Method for detecting at least one cooking zone (Z10, Z11, Z12; Z20, Z21, Z22, Z23) in a hob, the hob comprising heating means distributed according to a two-dimensional grid beneath a hotplate, a cooking zone (Z10, Z11, Z12; Z20, Z21, Z22, Z23) being associated with a receptacle (R10, R11, R12; R20, R21, R22, R23) placed on the hotplate and comprising a group of heating means at least partly covered by the receptacle, the method comprising the following steps: - identifying at least one group of heating means (200, 300; 400, 500) at least partly covered by at least one receptacle (R10, R11, R12; R20, R21, R22, R23) placed on the hotplate, each heating means of said group being adjacent to at least one heating means of said group, and - defining at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) within said at least one identified group of heating means (200; 400), characterised in that the defining step comprises the following steps: - determining which heating means form a boundary between at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) respectively associated with at least two receptacles (R10, R11; R20, R21, R22, R23); and - dividing the heating means of said at least one identified group of heating means into at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) on the basis of said heating means that form a boundary, said dividing step comprising: - dividing said heating means of said at least one identified group of heating means into at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22), except for the heating means that form a boundary, and - allocating said heating means that form a boundary to one cooking zone (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22), said allocation comprising the following for each heating means that forms a boundary between at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22): - determining the number of heating means that are adjacent to the heating means that respectively correspond to said at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22), and - allocating the heating means that forms a boundary to the cooking zone (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) that comprises the maximum number of adjacent heating means. - identifying at least one group of heating means (200, 300; 400, 500) at least partly covered by at least one receptacle (R10, R11, R12; R20, R21, R22, R23) placed on the hotplate, each heating means of said group being adjacent to at least one heating means of said group, and - defining at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) within said at least one identified group of heating means (200; 400), characterised in that the defining step comprises the following steps: - determining which heating means form a boundary between at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) respectively associated with at least two receptacles (R10, R11; R20, R21, R22, R23); and - dividing the heating means of said at least one identified group of heating means into at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) on the basis of said heating means that form a boundary, - dividing said heating means of said at least one identified group of heating means into at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22), except for the heating means that form a boundary, and - allocating said heating means that form a boundary to one cooking zone (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22), said allocation comprising the following for each heating means that forms a boundary between at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22): - determining the number of heating means that are adjacent to the heating means that respectively correspond to said at least two cooking zones (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22), and - allocating the heating means that forms a boundary to the cooking zone (Z10, Z11; Z20, Z21, Z22) that comprises the maximum number of adjacent heating means.