Made in America - does it matter?

It’s common knowledge that products made in America cost more than comparable products made overseas, especially in China. Do you get a better product for your extra money, or are American businesses greedy for your hard-earned cash? When it comes to cookware, you get what you pay for.

Safety

Steelmade Cookware is part of a small minority of cookware brands that exclusively use American Steel and labor to manufacture their products. American Steel costs significantly more than foreign steel because it is subjected to rigorous testing and safety standards to certify the ingredients used to make it. China produces nearly 50% of the world’s steel supply but is not subject to any testing requirements. Chinese steel is so much cheaper because it is simply an inferior product that sometimes includes ingredients that may make it more affordable to produce but dangerous to prepare food on. Every member of the Steelmade Cookware Team owns and uses a Flat Top Griddle to prepare food for their families daily, so you know safety is priority number one.

Quality

Cookware imported from China is often mass-produced in crowded factories by the lowest bidder using underpaid or forced labor. These faceless mega factories do not specialize in making cookware and often produce dozens or even hundreds of different, unrelated products under one roof. This high-volume, low-cost mindset sacrifices quality control and creates a lot of variability from product to product. Imported cookware usually arrives pre-boxed and ready to ship to customers so the product is never checked for quality by the actual company before the customer receives it.

Steelmade Cookware is manufactured in Kansas using American Materials by highly skilled craftsmen that have specialized in making products for the cooking industry since 1977. Each Flat Top is cut from large sheets of material using precision computer-controlled lasers before being formed, welded, finished, and inspected by hand to ensure each customer receives the best possible product.

Economics

It’s easy to see the benefits to all Americans when they purchase products made in the USA. Keeping your dollars at home supports job growth, tax revenue, business development, and so much more. When you choose to buy American products, you are directly helping to strengthen the American economy.

Environment

It is cheaper to manufacture cookware in developing countries because they typically have few or no environmental regulations. These unrestricted factories produce large amounts of hazardous chemicals that pollute the air, water, and soil. Additionally, products made abroad have a greater distance to travel to reach the U.S. This travel creates a much higher carbon footprint than U.S.-made goods and materials. Shipping goods overseas burn large quantities of fossil fuel and dumps greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with every mile traveled, disrupting ocean and other wildlife. Even without the decrease in carbon emissions, American-made cookware is more environmentally friendly than foreign equivalents because American manufacturers must adhere to state and federal environmental regulations. Not every country follows environmental and pollution restrictions as strict as those in the United States. American-made products come with the guarantee that the manufacturer meets American standards. From cleaner manufacturing practices to health and safety product regulations, American-made goods are a responsible and environmentally friendly option for consumers.

Pride

Consumers want to know where the products they let into their homes come from. They want to buy better, not more. And when it comes to quality, nothing beats Steelmade Cookware. With a long history in manufacturing, our products are made with skilled hands, have passed rigorous quality tests, and have been built with a level of craftsmanship that’s hard to find in many outsourced products. Buying American may come at a slightly higher price tag, but it comes with the assurance that it is money well spent on a product that is made to last.