A range—whether electric or gas—is the one of the most essential appliances in any kitchen. Since they’re expensive and vary widely in features, though, it’s definitely a purchase you’ll want to thoroughly research. If you’re partial to gas models, you’ll want to check out the Whirlpool WFG505M0BS, a reasonably priced and modestly sized range with five burners, a separate broiler, and a two-rack oven. We tested the appliance in our home to see how it held up to everyday meal prep and occasional entertaining. Keep reading for our full assessment of the Whirlpool’s setup process, design, performance, price, and more.
Setup Process: Pretty simple, but no shame in leaving it to a professional
If you have basic handyman skills, the Whirlpool WFG505M0BS isn’t tricky to set up. That said, gas is dangerous and should be treated with special care, so if you’re confused or uncomfortable at all, it’s best to call in a professional. Depending on where you purchase the range, set-up of the new appliance and removal of your old appliance may also be included. Since we didn’t realize that our gas access didn’t have the proper valve until the Whirlpool was delivered, my husband and I were left to install the range ourselves. Luckily, all we had to do was measure the tube and make a quick trip to the hardware store to pick up the proper $10 piece. After we got the valve set up, the rest of the process was straightforward and aided by the includedinstruction manual. We had to tighten the hose to the valve and stove body, and then fortify the seal with Teflon tape. When setting up the range one thing to keep in mind is where the closest outlet is. Even though it is fueled by gas, you still need electricity to power the display. Ours was a little farther away than the power cord would reach, but a short extension cord remedied the issue. Once the stove is hooked up to your gas line, there’s not much else to do. The digital panel on the front is intuitive and you don’t really need the instructions to figure out how to set up the clock, turn on the oven, or set a timer, though the latter proves finicky as it jumps up in 5-minute increments until you get to 60 minutes at which point it jumps by the hour (with no going back). The rest of the setup process simply involved dusting off the top, washing the griddle, placing the cast iron grates on top of the stove, and adjusting the oven racks as needed. To ensure your range operates properly, it’s also essential that you check its levelness. To do this, we placed a level—as instructed by the user manual—on the racks inside the oven. If the range isn’t level, you can use a ratchet and pliers to adjust its legs. Warning callout: If you plan to have the Whirlpool installed by technicians upon delivery, be sure to have the following available: a new gas flex connection kit, a natural gas line, a three-prong outlet near where you’re installing the range, and a gas shut-off directly behind the range. You should also unplug your old appliance and have it ready for removal.
Design: A great fit for any kitchen
Once safely installed between our counter and cupboard, the mid-sized 29.88 x 46.25 x 27.2-inch Whirlpool looked like a natural fit for our kitchen. The range is available in white, black, and black-on-stainless steel. We went with the latter as the stainless steel worked well with the charcoal trim and gray undertones of our space. Since the metal is fingerprint-resistant, it also manages to stay much cleaner than our previous white range. No matter which finish you go for, edge-to-edge cast iron grates help shield the stovetop from spills. Given that we cook a lot of cheese-spiked eggs and sauteed vegetables with olive oil, the grates’ ability to prevent some of our mess from sticking to the stovetop proved mighty helpful. We also appreciate that the grates are heavy and secure; you can slide pots and pans across all five burners without fear of the grates slipping or sliding. When you’re done cooking, you can also pluck them right off the stovetop to give everything a wipedown. The digital display and control panel are both straightforward and intuitive. There are buttons for bake, broil, start, cancel, timer, oven light, and clock. There are also up and down arrows so you can adjust your temperature and time. Inside the 5.1-cubic-foot oven, you’ll find two racks that you can place in five different positions. The user manual has suggested positions depending on what you’re making be it a layer cake, large roast, or casserole. On the front of the range, there are five standard knobs that control the burners and on the bottom of the stove, there’s a broiler drawer. While this means you can’t jam baking sheets and cake pans down there, it does mean you have a safe space to brown gruyere onto a bowl of French onion soup or toast a fresh loaf of garlic bread.
Burner Performance: A whole lot of BTUs
The Whirlpool WFG505M0BS heats like a dream. The stovetop is equipped with five burners which range from 5,000 to 15,000 BTUs. The latter is what Whirlpool calls Power Burners; positioned in the front corners of the range, they’re great for frying, searing, and rapidly boiling water (our tea kettle took 7 minutes to whistle). The two back burners, which are 5,000 and 9,500 BTUs, are best for simmering, and there’s also an 8,000-BTU middle burner. The center burner offers flexibility in pot and pan placement and we found it particularly helpful when making bacon as we were able to cook it without splattering fat over the other breakfast items we had waiting on the counter. The Whirlpool’s edge-to-edge cast iron grates are sturdy and spacious so you can juggle a large pot of spaghetti while also preparing sauce and meatballs. The range also comes with a griddle which you can secure over the right or left burners. Because it’s also cast iron, you get even heat throughout. We cooked up grilled cheeses for the whole family and our kids deemed us the “best grilled cheese makers in the world.” The burners are all very easy to light; all you need to do is twist the corresponding dial, wait for the click of the ignited flame, and then turn it based on your desired heart. Our only complaint is that the dials are pretty easy to turn on if you accidentally bump them with your butt or hip as you reach over the stove to put away dishes or grab a snack from the cupboard. If you have little ones who love to touch everything, you’ll definitely want to pick up some safety knob covers.
