Most Weber smokers and grills are made in the USA from its Palatine facility. However, most of the parts are not sourced in the USA. While we can say Weber barbecues are proudly made in the USA, most are not 100% US-made. But the Weber SmokeFire Pellet Grills are the ONLY ones exclusively American-made.
I’ve been a Weber grill fan since I came out of cooking school, and I’m knowledgeable about where every one of the grills I use comes from. So, in this article, I’ll tell you where Weber’s most popular grills are made and which ones are made in the US.
A lot of Weber products are made in the USA, in the brand’s Palatine and Huntley, Illinois facilities where they employ American workers. Meanwhile, most of these products are made from materials sourced outside the US. Some products also have their materials sourced in China and Taiwan.
For example, the Spirit and Spirit II series, Limited Edition Red Kettle series, and Go-Anywhere Weber products are all assembled in China. But they incorporate globally sourced components.
Before now, Weber Grills were fond of labeling their products as made in the USA even when most of them had globally sourced components from China.
This stopped after Weber settled their Class action lawsuit over their “Made in the USA” labels.
Now, most Weber Grills don’t have the Made in the USA labels because they have globally sourced components, except for the SmokeFire grill. Those with these labels however quickly read, “with globally sourced components.”
Product | Country of Manufacture | Source of Components |
Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill Series | Assembled in USA | Globally Sourced Components |
Weber Smoke-Fire | Fully Made in the USA | USA |
Weber Genesis II | Made in China and Taiwan | Globally Sourced Components |
Weber Master-Touch | Made in China | China |
Weber Performer | Assembled in USA | China |
Product | Country of Manufacture | Source of Components |
Weber Summit® Kamado | Assembled in USA | Globally Sourced Components |
Weber Smokey Mountain | Assembled in USA | USA and China |
Weber Summit Gas Grills | Assembled in USA | Globally Sourced |
Weber Spirit Grills | Made in China | Globally Sourced |
Weber is an American company and American by birth and it still has a lot of grills that are made in the USA. However, like other US headquartered hardware production brands, Weber is gradually shifting the production and sourcing of components from the US to China.
They still have products sourced, designed, and engineered in the USA. However, they are shifting their production base outside of the USA, mainly to China and Taiwan.
This is because 100% made-in-the-USA products are quite expensive.
My investigation shows that people love made-in-the-USA products but are not willing to pay the bill.
As it stands, the Weber Original Kettle charcoal grill is perhaps the most sold by Weber, judging by online sales. The secret to this is that it’s the cheapest grill from Weber.
Brands are making their research, seeing this trend, and are constantly looking at ways to reduce the selling price of their products.
This is why it makes sense to make the products and/or source the components in the global South or third world countries like China or Taiwan. China is a choice production country for US brands because of the country’s strong business ecosystem, proximity to US, and overall low cost of production due to the low labor and manufacturing costs.
Insider tip: Look for “Made in the USA” stickers when preparing to make a purchase.
Weber remains the best selling grill in the industry. Nothing has changed.
Unlike before, Chinese-made or sourced products are becoming more durable like Japanese products. They are slowly closing the quality gap. Plus, there’s little to no fact proving Chinese products are less quality.
Weber products now don’t cost much. Their products have a wide variety of pricing choices to appeal to people of all budgets.
A lot of their products are still made in the USA, and include the most efficient parts and materials, either originating from the United States or other places around the world.
All grills undergo rigorous testing and inspection to meet a high standard. Besides, Weber barbecues have a long lifetime, last practically forever, and come with up to 10 years of warranty, which convinces me most of Weber barbecues.
As I said earlier, Weber is an American company headquartered in Palatine, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. Weber Grills is a publicly traded manufacturer of gas, charcoal, and electric grills and their related accessories. It started as a metal working company and they later invented the first kettle-style grill. The was in 1952 in the USA, straight out of world war. This has now been redeveloped and named the Original Kettle Charcoal Grill.
The business also owns restaurants and publishes cookbooks. So, Weber is the go-to brand for every cook or grill master.
When George Steven invented the first Weber kettle grill, he had one simple aspiration – to make a better grill to cook a better steak. That was more than 60 years ago. Today, that same spirit of quality and innovation lives on at Weber in everything they do.
The company manufactures most of its gas grills, electric grills, charcoal grills and smokers in their factories in Palatine and Huntley, Illinois, using globally sourced components.
The story started back in 1951. This was shortly after World War 2. As you know, it was a time like none other in American history when the heroes who fought bravely for their freedom came home asking for a little more in return than a house with a white picket fence and a patch of grass.
People’s backyards soon became the center of family fun. Grilling grew in popularity, and smokes drifting over fences became part of the American landscape.
At the time, George Stephen (1922 to 1993) worked at Weber Brothers Metal Works. This was a company that made metal buoys. George was slightly larger than life, with a big personality and an infectious laugh.
The one thing George didn’t love was his grill. George owned an open brazier grill, a shallow metal barbecue without a lid that was popular in the day. His grill offered little or no control of the fire, and, without a lid, wind, rain, and flare-ups ruined many meals.
So George built a brick barbecue in his backyard. That failed miserably too.
One day at work, George had a crazy beautiful idea.
The round-shaped bottom of the buoy caught his eye, and he thought, “hey, I can make a grill out of that.” It would be perfect for holding a bed of charcoal on a metal grate, making the grill easy to light. If he put a lid on it, he could finally control the heat.
His vision came together. Then he included a handle to the lid and a three-legged stand to hold the bowl.
Next, George took this crazy contraption home so he can test. At first, it didn’t stay lit.
A neighbor from the back fence would then offer him some advice – why not poke holes in the grill so the fire can get enough ventilation to burn? George tried it out, and his invention worked perfectly. He named it George’s barbecue kettle.
Then he made a few grills, packed them in his car, hitting the road and demonstrating the invention at Mom & Pop Hardware Stores around the country.
Before long, George’s invention was in such hot demand. He couldn’t make them fast enough. This sparked a backyard revolution that started in the US and would change how we grill forever.
Later he bought out Weber Bros Metal Works. Then he changed the name to Weber Steven Products Company, dedicated solely to making grills. Today, the Weber Kettle is one of the most identifiable trademarks in the world, and it is a cultural icon around the globe among BBQ and Weber enthusiasts.
The Weber SmokeFire Pellet Grill is the only grill that is 100% made in the USA. The grill is sourced locally, designed and engineered with components sourced here.
Weber manufactures its most popular grill products in Illinois. However, it sources certain components from outside the country, globally.
Weber started in the United States in 1952 when George Stephen created his kettle grill in Weber Bros Metal Works from a sheet metal shop. Currently, only some newer versions are made in the USA, specifically in Palatine, Illinois. Most Weber products are now made from globally sourced components, mostly from China and Taiwan. This is the reason Weber smokers and grills are quite cheap. Despite this, Weber remains the best grill maker in the world.
