A method for controlling a cooking appliance, said cooking appliance comprising: a heat source (16, 18); an input unit configured to input a plurality of operational modes of the heat source (16, 18), wherein at least one of the plurality of operational modes is a cleaning mode for cleaning a cavity of the cooking appliance; a control unit configured to operate the heat source (16, 18) in accordance with an operational mode input through the input unit, and an informing unit showing a time according to a selected operational mode, wherein the input unit comprises a selection unit configured to permit a user to select the specific mode of the plurality of operational modes, wherein when cleaning of the cooking appliance is desired, said user supplies water into the cavity, after which said user select the cleaning mode, the control unit determines if a start signal is received; once the start signal is received, the control unit is configured to determine if a temperature detected by the detecting unit of the cavity is equal to or greater than a first reference temperature, and wherein the control unit is configured to cause an informing unit to generate a signal when the detected temperature is equal to or greater than the first reference temperature, said signal informing the user that the cavity is ready to be cleaned, characterized in that the cleaning mode comprises a plurality of operational modes associated with respective reference temperatures, and wherein a time from a point where the heat source (16,18) starts operating to a point where the informing unit generates a signal is different for each of the plurality of operational modes. a heat source (16, 18); an input unit configured to input a plurality of operational modes of the heat source (16, 18), wherein at least one of the plurality of operational modes is a cleaning mode for cleaning a cavity of the cooking appliance; a control unit configured to operate the heat source (16, 18) in accordance with an operational mode input through the input unit, and an informing unit showing a time according to a selected operational mode, wherein the input unit comprises a selection unit configured to permit a user to select the specific mode of the plurality of operational modes, wherein when cleaning of the cooking appliance is desired, said user supplies water into the cavity, after which said user select the cleaning mode, the control unit determines if a start signal is received; once the start signal is received, the control unit is configured to determine if a temperature detected by the detecting unit of the cavity is equal to or greater than a first reference temperature, and wherein the control unit is configured to cause an informing unit to generate a signal when the detected temperature is equal to or greater than the first reference temperature, said signal informing the user that the cavity is ready to be cleaned, characterized in that the cleaning mode comprises a plurality of operational modes associated with respective reference temperatures, and wherein a time from a point where the heat source (16,18) starts operating to a point where the informing unit generates a signal is different for each of the plurality of operational modes.