There’s a world of beer we want to drink, and a lot of it comes in bottles. While you could open these 12-ouncers with a flat surface, a key, or—gasp!—your teeth, we prefer the simplest, least dentally damaging method: the bottle opener. Now that doesn’t mean you need a plastic freebie from $1 Bud Night on your keychain; there are far better options. Here are some of the best bottle openers we’ve ever come across:
The Magnetic Bottle Opener
A single strip of stainless steel forms the elegant yet sturdy Magnetic Bottle Opener, which is made by The Tin Mill. With a black nickel plated finish, this cap cracker looks at home both in the kitchen or the top drawer of a workbench. And thanks to the magnet, you won’t need to go digging through piles of sawdust to find a bottle cap after you open a beer to celebrate what you just built.
$25
Hex Opener
The Hex Opener, from design team Iacoli & McAllister, is as much a piece of art as it is a functional object. Crafted from a solid brass hex bar, the Made in the USA bottle opener will patina beautifully with use. The more beers you drink, the more unique it becomes. That sounds like a challenge.
$68
PiCO
The best bottle opener is the one you have with you. So while some on this list are awesome to toss in a kitchen drawer or on a home bar, they aren’t exactly items you’d slip in your pocket. For popping beers at a tailgate or away from the comforts of home, consider PiCO, which Pangea Designs, the company that crafts it, claims is the smallest bottle opener in the world.
$11
You Earned It Bottle Opener
After a long day at work, you deserve a beer. Hell, you earned one. And what better way to crack that cold one than with this hefty You Earned It Bottle Opener. Sand-blasted and hand-finished, the heavy-duty bottle opener could serve as a paperweight when it’s not getting suds to your lips.
$28
Vintage Foosball Bottle Openers
These foosball players have long since retired from the pitch, but they’ve been given a new lease on life as trusty beer opening assistants. Since they are actual vintage pieces, each one is slightly different, but all will look good when you’re cracking a round of cold ones after a game.
$48
Grovemade Brass Key Ring
Many keychains double as bottle openers, but few do it while looking as good as this solid brass one from Grovemade. Nearly indestructible, the Brass Key Ring is ready for a lifetime of bottles.
$59
Skull Bottle Opener
How about a little memento mori for your home bar? Besides, what better way to remember to enjoy life—and a few beers—than with this hand cast Skull Bottle Opener. Made in the USA by Jac Zagoory Designs, the Skull Bottle Opener becomes an attractive bar accessory when you’re not using it to toast to the good times.
$55
Fort Standard Crest Bottle Opener 3
The third Crest Bottle Opener from the makers at Fort Standard happens to be our favorite, but you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Cast in solid brass, the graphically bold cap remover was designed to use a minimal amount of material while still being functional and attractive. We’d recommend hanging it in the kitchen next to your good pans.
$65
Hermetus Bottle Opener & Resealer
Sometimes you aren’t cranking a 12-ounce beer; sometimes you’re breaking open a bomber of 12% ABV Imperial Stout. For those occasions, you might want to save a bit for later. Lucky for you, there’s the Hermetus Bottle Opener & Resealer, which not only opens bottles, but closes them back up so you can enjoy the rest of that beer later.
$9
Railroad Spike Bottle Opener
Northern Crescent Iron crafts their bottle openers from railroad spikes for a sturdy, solid, and attractive beer cracking option. Each is hand forged, wire brushed, and finished with a natural wax.
$20
Keychain Bottle Opener EDC Tool
Simple, small, and sleek. FutureRelic’s Keychain Bottle Opener EDC Tool is just 1.25” long but built to handle all your bottle popping needs. CNC machined from solid naval brass, the tiny bottle opener will last for generations. Available in Standard, Burnished, or Matte Bead-Blasted.
$9
Two-in-One Beer Opening Coasters
After you open that beer, you’ll need somewhere to put it. These Beer Opening Coasters kill two birds with one stone. The wooden coasters feature a bottle opener on the underside so they can pull double duty. Pop, drink, and rest that bottle with one clever item.
$25
Discommon Bottle Opener
Do you need to spend $140 on a bottle opener? Hell no. But if you’re the kind of guy who likes to have the most unique, finest quality versions of every item in your home, well, this is the bottle opener for you. Discommon machines each of their bottle openers from aerospace aluminum and finishes them by hand. Each is tactile and ergonomic to make opening a beer even more pleasurable. Expensive but awesome.
$140
GrOpener
The GrOpener allows you to crack a cold one while firing off a text or passing a bottle to a friend. Much like the one-handed openers of yore, the GrOpener simply requires a firm grip. The thing that makes this better than those old versions is the built in magnet, which catches your bottle cap so you don’t have to go bending over like a sucker. Each is made from aluminum extruded in Utah, and cut and crafted there, too.
$16
