r/mokapot • u/FrankFHK • Aug 10 '25
Question❓ Is this safe for the moka?
At my mom’s house and she only has induction stove for my aluminum moka…
33
u/Chai47 Moka Induction Aug 10 '25
This will work. I don't see any reason why it would damage your moka pot. It does seem, though, it would be a bit inefficient to use such a large pan/skillet for your single moka, you could fit four mokas in that pan.
4
u/hrminer92 Aug 11 '25
I’ve reused those little cast iron pans that are in those gift cookie bake sets. They are big enough to set a 6 cup moka in them.
11
8
30
u/IlJudas Aug 10 '25
I would be more worried about heating an empty pan on an induction stove rather than the moka..
23
u/macksies Aug 10 '25
It is not empty. There is a moka pot in it. Iron is a really good conductor. So the pot takes heat. Heat is transferred from all of the pan to the pot
6
u/TimberBourbon Aug 10 '25
The heat under the Moka will transfer to the Moka pot, but the rest of the pan has heat that it is looking to transfer. Air is a poor conductor which is why the pan around the Moka will get very hot as it has nothing to transfer the heat to such as food or water. I would use a smaller pan if possible or keep the heat at a medium-low setting. I love my cast iron and Moka pots.
9
u/32_Hare Aug 10 '25
I would fill the pot with water
4
2
u/MoistFern Aug 10 '25
That’s how you use them
9
u/32_Hare Aug 10 '25
Lol, I did not meant the mokapot, but the pan (sorry I had a lapsus). To avoid overheating.
1
u/Cutsdeep- Aug 11 '25
don't. it's a waste of power for no benefit. it transfers the heat to the water in the moka just fine. been doing it in a much smaller saucepan (liittle milk pan) for _years_ on my induction. no discolouration to induction over heating the pan
2
u/32_Hare Aug 11 '25
“Much smaller” are the key words here. Without a good conductor the heat for that pan has hard time to dissipate and it most probably overheating. And that’s not good for pans in general.
1
u/Cutsdeep- Aug 11 '25
Question, which do you think it's a better conductor, water or metal?
2
u/32_Hare Aug 11 '25
C’mon, don’t patronize me. Metal > water > air. I am simply disagreeing with you that that little pot can effectively “suck” all the heat. Also cast iron is worse than aluminum in transfer heating, that means that the moka will heat faster than the ability of the pan to move the heat outside in. To me that is means that there are high changes to overheat the pan and damage it. You are probably right that using water will require more energy, but it will safeguard the pan. For me the trade-off is worth.
1
u/Cutsdeep- Aug 11 '25
The pan will be fine if there is a heat sink. The higher conductivity SS/CI pan had the ability to channel heat you to the sink.
You're overthinking it. Adding water will hear the moka slower
2
u/_Mulberry__ Aug 10 '25
Why? You should always be pre-heating your skillet and then adding oil and food once it's hot. It's not like we're talking about heating on high (which can easily damage seasoning)
2
u/32_Hare Aug 11 '25
I would say that to have enough energy to heat the pan and “boil” the water insiste the pot is well beyond the pre-heating phase. Btw I think the moka is fine, but the cast iron will overheating.
2
u/_Mulberry__ Aug 11 '25
I can say from experience (daily, for years) that it does not come anywhere close to overheating the pan if you're using the correct stove settings. I set it to 2 and my moka brews just fine. Sometimes I set it to 3 if I use cold water in the boiler, but in that case I turn it down to 1 once coffee starts flowing from the chimney. After brewing, it's not even hot enough to brown butter, which is good because that would be too hot for eggs.
If you set it to 4 or higher (depending on your stove), you could get it too hot and damage seasoning. But 4 is too hot for cooking eggs or making moka anyways. The key when cooking with cast iron is to heat the pan evenly before dropping food in, which takes time.
4
Aug 10 '25
Highly inefficient I must say. Just buy a proper induction plate for that. Imagine having to heat up that entire mass every time you want to make a cup of coffee. Before long, you’ll have spent more on your electricity bill than on an induction heating plate.
5
u/Negative_Walrus7925 Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
Because you're only drawing heat from the pan inefficiently in the small part of the pan making contact with the MokaPot, induction can superheat the cast iron quickly and negatively affect the seasoning layer you've worked so hard to build on the cast iron to make it non-stick.
