The top pellet grill manufacturers in the US are Weber, MAK, Blaz’n Grill, Twin Eagles, Kando Gear, Smokin Brothers, Yoder Smokers, and Pitts & Spitts.
When I was growing up, most of the grills were made stateside. However, as the costs of manufacturing grills went up, many of the brands that my family used to rely on, moved their manufacturing plants to China. However, some of my pitmaster friends insist on only using American brands so I got their input on which brands are worth the investment.
In this post, I will provide you with a list of pellet grills made in USA. I will let you know the perks of each brand and give you some insight into buying American made brands.
Here is a list of the wood pellet grill brands that manufacture their grills within the United States of America:
Looking for well known pellet grill manufacturers who still produce pellet grills in the US? Then you will be pleased to learn that Weber Grills carries out its manufacturing in Huntley, Illinois.
According to Weber, their wood pellet grills are designed and engineered by a team at their Chicago headquarters. The components for the Weber pellet grill are sourced from both the US as well as other countries.
As far as their pellet grills go, you can choose from their SmokeFire pellet grill lineup. These pellet grills do fall into the premium category as they all cost upwards of $1000. However, all the grills are equipped with Weber Connect, a virtual grilling assistant.
There are limited pellet grill models to choose from with this brand as they are best known for their charcoal grills.
Not only does MAK Grills produce wood pellet grills stateside, but they are also in Made in the USA Hall of Fame. In fact, they are the only brand to currently hold this title.
These American made pellet grills are manufactured in Dallas, Oregon. However, MAK grills take things one step further – not only are the pellet grills produced in the US, but all of the components for the pellet smokers are also manufactured within the country.
The MAK grills augers, auger motors, and K-Style Industrial Thermocouple meat probes have been designed and constructed in the US, according to the company’s exact specifications. The Pellet Boss controller is also designed very close to the MAK grills store in Oregon.
MAK grills only have pellet grills in their line up and unlike many other brands, they have only traditional style pellet grills. This includes the Mini Mak, the One Star General, the Two Star General, the all stainless steel Two Star General, and the Three Star General.
Blaz’n Grill is the new kid on the block when it comes to pellet grill brands made in the USA. The company only began in the summer of 2011 although they have made a name for themselves since then.
Despite only being around for a little more than a decade, Blaz’n Grill has made an effort to keep all of their wood pellet grills American made. This is another pellet grill smoker brand that specifically offers higher end grills.
One of the elements that put these American made pellet grills on the map is their round rod auger. Not only does this auger transport wood pellets more smoothly than square augers but it also cuts down on wear and tear.
In addition to this, they have also designed the firepot so that it is easier to clean. You can bypass lifting the grates and the drip pan in the cooking chamber to get to the firepot. This makes it a breeze to clear out all the ash.
There is not too much information available on the Twin Eagles brand apart from the fact that it is made in the USA, in California.
There is just one Twin Eagles pellet grill in the lineup at the moment. However, these Twin Eagles pellet grills have been meticulously designed and manufactured so this isn’t such an issue.
The Twin Eagles pellet grills boast a modern design as well as a modern aesthetic. In addition to the digital control panels and the Wi-Fi enabled features, the Twin Eagles pellet grill can go as low as 140 degrees F. This is great for anyone who is looking for a pellet grill smoker.
These made in the USA pellet grills are designed, manufactured, and assembled in Dallas. The hallmark of this brand is its heavy duty pellet grills. They each come with a limited, 3 year warranty.
The lineup for these pellet grills includes the Rival, the K480, and the Champ. The thing that stands out the most about this pellet grill manufacturer is that most of the components contain steel fabrication, ensuring high quality and high functioning results.
The other benefit is that the ignition system is based on chamber temperature rather than internal timers. Due to this, you get a more reliable startup operation.
For the Smoking Brothers, pellet grill manufacturing is a family business. The pellet grills are made in Southeast Missouri, at the family factory. All the components are sourced from the US and the grills are built in that one factory.
One of the benefits of this manufacturer is that the selection is a bit greater, especially if you are looking for varying cooking space for your grills.
The Smokin Brothers have also partnered with Myron Mixon Smoker to produce American made pellet smokers as well.
Despite the name, Yoder smokers make both pellet smokers as well as pellet grills. The company doesn’t offer too much information about its manufacturing process but they do assure customers that the grills are designed, built, and tested in the United States.
