1) Flip the top over, away from the cork, raising the screw (sometimes called the "worm")
2) Place the two handles on either side of the bottle-neck, positioning the tip of the worm over the cork.
3) Squeeze the handles together to hold the bottle.
4) Bring the top handle up and over, which pushes the worm into the cork -- so easy you can't believe it.
5) Take the top handle back to where it started, and the cork is out! No muss, no fuss, no cuss!
They say removing the cork from the worm is just as easy, but it's not quite. The method for this is:
6) Bring the top handle back over, as if to put the cork back in the bottle, only without the bottle there.
7) Squeeze the side handles around/on the cork.
8) Bring the top handle back away to remove the worm, while holding the cork with the side handles.
That works, but the side handles don't always squeeze tight enough to hold the cork there.
Okay, the ad says "3 seconds". I put closer to ten seconds, plus five more to remove the cork (if it grips right), or 30 seconds more if it doesn't grip the cork to remove it. Still, this is the easiest and best corkscrew I've ever used, and I'd say it's WELL worth the price.
Oh, one more thing -- I've heard it doesn't work well on the new plastic-style "corks", but I haven't tried it.