# Is Italian Floor Corker Worth Its Higher Cost



## robie (May 1, 2010)

I saw an entry at another place about floor corkers and which one is best, so I am now curious. The Italian floor corker costs a bit more (25%?) than the Portuguese floor corker and double the price of the big, usually red, floor corker, which is seen a lot lately. The Italian corker has metal clamping jaws, the others don't, I don't believe.

Question: Is it that much better and worth the price?


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## djrockinsteve (May 2, 2010)

I have the Portuguese floor corker and freakin' love it. I have bottled several hundred if not more over the last several years. Sooooooo nice. I wipe it off with a little k-meta and cork then wipe it off and toss a towel over it.

If you put 2 people on that you could do some serious bottling with that. I like the nylon jaws of death I call them and the adjustable cork set.

I've never used the other so I can't offer advice on that just my little Portuguese floor corker. Outstanding.


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## mmadmikes1 (May 2, 2010)

I have an Italian and it has a brass Iris and will last long.


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## Runningwolf (May 2, 2010)

djrockinsteve said:


> I have the Portuguese floor corker and freakin' love it. I have bottled several hundred if not more over the last several years. Sooooooo nice. I wipe it off with a little k-meta and cork then wipe it off and toss a towel over it.
> 
> If you put 2 people on that you could do some serious bottling with that. I like the nylon jaws of death I call them and the adjustable cork set.
> 
> I've never used the other so I can't offer advice on that just my little Portuguese floor corker. Outstanding.



Steve I also have the Port corker and love it. I see you take care of sanitizing and cleaning it. I never even considered that and I am pretty good at that stuff. I always just grab it and use it and then kick it aside when I am done with it. Does anyone else go through the effort of sanitizing their corker?


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## Tom (May 2, 2010)

Some say if using synthetic corks that the Port creases them. I have a old (blue) Italian and there is a convert to champaign corks.
The Italian has Brass jaws and the Port has nylon.


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## ashappar (May 2, 2010)

I got the ferrari floor corker recently as an upgrade from a hand corker. Very pleased, it takes no time to cork a few cases of bottles and it pushes in the #9 corks with no effort. Little dimple on top of the synthetics but otherwise perfect.

the thing is built like it will last forever and very easy to use and adjust.


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## Wade E (May 2, 2010)

The Italian is the bes of them all. Besides whats said above it has a longer throw that will make ease of corking and the metal will outlast the nylon. I have the Prt floor corker and it works just ine but like said above again if using some synthetic it may not have the strength to compress some of them as the nylon gives a little.


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## Midwest Vintner (May 2, 2010)

got an italian fc. done a few thousand of bottles with it over the years. works like day 1


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## djrockinsteve (May 2, 2010)

I will wipe down my port. corker with a clean paper towel sprayed with k-meta. After wiping the important areas I will roll it up and place it in the jaws like a cork and push it thru. It santiizes the innerds.

Watch the bottom of the inside. There is a little trough that can hold liquid and potentually corode. I always make sure it's dry.

When I do cork I only touch the upper portion of the cork. Even though I'm sterile (no jokes I'm not) I don't want to chance anything. You'd be surprised how many things you touch without thinking.

Sanitize everything!


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## Racer (May 2, 2010)

I really like my italian floor corker. As said before you can get an adapter for doing crown caps and champagne too. Now if I can only get my first champagne kit to ferment down all the way to dry so I can eventually use the adapter I'd be alot happier.


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## robie (May 2, 2010)

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like all the floor corkers mentioned are nice.


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## Midwest Vintner (May 3, 2010)

robie said:


> Thanks, everyone. Sounds like all the floor corkers mentioned are nice.



going from a hand corker to a floor corker is night and day. you'll have time to  and  if you try to do 75+ bottles at a time with a hand vs floor. lol. 

i've bottled 75 bottles in less than an hour easily.


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## deboard (May 3, 2010)

I wonder why no one else gets in the floor corker business? How did the italians and portuguese corner the market?


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## robie (May 3, 2010)

Good question, deboard. I don't know who makes the big red floor corker that many LHBS sale for about $70.


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## deboard (May 3, 2010)

That's most likely a portuguese corker, mine is red anyways. All the italian ones I've seen are black.


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## TheTooth (May 5, 2010)

Mine was cheap, so I assume it's the Portuguese corker, but it has the brass iris. Either way, it works great.


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## Midwest Vintner (May 6, 2010)

my italian is dark blue


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## djrockinsteve (May 6, 2010)

and my Portugese is red, Nah Nah Nah.


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## TheTooth (May 6, 2010)

Mine is green.


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## Runningwolf (May 6, 2010)

TheTooth said:


> Mine is green.



then its about time to clean it


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## Tom (May 6, 2010)

Runningwolf said:


> then its about time to clean it


Well mine is *BLUE*, does that mean my Blueberry wine leaked???


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## deboard (May 6, 2010)

dark blue/black, what's the difference? I've only seen pictures, so I probably did mistake it. Definitely not red though!


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