The company has just two pellet grill models. The first is the YS480 and the second is the YS640. The YS640 has a large cooking surface area and also contains more sophisticated grilling technology.
The hallmark of this brand is that it produces competition grade pellet grills. So, if you are a pitmaster or want a grill that operates at a higher level, then this is the company for you.
This line of grills has been handcrafted in Texas. Even the PID controller has been built in the US.
One of the main perks of this company is that it has a lot more pellet grills in its lineup. Once again, though, most smokers are above $2000 so they are premium grills. A lot of these grills are almost entirely constructed of stainless steel, making them high quality designs.
There are also grills that come with an upright smokebox if you prefer a more traditional design.
After going through the list of pellet grill companies mentioned above, you will likely be wondering where the most well-known brands are. If so, you probably have these questions:
What about all these other pellet grill brands that you are used to hearing about?
Well, just because a company was started in the USA, doesn’t mean that its pellet grills are made in the USA.
There were pellet grill companies like Traeger Grills and Pit Boss Grills that initially designed and manufactured their wood pellet grills and smokers in the US.
However, as the brands grew and expanded, they moved much of their manufacturing processes to China or other countries.
In some cases, the components of the grills and the grills are made in these other regions. The parts are then sent to the US and they are then assembled stateside.
In other instances, some parts are made in the USA while the majority of the components are made elsewhere. Then, these parts are shipped to the US to be put together here.
There are also instances where all the components are from a foreign country, the grill is built there and assembled there as well.
This is actually a lot trickier than you might realize. For instance, there is a good chance that you assumed that Traeger, Pit Boss, etc. were all made in America until right now.
This happens because a lot of companies continue to advertise themselves as American brands. And, to a certain extent, they are correct.
These brands are registered within the US, their headquarters are here, and they may even manufacture a few parts stateside. There is also a good chance that most of these brands have their grills assembled in America.
You also have to keep in mind that a lot of these brands did manufacture their grills in the States at one point. It is only recently that the plants and processes have been moving overseas.
To discover if a brand is actually designed and built in America, you typically have to visit the website. There, you have to check if the factories are in the US or in another country.
The good news is that as building grills overseas has become so common, a lot more brands are fairly open about where the grills are being manufactured. So, you may be able to find this information on the site’s About or FAQ page.
If this information is not available, you will need to email the company directly and check on their practices.
Well, this largely has to do with cost. The reality is that it is very expensive to build a pellet grill or pellet smoker in the United States.
The cost of the raw materials, labor, processing, and more add up to a considerable amount. Not to mention, smaller companies can struggle to increase their output if they don’t have access to the resources and tools to create a large number of orders.
In the end, though, production overseas is largely down to profit margins. Companies can spend less and earn more if they move their operation to another country.
The biggest perk has to do with quality. The standards for materials and design tend to be a lot higher in the US than in countries like China. This means that companies automatically have to produce better products if they want to pass quality control.
As a result, the pellet grills tend to be made from more heavy duty materials, allowing them to last longer. The warranty on such pellet grills tends to be greater as well.
Buying a pellet grill that has been made in the USA is an easier process. This is because everything from the sales department to the customer service, to the repair department, are located within the country.
This allows you to fix any issues or get replacement parts with minimal hassle. People also find that there are less communication issues and that they are able to get through to customer representatives that much more quicker.
You also have to remember that you are doing the American economy a service when you stick to local brands. All the money that you spend is staying within the country.
Shopping with local brands can also convince companies to invest even more in their brand. This means expanding and hiring more people within their companies. In doing so, you can also help to boost the number of jobs within the community.
Also, the labor laws in other countries can be questionable. Due to this, you can never be certain if you are buying a grill that has been built under sweatshop conditions where people are treated and paid unfairly.
So, buying American made products can help to ease your conscience as well.
The biggest issue is the expense. Most pellet grills made in the USA are incredibly expensive. When it comes to foreign built pellet grills, you should be able to find budget version from anywhere from $150 to $500.
Due to this, it is a good option for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of money to spend. Such pellet grill models are also ideal for beginners who aren’t sure if they want to invest quite so much money into their new hobby.
When it comes to the American built pellet grills, though, most of the grills are well over a thousand dollars. In fact, many brands offer grills that are two thousand and three thousand dollars.
