I loathe buying products made in prc. I try to avoid it as much as possible. I hate when I have no practical recourse.

I bought a Weber grill grate. Product description online at Prime indicated made in USA. I was trying to decide between Weber and Lodge options; both made in USA, I decided to go w/ Weber. Weber grill, Weber grate.

But noooooo. The grate is actually made in prc as indicated by the box. Engineered in the USA. It's a frickin grate. A kid could "engineer" it - like it's that hard to design a grate. The important thing to me is where it's made. USA, using USA materials. And specifically NOT PRC.

If you can't indicate the correct information online, why even show any information then?

Now I need to return the grate and buy the one from Lodge. Another 1-2 week wait to use my grill.

Screw Weber and made in PRC.

Yup. The Lodge stuff is made in U.S.A.

Many years ago, at Bell Labs, I worked with a young woman who was the daughter of the family that owned Lodge. I believe that she and her husband (also a friend of mine at Bell Labs in those years gone by) are now running the Lodge company, but I have not been in touch with them for a long time.

A lot of Webers stuff is still USA made, not every part is though, looks like you found one of the PRC parts.

Where are Weber Grills manufactured Linky

Many grilling enthusiasts are familiar with the Weber name. Some others know that the company’s founder invented the iconic dome-shaped charcoal grill. But where are Weber grills made today? Is the company still based in the United States? The answers may not be what you expect.

Where Are Weber Grills Made?

Weber’s headquarters are located in Palatine, Illinois, and the company has a manufacturing facility in nearby Huntley. However, most Weber grills are made from globally sourced components, and some are actually manufactured in China and Taiwan. The Weber SmokeFire (a pellet grill) is the only one that’s exclusively American made.

Weber headquarters is still located in Palatine, Illinois, just outside the city where it all began. The company also has a major manufacturing plant in nearby Huntley. This makes it seem as though Weber grills are made in the US, but this isn’t the whole story.

Although the grills are designed by the workers at the Palatine headquarters, not all the parts are locally sourced. In truth, they import some components from other countries. As a result, the company can’t claim that their products are 100 percent USA-made, even if the foreign parts are only minor components in the design.

What’s more, some of Weber’s grills are actually manufactured outside the country. We’ll go over this in more detail in The Rundown, below.

A Brief History

When did this change occur, and why? The history is easy to trace.

In 2010, Weber sold the majority stake in its holdings to BDT Capital Partners. Shortly thereafter, the company faced a class action lawsuit. The complaint involved the “Made in the USA” stamp that was present on Weber products. This label was misleading to consumers, because not all the parts are made in the USA.

Why does this matter?

To some buyers, the “Made in the USA” label is of paramount importance. They want to contribute to American businesses and keep the money flowing throughout their local economies wherever possible. Many consumers also feel that American-made components will last longer than their globally sourced counterparts.

Like most manufacturers, Weber is keenly aware of this mindset. That’s likely why they continued to market their products with the same label, even when it was no longer strictly true.

Weber initially fought back. In a statement, the company claimed that their products and accessories were all designed and engineered from the Illinois facility. As a result, their claim that the grills were made in the USA was, in fact, accurate.

Weber settled the case out of court, but they made no effort to change their practices. In fact, most of the company manufactures most of their products in China these days. Up until 2016, Weber could still claim that their grills were “Made in The USA with globally sourced components,” but that’s no longer the case.

The Rundown

So, where are Weber grills made exactly? And are any of them still manufactured in the US?

In short, the Weber SmokeFire is the only grill in the company’s lineup that’s made entirely in the US. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the name, the SmokeFire is a pellet grill made by Weber.

That said, some Weber products are still manufactured at the facility in Huntley using imported parts. If you’re wondering which ones are made in what location, here’s a brief rundown.

Weber Grills Made in the US

The following grills are made in the USA with globally sourced components: The Original Kettle Charcoal Grill, the high-tech grills in the Summit Series, and the futuristic Q Series units.

If you own a Smokey Joe, a Jumbo Joe, or a Go-Anywhere grill, you may rest assured that these have been manufactured in the US as well.

Weber Grills Made Overseas

On the other hand, the Spirit and Genesis II lines are manufactured in either China or Taiwan.

If buying American-made products is important to you, steer clear of the units in these lineups. If you decide to buy one anyway, be aware that the Genesis line comes with a few extra features—and a price tag to match.

If you aren’t sure whether the grill you’ve purchased was made in the US, check the labeling. The ones that are manufactured at the Huntley facility still carry the “Made in the USA” stamp. However, most of them include the caveat that some of the components are made in other countries. If there’s no stamp, then the grill was made in China.

Interesting history. I guess I'll be scratching Weber off my preferred vendors list. I'll still keep my current grill alive w/ replacement parts. But when it comes time to buy a new grill, I'll be looking elsewhere.

 
Using Amazon's hover function over the images greatly magnifies them, and you can often detect the true COO printed on the box or label.