When thinking of getting a new top level kitchen appliance, the most common concerns are around style, quality, features, and price. Founded in California in 2015, Thor Kitchen sells high-end kitchen appliances which are assembled in China, allowing the company to limit its production costs. This saving is reflected in their substantially lower pricing than their luxury kitchen appliance brand competitors in the United States, like Viking and Wolf.
Early media coverage of Thor Kitchen mentions an international supply chain and manufacturing as fundamental to its balance of quality and value. Key components are sourced internationally, such as safety valves from Spain and ring burners from Germany and Italy, European countries with a reputation for engineering quality. These, together with the all other required parts, are shipped to China for assembly, before delivery to the Thor Kitchen headquarters in California for distribution. The brand also purchases some parts in the United States, such as thermostats and ignitors.
Does it matter that Thor Kitchen’s appliances are manufactured in China?
Assembly in China is a fairly commonplace practice within the appliance industry. China’s lower wages and enormous manufacturing economy allow produders to pay less for assembly in China than would be possible in the U.S. Just as with other high-end appliance brands, parts are sourced from around the world, so there’s little difference in quality to the end consumer, aside from the price. Thor Kitchen has won awards from TWICE and Good Design, and has even managed to catch the eye of Gordon Ramsay. The celebrity chef mentioned the Thor Kitchen ranges in MasterChef Season 16, and has now made the list of brands Ramsay is proud to put his name on, with an entire collection of Ramsay-endosed appliances now available on the kitchen appliance brand’s website.
Like with any major purchase, one should do their due diligence and a look at some complaints customers have had with Thor Kitchen. For an end consumer, the origin of an appliance’s component parts is more important than where it was assembled, as it’s the manufacturing of each of these parts that’s going to make all the difference when it comes to function and durability.