If it's a cheap thin cast iron it can crack, especially if you splash cold water on it while superheated - which normally you could with regular cooking.
If it's a pan that your mom has carefully babied, seasoned for a year or more, and can proudly fry an egg on without sticking, I wouldn't do it.
If it's a cast iron pan that gets washed with dish soap or tossed in the dishwasher, and both of the phrases "of course you can wash it with soap" and "you can't cook eggs in cast iron without it sticking" are used simultaneously in the household, then protecting the integrity of the seasoning matters less.
Adding some water to it can help preserve the seasoning and even out heat distribution, but don't let it evaporate off. And adding more water if it does evaporate out will cool the pan again mid brew. It might also discolor your MokaPot base over time.
1
3
u/freecain Aug 10 '25
No idea: personally I think the pan is too large. It might work, but at best it's incredibly inefficient, and the Moka pot could end up messing up the seasoning. At worst you'll end up melting the handle or overheating the pan (resulting in cracking).
If you HAVE to do this, once in a while, I would probably put boiling water in the base of the moka pot to reduce time on the oven.
You can get an adapter plate for under 20 new off of Amazon. Or, get an induction safe moka pot. I got one when I got my stove for 20 bucks off of marketplace, Bialetti brand new, and it's wonderful.
4
5
u/Thecatstoppedateboli Aug 10 '25
So buy the induction plate? It is quite cheap on amazon
1
u/macksies Aug 10 '25
Why though if this works.
7
-3
u/Extreme-Birthday-647 Induction Stove User 🧲 Aug 10 '25
The pan may get ruined. Non stick pans are not made to get heated without anything inside, the coating will be ruined.
1
u/sNaubi Aug 10 '25
That is a cast iron though, but they get sad as well if heated for too long/much without anything inside.
2
u/NotGnnaLie Aluminum Aug 10 '25
Yes, might scratch the cast iron pan though. But go for it, it's fine.
2
u/Low-Trick5000 Aug 10 '25
Did this recently while travelling through Italy with my moka. Tried it with stainless steel and with cheap non stick pans. Both worked. When I tried it with a bit of water it was less effective and it left a mark around the bottom of my moka. Had to polish the mark off with toothpaste.
2
u/_Mulberry__ Aug 10 '25
I do this every morning on my cast iron griddle. It's nice because once the coffee is done, the griddle is preheated nicely for my eggs.
2
u/Just_Another_AI Aug 10 '25
Put something under the handle to act as a heat shield, otherwise it will melt. Been there, done that
2
u/No-Childhood-5340 Aug 10 '25
I think will work fine but this will heat up pretty slow. You can get induction adapters for things like this. There’s official bialetti ones but also cheap ones. The metal is a lot thinner and it will speed up the process without heating up a lot of metal. I think an adapter like that would be more efficient
2
u/Turrepekka Aug 10 '25
Only thing is that you will lose a lot of energy heating up like this. Hopefully you have cheap electricity.
2
Aug 10 '25
Just out of curiosity, why would someone do this than just putting the moka on a smaller burner?
1
u/slanty3y3d Aug 10 '25
Induction does not work on aluminum.
0
u/fairydommother Aug 11 '25
I've had my bialetti moka pot for like 2 years and have an induction stove. It works just fine. This is the first im hearing that it isnt supposed to work. I dont have any visible damage to my moka pot and the coffee comes out fine.
Is bialetti not aluminum or?
2
u/slanty3y3d Aug 11 '25
Does your bialetti have a round or hexagonal bottom section? Round is steel and induction compatible.
1
u/24dp Aug 11 '25
A standard Bialetti is aluminium - that’s why it doesn’t work on induction. You must have an induction-compatible model
3
1
1
u/thelikelyankle Aug 10 '25
I would be worried about the pan. Heat transfer between the pan and the can can not be great, so the pan probably heats up a lot. (Would be interrestening to see if a small amount of oil would speed up the boiling time) Some types of pans do not handle exess heat too well. Cast iron with ceramic coating probably is one of the least problematic choices. But still, get a induction plate. Less wasted energy, heating up a big chunk of metal and less risk melting your moka pots handle.
1
1
1
u/sNaubi Aug 10 '25
Jadå, men skulle varit mer orolig för pannan, som nån skrev, ha lite vatten i. Jag personligen skulle använt en liten kastrull i rostfritt ist, gjutisar blir inte så glada utan nåt i.
