Which stoves each one suits
A flat-bottom wok sits straight on the stove and stays put, Yosukata says, so it works on gas, electric coil and glass-top stoves and on many flat induction cooktops. A round-bottom wok is made for traditional gas wok cooking: it sits in a wok ring or on an outdoor or high-output gas burner. Yosukata doesn't recommend a round bottom on a flat electric, glass or induction cooktop, where it rocks and heats unevenly because so little of it touches the heat.
The flat base is smaller than it looks
Even a flat-bottom wok touches the stove with only a small circle. Made In's 13.5-inch wok has a 5.5-inch flat cooking surface, which Made In shaped for home stoves, induction included. On induction, check that the zone picks up a base that size before you buy.
Which one to buy
For a home kitchen, buy the flat bottom: it stir-fries, sears, steams and shallow-fries on whatever stove you have. Choose a round bottom only if you cook on a gas burner with a wok ring or an outdoor wok burner and want the traditional shape for tossing. Either way, 13.5 to 14 inches suits most home cooks, Yosukata says.
How these comparisons are made
Questions about this choice
Can I use a round-bottom wok on an electric stove?
Yosukata advises against it on flat electric, glass-top and flat induction cooktops: the wok won't sit securely and its rounded base barely touches the heat. Use a flat-bottom wok there.
Is a flat-bottom wok good for stir-frying?
Yes. Yosukata lists stir-frying, searing, steaming and shallow frying among the flat-bottom wok's everyday jobs.