A method of determining at least one target process parameter (Z 1, Z 2; Z K1 - Z Kn, Z Z1 - Z Zn) during a processing process at a present point in time (t akt1, t akt2), in which a product is processed in at least one processing device, the processing process being at least partly a cooking process and being carried out in a cooking chamber of a cooking device as the processing device, the method comprising the following steps: a) providing historical values of at least one first process parameter (P 1, P 2, P 3, P 4; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) of the processing process and/or historical values of at least one second process parameter (P 5, P 6; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) of the processing process, wherein each of the process parameters may be a controlled process parameter, a time-independent process parameter, a measured process parameter, or a hidden process parameter, b) providing future values of the at least one first process parameter (P 1 - P 4; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) of the processing process, wherein future values are measured or otherwise determined values of the respective process parameter at a point in time in the future, that is, after the present point in time, wherein in the case of a controlled process parameter, the future values are setpoint values of the processing process after the present point in time, and in the case of a time-independent process parameter, the future values are equal to the historical values, so that the future values have been taken from specifications or have been measured once, c) transferring the historical values and the future values to a prediction module (20, 22) of a control unit (18, 38), wherein the prediction module (20, 22) comprises at least one trained artificial neural network (24, 26, 28), and d) determining, by the prediction module (20, 22), the values of the at least one target process parameter (Z 1, Z 2; Z K1 - Z Kn, Z Z1 - Z Zn) for the present and/or at least for a future point in time at least on the basis of the historical values and the future values of the at least one first process parameter (P 1 - P 4; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) and/or second process parameter (P 5, P 6; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn), wherein the at least one target process parameter is used for closed-loop or open-loop control of the processing process. a) providing historical values of at least one first process parameter (P 1, P 2, P 3, P 4; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) of the processing process and/or historical values of at least one second process parameter (P 5, P 6; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) of the processing process, wherein each of the process parameters may be a controlled process parameter, a time-independent process parameter, a measured process parameter, or a hidden process parameter, b) providing future values of the at least one first process parameter (P 1 - P 4; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) of the processing process, wherein future values are measured or otherwise determined values of the respective process parameter at a point in time in the future, that is, after the present point in time, wherein in the case of a controlled process parameter, the future values are setpoint values of the processing process after the present point in time, and in the case of a time-independent process parameter, the future values are equal to the historical values, so that the future values have been taken from specifications or have been measured once, in the case of a controlled process parameter, the future values are setpoint values of the processing process after the present point in time, and in the case of a time-independent process parameter, the future values are equal to the historical values, so that the future values have been taken from specifications or have been measured once, c) transferring the historical values and the future values to a prediction module (20, 22) of a control unit (18, 38), wherein the prediction module (20, 22) comprises at least one trained artificial neural network (24, 26, 28), and d) determining, by the prediction module (20, 22), the values of the at least one target process parameter (Z 1, Z 2; Z K1 - Z Kn, Z Z1 - Z Zn) for the present and/or at least for a future point in time at least on the basis of the historical values and the future values of the at least one first process parameter (P 1 - P 4; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn) and/or second process parameter (P 5, P 6; P K1 - P Kn, P Z1 - P Zn), wherein the at least one target process parameter is used for closed-loop or open-loop control of the processing process.