Are Weber Grills Made In The USA?

The question of whether something has been manufactured in the United States is often a charged one — it can concern not just geographic origin, but the quality of said product, and whether purchasing it supports American jobs and industry. These factors may prompt those preparing for their next cookout to ask: Are Weber's highly rated BBQ grills truly made in the U.S.? Well, the answer is complicated.

The official Weber website states: "Today, we stay true to our Midwestern roots by continuing to manufacture grills in Huntley, Illinois, using only the best U.S. and globally sourced components." The website further notes that all of their grills are designed and engineered by a team at the company's Chicago headquarters, and stresses their support for the local community by keeping jobs in Illinois. As Tasting Table has reported before, the fact that they are manufactured in the U.S. is one of the real reasons Weber grills are so expensive.

The use of foreign-made components in American manufacturing is not unusual. Under federal regulations, a product cannot be described as being made in the U.S. "unless the final assembly or processing of the product occurs in the United States ... and all or virtually all ingredients or components of the product are made and sourced in the United States." Companies can face penalties for not abiding by this; however, they can make qualified claims that specify a product was made in the U.S., but with global components. 

Weber's use of foreign-sourced components has led some to dispute claims that its grills can be described as being made in the U.S., and in 2017, a lawsuit was brought against Weber because of this (Weber reportedly denied any wrongdoing). More recently, a commenter on the r/webergrills subreddit who was unclear about Weber grills' country of manufacture posted an email response they received from the company, which stated: "Some of the Genesis II grills are manufactured at our plant in Palatine, Illinois incorporating globally sourced component parts. Some of our Genesis II grills are manufactured in China." The email added: "As of November 2019, all Genesis II models are again manufactured in Illinois." Some replies to the original post were unbothered by these qualifications, with one respondent writing: "I don't think I ever really cared, as long as the warranty was covered where I am."

How you feel about all this will be a matter of opinion, and accuracy in labelling can sometimes be difficult to parse (for proof, check out this subtle food packaging red flag that's easy to overlook). To use a culinary comparison, imagine sitting down to a steak dinner, prepared in an American kitchen with American-raised beef, according to a recipe designed by an American chef, but which has been seasoned with Maldon sea salt or includes a side salad with Mexican tomatoes — would you consider the meal a product of the U.S.? Regardless, if you have purchased one, make sure to read up on nine common issues with Weber grills.