On 10/30/2013 4:57 AM, Thumper wrote:
> Are they meant to be totally flat, or can they be very slightly domed?

Totally flat is OK, the trouble is that the most popular pans in use
these days i.e., spun aluminum, are easily warped by heat or sudden
temperature changes. The most popular cooktops i.e., flat glass, make
this more of a problem. If the pan tends to rock, your best bet is to
make the bottom slightly concave with a rubber mallet or if you're into
kung fu movies, your open palm. This is an effective way to keep your
pans lying flat on a glass cooktop. My suggestion is that you do this in
small steps and test the pan on the cooktop as you go.

I use stainless steel pans with a sandwich construction which is pretty
warp resistant. The spun aluminum pans are really unsuitable for high
temperature cooking.