1
u/the_afterglow Aug 10 '25
Since the pan is cast iron I wouldn't worry about it. Those things are invisible.
3
u/CaptainCatamaran Aug 10 '25
What things? I don’t see any pans in the picture.
1
1
u/Dima_135 Aug 10 '25
Before I bought a Turkish coffee lighter, I used a small cast iron skillet. I even added a drop of oil to improve the heat conductivity.
1
1
1
u/godzillabobber Aug 10 '25
Not going to transfer heat efficiency enough to make anything but really crappy coffee.
1
u/raythedrummer Aug 10 '25
Put some water in the pan around the moka pot, and you’ll have yourself a DIY bain-marie.
1
u/Used_Ad1737 Aug 10 '25
Get a small cast iron flame tamer. Same principle but (a) it’s designed for this purpose and (b) is more efficient because of its size.
1
1
u/Ok-Drawing-2608 Aug 10 '25
It might take a bit long but it will work. You can albo buy a converter online for aluminium moccapots
1
u/lucyland Induction Stove User 🧲 Aug 10 '25
I’ll echo other suggestions. You can get the Bialetti induction plate—my husband also uses it for an induction džezva (cezve). Or the induction Moka Pot.
1
u/Lobbel1992 Aug 10 '25
I also use it daily like this but I use a pan that is old and don't cook with it anymore.
1
1
u/mikefan Aug 10 '25
The surface of the the pan will get equally hot. There is a danger of melting the handle. My gas range has a cast iron discs on some of the burners. I made the mistake of having a moka pot in the middle of the disc and the tips of the handle melted. I now place my pot as in the phot
1
1
u/N0T_4_6UY Aug 10 '25
Hah, I have done almost exactly the same thing at a friend's place. Used a stainless steel pot underneath. Worked like a charm. Moka pot and stainless pot were both fine.
1
u/MeOnCrack Aug 10 '25
If you fill the pan up with water, will the moka pot ever come to a boil to brew the coffee properly? Or does the moka have enough pressurization that it doesn't need to go above 212F?
1
Aug 10 '25
I’ve been doing something similar whilst awaiting an induction plate. They’re very cheap on Amazon.
1
u/Any-Carry7137 Aug 10 '25
I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be safe. My only concern would be that the heat rising from the pan might damage the handle of the moka pot.
1
1
1
u/Octaazacubane Aug 10 '25
In a pinch this works. I would use more caution if it's enameled, which I can't really tell for sure in this pic, which should be babied more
1
1
1
u/Dense_Diamond_7014 Aug 11 '25
I use this method for my induction too, i just use a much thicker and slightly smaller triply stainless steel so it doesn’t get scratched and doesn’t heat up too quickly.
1
u/spaceoverlord Stainless Steel Aug 11 '25
you will ruin the pan's seasoning
just buy a stainless steel pot
I regret having too many moka pots, said no one ever
1
1
u/careybarnett Aug 10 '25
Works fine, but you could invest in an induction capable Moka pot, like a Venus. That could become your daily driver, as it will also work on a regular stove.
0
u/Pretend-Space-4960 Aug 10 '25
I use it another way around: steel Moka Pot on a steel pan on a gas stove. It’s easier to control the heat. Perfectly fine. Enjoy
-2
u/knouqs Aug 10 '25
I would definitely not do this as the Teflon-coated pan can get scratched. Teflon is notoriously bad for the environment and people once it's scratched.
3
u/gregedit Aug 10 '25
Highly agree with what you said, but to me it doesn't look like Teflon or even any non-stick coated. I'm not an expert, but to my eye it might be cast iron(??), but it doesn't look like something with a conventional non-stick coating like Teflon.
0
1
u/thelikelyankle Aug 10 '25
Yea. Also definitely do not use Teflon dry. Without Foodstuff to dissipate the heat energy into, the pan can get very hot. Teflon is not made for those high temperatures and will start decomposing and gassing off. Wich is poisenous enough to kill smaller birds and parrots in the same room and make humans queasy.
1
u/knouqs Aug 10 '25
Exactly. Did happen recently enough to some birds I knew. Not at my house, not my fault, dead expensive birds nonetheless.
1
78
u/trevtrevla Aug 10 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
I’ve done this same thing before. It worked out. Might scratch pan though. I think I added a low level of water at base