Oven Performance: Quick and even heating
Though this oven doesn’t outperform other stoves, it does heat evenly and reliably. In all of our recipe tests—including a loaf of pumpkin cranberry bread, a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies, and a sheet pan supper of chicken and veggies—the Whirlpool stayed true to temperature and cook time recommendations. We didn’t find a single cool or hot spot either. If you do find that your oven is heating too fast or too slow, it’s easy to calibrate. First, you’ll want to check what temperature the appliance is heating to. To do this, set your oven to 350 degrees, place an oven thermometer on the middle rack, and make sure you give the oven time to completely preheat. If your thermometer reports a temperature in the 340- to 360-degree range, you should be all good. (Try reading the thermometer through the door as temperatures can drop significantly when you open it.) But if the temperature is more than 10 degrees above or below your target, you’ll need to calibrate it. The user manual provides instructions for this; you press and hold the Bake button for 5 second until the oven shows 00. You can then press the up or down arrows to increase or decrease the temperature by 10. The maximum amount you can adjust is to -30 or +30 degrees; you then press the Start button to save your changes. Another simpler way you can regulate heat is by changing the position of your rack. The oven has two racks which can be positioned in five different ways. Again, the user manual provides handy suggestions for where to position the rack depending on what you’re making be it muffins, a whole turkey, or a pizza. While the Whirlpool doesn’t have convection cooking or an interior broiler, it does have a roomy broiler drawer underneath the oven. Unfortunately, this means there’s no room to store baking sheets and muffin tins, but it is useful for crisping things like bread and french fries or more precisely cooking pork chops and thick ham slices. You can preheat the broiler and consult the user manual for the suggested rack position (there are two) as well as cook time.
Cleaning: No self-cleaning option, but easy enough
Most ovens offer a self-cleaning setting, but not the Whirlpool WFG505M0BS Gas Range. While the oven has to be manually cleaned, it is easy to remove the bottom grease tray in order to give it a scrub. The real thing here is just to make sure you clean messes right away, that way food scraps and dripped liquids don’t bake on and become impossible to remove. As for the rest of the stove, it’s not too hard to keep it sparkling. Once the range cools you can remove the cast iron grates, spray the stovetop with a mild cleaner, and wipe down it down with paper towels. If the knobs get particularly greasy, you can also remove them (by pulling them straight towards you) and clean them in warm soapy water.
Price: Good deal for a simple stove
Whirlpool’s WFG505M0BS retails for $750 full price. While that’s no small sum, it is cheap for a stove. Sure, it doesn’t have a lot of fancy features, but its price is reflective of what it does offer: quick, reliable cooking. The range also comes with a 1-year warranty so you’re protected against defects.
Competition: Lots of reputable brands—and bells and whistles—to choose from
GE JGB700SEJSS Gas Range: GE’s gas range retails for roughly $400 more than Whirlpool’s but it does have a few additional features as well. The range has a convection oven, the largest fully integrated griddle on the market, a Steam self-cleaning setting, and an 18,000 BTU power burner. The range is a little larger than Whirlpool—it’s 30 x 47.3 x 28.8 inches—so you’ll need additional space, but it’s also available in a number of sleek finishes like stainless steel, fingerprint-resistant slate, and black stainless steel. Samsung NX58H5600SS Gas Range: This 5.8-cubic-foot range is similar to Whirlpool’s in that it offers five burners and a removable griddle. Where it surpasses the competition, though, is in its inclusion of convection cooking. The $1,100 range also has a proofing setting, a Sabbath mode, a self-cleaning mode, and a bottom drawer is just that—room for storage rather than a broiler. Frigidaire FCRG3052AS Gas Range: Frigidaire’s offering is quite similar to Whirlpool’s. The 5-cubic-foot appliance delivers five burners (ranging from 5,000 to 16,000 BTUs), two oven racks (with five different positions), and edge-to-edge grates that allow you to easily move pots and pans across the stovetop. The range’s center burner is elongated to cater to a griddle, but Frigidaire’s range doesn’t come with one like Whirlpool’s does. One main difference between the models is that Frigidaire’s range features a storage drawer on the bottom as opposed to a broiler drawer. Whirlpool’s WFG505M0BS is a reliable gas range. It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles (no self-cleaning mode or convection oven), but it’s also not priced as such. If you’re looking for an appliance that’s sleek, smartly designed, and quick to heat up, it won’t disappoint.
