Which Grills are Made in the USA?

At BBQ Depot, we love to celebrate America! With how fast time flies, it seems like the 4th of July is constantly right around the corner. There is no better time than the present for us to put together a list of BBQ Depot’s outdoor grilling equipment that is manufactured in the USA. 

BBQ Depot’s USA Grill Manufacturers

Here’s a list of some of the American-made grills that BBQ Depot has extensive experience with by either selling or servicing through the years:

1. Alfresco - Manufactured in Southern California. Impressive warranty - Lifetime warranty on U Burners and Cooking Grates

2. Alturi by Summerset

3. American Outdoor Grill (AOG) - Manufactured by RH Peterson. Lifetime warranty on Burners.

4. American Muscle Grill - Manufactured by Summerset under their American Made Grills Brand

5. Artisan

6. Broil King

7. Broilmaster

8. Challenger Designs

9. Delta Heat

10. Finex - Cast Iron Cookware for the Grill

11. FireMagic

12. Heston

13. Kalamazoo

14. Lynx

15. MHP Chefs Choice - These aluminum head grills will last forever!!

16. PCM

17. Phoenix

18. ProFire

19. Sedona by Lynx - Manufactured from Lynx Professional Grills 

20. Solaire

21. Summerset Outdoor Kitchen Accessories (Doors, Drawers, etc)

22. TEC

23. Twin Eagles

24. Weber Summit (Globally Sourced Parts)

25. Yoder

26. Viking

27. Wolf

There’s plenty more where this came from. At the BBQ Depot we take pride in the fact that we offer so many American-made grills, and we realize it’s an important factor to many consumers on the hunt for a new BBQ.

Why Buy Grills Manufactured in the USA from BBQ Depot?

At BBQ Depot, we feel there are several reasons to buy grills made in America. Here’s a few of our favorite reasons:

1. It supports our economy — on a national and local scale.

2. It provides job security for Americans.

3. Manufacturing standards on gas products made in the USA are subject to stringent regulations and laws that are regularly enforced. Not every country shares these same standards.

We have seen countless numbers of imported gas products that are manufactured to standards that are so low they are considered unlawful in the USA. Buying an American-made gas grill from the BBQ Depot can give you peace of mind that your grill has been made and inspected to be up to par with the latest laws and guidelines.

4. Buying grills made in America gives you easier access to service, warranty, and replacement parts. Is there anything more frustrating than not being able to purchase a replacement part? Not only do we sell American-made grills, but we sell the American-made replacement parts that go along with them.

No more wasting hours and hours searching the Internet trying to find the right part, only to find out it doesn’t exist anymore. Just head to our website or give us a call and we’ll help you find it.

5. The quality of manufacturing is higher. When a product is designed and manufactured in the United States, the entire construction pipeline can be monitored closely. This means fewer defects and a better overall product.

6. American-made grills just last longer. We have serviced Weber Grills from 1985 that are in incredible shape. Some Firebox grills that are just as old have been found in perfect condition. The quality of materials and precision of craftsmanship allows American-made grills to last through the decades if they are properly cared for.

7. Performance consistency. Did you know the first Delta Heat Grill was manufactured in China? Twin Eagles founder Dante Cantel found that the grills being made in China just weren’t up to his specs — so he moved manufacturing to the US so he could maintain quality control.

Are American-made Grills Worth the Price?

We strongly believe grills made in the USA are worth the price. We have not seen a recall on a grill manufactured in the USA in many years. However, there are hundreds of thousands of grills imported from other countries that are recalled year after year. The peace of mind knowing that your grill was made under strict guidelines with quality material is worth the price — especially keeping in mind your family’s safety and the fact that an American-made grill will last you much longer.

Common Imported Brands

We think you might be surprised to see the list of manufacturers that import their grills. Here are a few we’d like to mention:

1. Beefeater

2. Blaze

3. Blue Rhino

4. Bonfire

5. Bull

6. Charbroil

7. Coyote

8. DelSol

9. DCS

10. Dyna-Glo

11. GE (newer models)

12. Grand Hall

13. Jenn-air - Licenses their name to be put on imported Grills

14. Kenmore

15. KitchenAid - Licenses their name to be put on imported Grills

16. Lion

17. Members Mark

18. Napoleon Rogue and LEX

19. Nexgrill

20. RCS (select Models)

21. Saber

22. Summerset Sizzler and TRL

23. Traeger

24. Turbo

25. Vintage

26. Weber Spirit and Many Genesis Models (older Genesis Grills were Made in the USA)

There are many more brands in “big box stores” including Better Homes & Gardens, Brinkmann, Charmglow, Dyna-Glo, Perfect Flame, and more. Anyone can put their name on a gas grill. At grill shows, we have literally seen many imported manufacturers that advertise the ability for anyone to put their name on a grill and call it their own.

