Induction hobs generate heat magnetically in the pan, so the pan must be ferromagnetic.
Aluminium moka pots
Will not work. Aluminium is not magnetic. The classic Bialetti Moka Express is aluminium.
Stainless steel moka pots
Usually work, though not all stainless is magnetic. Test with a fridge magnet on the base — if it sticks firmly, it will work.
Induction-specific models
Bialetti and others make versions with a ferromagnetic steel disc bonded into the base — the Bialetti Venus and Musa, among others. These are the clean solution.
Converter discs
A steel plate that sits between the hob and the pot, heated by induction and passing heat by conduction.
They work, badly:
- Slow, since the heat is indirect
- Uneven, heating the centre of the base far more than the edges
- The plate stays dangerously hot afterwards
For a moka pot, where gentle even heat is exactly what you want, a converter is a poor answer.
The small-hob problem
Even on gas, a three-cup moka pot is smaller than many hob rings, and many induction hobs will not detect a base that small. Check the minimum pan diameter.
The recommendation
If you have induction, buy an induction moka pot. They cost slightly more and they work properly.
Everything else about the method is unchanged: hot water, low heat, no tamping, off the heat at the gurgle.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026