Traeger Grills is a well known name in the grilling industry. The company was originally founded in 1985 by Joe Traeger when he first developed the pellet grill that he would later patent in 1986. Traeger grew quickly after the initial patent because of a unique three-position controller that allowed you to easily control different heat ranges in the grill. Because of the patent, he was essentially the only manufacturer of pellet grills for close to 20 years. Since then, Traeger Grills has become synonymous with pellet grills and tech-infused grilling. Their new line of WiFi wood pellet grills is the latest example of that tech mindset. In 2006, Joe Traeger sold his family business for $12.4 million. Since then, Traeger has exploded, selling over 2 million grills and exceeding $400 million in retail sales in 2018 alone. Which begs the question – are Traeger grills still made in the USA? We dug in to find out.
Verdict: Are Traeger Grills Made in the USA?
No, Traeger Grills are no longer made in the USA – they are manufactured in China. Traeger made the switch to international manufacturing after the sale of the company in 2006.
This is certainly disappointing news. It’s not uncommon that larger companies change manufacturing to cut costs after a large acquisition, which often times comes at the expense of quality. What’s worse is that they don’t list where their grills are manufactured anywhere on their website. The most transparent companies will list the country of origin next to the rest of the details for each product. We had to do a little secret shopping to find out for ourselves.
Popular American Made Traeger Grills
- None
Popular Traeger Grills Not Made in the USA
- Pro 575 Pellet Grill – China
- Ironwood 650 Pellet Grill – China
- Tailgater Pellet Grill – China
- Timberline Series 850 Pellet Grill – China
Better Alternative
For a wood pellet grill, Cookshack is a better American made option. Their PG500 Fast Eddy’s Pellet Grill is made in Ponca City, Oklahoma and is our favorite wood pellet grill made in the USA. For more grill recommendations, check out our related articles below.
