Fan the flames of buying American: include 'Made in the USA' in your online search

Our Breeo fire pit, made in Lancaster County, Pa.

I had my eye on a particular fire pit brand for a while, drawn to its portability and touted smoke-free burn. But when I learned that it was made in China, I kept searching for American-made options.

This quest gained momentum this spring, at the crossroads of wanting to pretty up our new backyard and recognizing that home was the safest place to be during the pandemic.

I flirted with a brand made in Georgia, which repurposes old pressure vessel heads to make its fire pit bowls. I imagined myself regaling guests with that anecdote on a crisp fall Saturday. But the freight cost was significant enough that I looked a little more.

As it turned out, the solution was practically in my backyard. The Breeo fire pit I opted for is made in Lancaster County, Pa. Its air flow is such that fires ignite quickly, burn cleanly and leave little ash.

In short, it’s an American-made gem that I wouldn’t have found if I hadn’t persevered.

Being purposeful

Buying American takes a little more effort than it used to, but it can be as simple as adding “Made in the USA” (or variations thereof) to the terms you type into a search engine.

Sara and I have prioritized U.S.-made products as we’ve renovated our 1931 bungalow. To complement our locally made, custom kitchen cabinets, we splurged on a BlueStar stove, made in Berks County by a company that dates to 1880.

Our quartz countertop, wall and floor tiles, lighting and hardware are all American-made. Outside, our firewood rack is made in Parson, Kan. We sit around the fire pit in classic aluminum lawn chairs made in Fort Pierce, Fla. Our picnic table was made in Lancaster County.

We sweat the details, too: From ice cube trays to a metal spatula, a braided wool rug to a kitchen broom, we bought Made in the USA.

In every case, we found U.S.-made options by purposefully looking for them. We got better quality than we would have with imports and the satisfaction of knowing that we invested our money in American workers and communities.

That’s a pretty good story to tell around the fire pit.