Here’s Why You Should Avoid Imported Grills

1. Manufacturing, environmental and labor standards. Companies building grills in the United States are subject to stringent regulations. This means that if your grill is built in the US, it’s likely to be built by people who have been compensated fairly. Likewise, the environment likely wasn’t harmed in its creation.

2. The frustration of not having access to parts such as grease (drip) trays, valves, manifolds, knobs, wheels, and body parts. These are just some of the parts you may not be able to replace. Many of the parts are only available on the aftermarket (burners, heat shields, cooking grates).

Remember when you import products, you are subject to minimum quantity orders. When you have dozens of models using the same burners and heat shields, meeting that MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is easier than other replacement parts that are specific to model sizes.

3. There is no commitment to manufacturing equipment. When manufacturing is subcontracted, you are relying on the contractor to stay in business and have quality and consistent manufacturing.

Often, if they change equipment, the engineering of your grill model will change thus making replacement parts obsolete. Then, when you need a replacement part, it no longer exists.

Case in point: We had a customer with a Bull Built-in Grill and they needed a new manifold. Due to changes in design, this part was no longer available and the grill became worthless. Manifolds are not universal. They are the pipe that holds the valves and are an important part that is necessary to safely operate a grill. When a part such as a manifold is not available, it renders your gas grill inoperable.

At that point, what are the replacement options? Often there is no replacement. Modification of the outdoor kitchen and countertop becomes necessary, creating a huge expense. This situation rarely occurs in a US-manufactured grill, as we sell at the BBQ Depot.

4. Many of these grills are considered throwaways. The buyer will use them a few times maybe for a couple of years and then the grill will break. Then it’s back to the store, where the buyer purchases another grill — and the cycle repeats.

5. The brand names on these grills are not the manufacturer. Sometimes there is no way to get in touch with the manufacturer. Unfortunately, this is something that we see on a frequent basis. These imported grills are essentially private labeled. A “big box store” will put their name on a grill, and then offer little to no support. It can be extremely difficult to get the service or part you need once you walk out of the store. At the BBQ Depot, we’re always a phone call away from getting you what you need.

6. With recent tariffs on imported products, you may not be saving much. That means you’ll be paying a premium on a product that is already inferior to a grill made in the USA.

7. Product recalls can become an issue. There are significantly more grill recalls on imported products than those made in the USA.

Are All Imported Grills Bad?

Does this mean all imported grills are bad? Not necessarily. But as mentioned earlier, they are not held to the same standards that American-made grills are held to. You can feel the quality difference.

BBQ Depot does sell some imported brands including Summerset and Blaze. This is because these brands have shown product support. It may take months and months for parts, but eventually those parts become available.

With that being said, there are definitely quality issues as well as manufacturing choices that can end up turning into a headache for the consumer. For example, these grills use flame thrower valves. If you need to replace your ignition electrode, you will have to replace the entire valve. This creates a large expense for an inexpensive part. Since the electrode is built into the valve, there is not a replacement for it.

There is much that could be said about each individual brand that imports their grills. Since a large part of our business involves service and selling replacement parts, we are frequently put in the difficult position of explaining to customers why there is no product support for their grills.

Because of this, we have had to make the difficult choice of not displaying imported grills in our showroom. When we display a grill and a customer purchases that grill, they hold us accountable for the quality of the product. Due to the many inconsistencies, we had no alternative but to display products we can stand behind, like our American-made grills.

Which Grill Should You Purchase?

When it comes to purchasing a grill, you will either spend your money upfront on a quality grill that will last for decades or you’ll spend it later. Oftentimes consumers find themselves buying the same imported grills over and over again.

Instead, we offer the solution of buying one American-made grill from BBQ Depot that you’ll be able to use for years to come.

We have vast experience and knowledge when it comes to grills. We have been selling and repairing grills since 1956! We look forward to serving you and your family and helping you find a grill to join your backyard festivities for many years.

FYI: Some of these links have been updated.