I love a good glass of wine, but I have to admit that sometimes my wine choices are more about budget than taste. I've always figured that as long as it's drinkable, it'll do. But it doesn't have to be that way. A small kitchen gadget can totally change the way you drink your wine.

I'm talking about an aerator. Aerators have been designed to introduce oxygen into your wine, which then helps to soften tannins and release more of the wine's flavour. That means your wine will be smoother, richer and tastier just by attaching an aerator to your bottle and pouring it.

I spoke to John Callow, a Certified Wine Educator and founder of , who told me: "Wine aerators essentially speed up the process of decanting by mixing a stream of air in with the pour, giving a greater surface area contact with the wine than a decanter would need sometimes over several hours."

He went on to say: "This gives the aromas an instant lift, making all still wines more enjoyable. They can be especially useful in quickly opening up heavier, more full-bodied reds- making the fruit shine, and softening the tannins a little."

I have tested many aerators from basic budget options like the , right the way through to high-end aerators such as the . Prices for wine aerators can range from £3 to over £400, so whatever your budget, there's a wine aerator for you. However, out of all the aerators I've tried, the Zwilling 18/10 stainless steel aerator is my absolute favourite and the one I reach for whenever I sit down to enjoy a glass of wine (or two).

Aerators tend to fit into two categories, there are manual ones like the Zwilling, which means they use the power of gravity to pull air into the wine. They're great because there are no parts to replace and no batteries to run out; you can just use them anytime, and if you buy a good one, they'll last forever. There are also gas-powered versions that use small gas canisters to pump oxygen into the wine. These are often more expensive, and you'll have to buy new gas cannisters when they run out.

The and will completely transform how you drink wine. Whether you opt for a cheap supermarket red or you've splashed out on a higher-end bottle, you'll notice the difference. And don't think just because your wine is expensive, it couldn't benefit from being run through an aerator, because this is a great gadget for all wine varieties and prices.

The Zwilling aerator is made from stainless steel and has a weighted feel that just oozes premium, so even if you're using it with a supermarket £6 bottle, you'll feel a little bougie.

Now, one thing that really appealed to me was just how easy it was to use. This aerator fits any bottle, whether it's a screw cap or corkscrew. You just need to take it off its stand, push it into the bottle, and start pouring. It's that simple.

One of my absolute favourite parts of using this aerator is that the funnel shape of the pourer means your wine won't drip, so not only does that mean you won't lose any precious drops but you'll also avoid any stains which is great news for me as I have a grey fabric sofa and red wine drops don't really go.

I take my testing very seriously, so I headed to Aldi and picked up a cheap bottle of Sicilian wine that cost under £6. I was intrigued to find out whether a cheap bottle of wine could really be transformed into a wine that tasted more expensive. Now, full disclaimer, this is a wine that I usually buy and drink, so I'm pretty used to the taste without it being aerated. I wanted to test a wine I already knew, so that I could really notice the difference, if there was any.

I recruited my husband to help me assess the quality of these wines and pulled four glasses out of the cupboard. I poured a glass of non-aerated wine directly into the glass and then popped the aerator on the top of the bottle and began pouring out a taster.

Because this aerator is an extension of the bottle, it's really easy to pour into your glass. And as you're pouring, you hear this gentle wooshing noise, which is how you know it's doing its job. If you look at the aerator whilst it's working, you'll see the wine cascade down in a spiral pattern before it hits your glass.

Now for the taste test. I sometimes find that Sicilian reds can be strong and overpowering, but running it through the aerator, the black cherry and plum notes really opened up. It tasted smoother, and the tannins were much softer, meaning the wine was less bitter.

Of course, for the good of the test, I tried a glass of the non-aerated wine just to be sure of the difference, and it tasted harsh, if not quite rough in comparison. What really impressed me was how the aerator brought out subtle hints of black pepper and liquorice, which I'd not noticed before.

When you're done with your bottle and you have wine left (this is a real thing, apparently), you can leave the aerator in the bottle, as it also comes with a handy bottle stopper. This will vacuum seal the bottle and keep your wine fresh.

When you're done using the aerator, it's super easy to clean. You just run it through some warm water and ensure the water runs clear. It's best to dry the aerator straight away because it's stainless steel. It's also easy to store away as it has a little stand, which means it'll stand up in your cupboard and always be ready when you need it.

As I mentioned earlier, I've tested many aerators, from the cheapest to the most expensive. The is one of the best I've used. Its premium stainless steel design feels solid and high-end. And the fact that it's so easy to use because it just pops in the bottle makes a huge difference. Not to mention the bottle stopper, which keeps your wine fresh if you don't finish the bottle.

But the most important part is how well this aerator performs when it comes to changing the flavours of the wine. It softened the wine and took away the bitter notes, it brought out even the most subtle notes, and I could taste flavours that I'd never noticed before.

Because this is a faff-free aerator, it's perfect for any time, you don't have to just bring it out for special occasions, it's ideal for wine Wednesday or just a cheeky glass after work. And whilst it is a little pricier than some of the basic options, this is an aerator that'll last, so it's a great addition to any wine lover's kit.

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