Unless you have money to burn, are a pitmaster, or want to invest in your grill, such grills may be out of your reach.
The other issue with buying a pellet grill that has been manufactured in the US has to do with selection. See, most small companies can only afford to produce a few pellet grill models – two or three at most. It is not uncommon to find companies that offer a single pellet grill option.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this. A lot of these pellet grills have been carefully designed and built and so offer better performance.
However, it does mean that you may not always be able to find a pellet grill that has exactly what you are looking for. You may need to compromise and buy what is available to you instead.
There is also the fact that there is a monopoly when it comes to American built pellet grills. As there are so few brands to choose from, these companies can inflate prices and you may not know that you are paying more for a grill.
In some cases, it may also be a bit more difficult to get your hands on a pellet grill that is made in the USA. This is because fewer pellet grills may be made per company. Due to this, it is possible that grills may be out of stock and it may be some time before the company replaces the lineup.
There is also the fact that smaller American made companies are less likely to feature in Walmart or other large scale stores. In fact, you may even be hard pressed to find these grills in online platforms like Amazon.
Instead, you will need to buy directly from that particular store. If you are lucky, the store will provide delivery to places all around the country. If not, you may need to go and pick up the grill yourself. This means finding an American brand close to you.
So, it has already been established that stateside companies produce high quality pellet grills. However, are they worth the added cost?
Well, there is no straightforward answer here. This is because this does depend on your perspective to a significant degree.
The first thing we should discuss is differences in quality and performance. While there is no denying that American pellet grills are made superior, there are many foreign manufactured grills that function just as well.
After all, Traeger pellet grills and Pit Boss grills continue to be some of the most popular and best selling grills. So, they must be doing something right.
The other issue, of course, is price. Only you can decide whether a certain price tag is worth it to know that your grill was made in the USA. Naturally, if you have the money then you can splurge.
If you are on a budget, though, it isn’t as easy to stay loyal to American manufacturers. You may have no choice but to choose a foreign company.
Here are some tips to follow if you want to choose a wood pellet grill or wood pellet smoker from an American made brand:
There are a lot of brands that try to pretend that they are American made by using deceptive language. As I mentioned, a lot of companies will have their grills assembled in the United States. And, so, they will use this fact to add a Made in America label to their grill.
This is why it is important to always read through the website and determine whether the components are being made, where the main structure is being made, and where the grill is being assembled and shipped from.
If you can’t find any of this information on the website, then it is best to reach out to the company via email with a list of questions. Remember to make sure that your queries are pointed so that you get the answers that you are looking for.
Keep in mind that the majority – if not all – pellet grills were created in the US at one point. However, one by one, they set up their manufacturing processes in other countries.
And, as things continue to get more expensive, some brands may have no option but to move their business to another nation. It could be the only alternative to shuttering the business.
So, it doesn’t matter if you have made a purchase from a particular brand before, make an effort to figure out where the grills are made. Remember that a lot of companies will attempt to hide the fact that they have made the switch so you may need to do some digging to find the truth.
Want to know how well a particular brand holds up? Compare it with other American pellet grills brands first. This includes style, design, features, quality, warranty, and more. It is also a good idea to compare prices to determine if these are fair asking prices as well.
You shouldn’t automatically assume that a grill is good simply because it was made in the US. This is no guarantee of quality or performance.
This is why you should carefully consider each feature and component of the grill. Is this an efficient design? Does it have modern features? Is this feature an industry standard?
Keep in mind, you are likely going to be paying a pretty penny for your American manufactured pellet grill. It is a good idea to check every detail before making that investment.
Now, as these companies tend to produce a smaller number of grills, finding reviews isn’t going to be as easy. Still, it is best to do some research to determine the kind of experiences that other people have had with this grill.
One of the perks of choosing an American brand is that you can find brands that will design and manufacture pellet grills according to your custom specifications.
You may want to consider looking into this kind of option. After all, as mentioned, there are some limits to the models you can find for American grills. So, if there are certain features or dimensions that you are looking for, a custom grill can help you out.
As you can see, there are quite a few American brands that provide you with grills that have been completely built in the States. And, once you are done with this post, you will be able to understand what each brand has to offer you.
You can also discover some of the perks as well as some of the pitfalls that await you when you buy American made grills. At any rate, you will be completely well versed in this matter, allowing you to make an informed decision!
