A method for displaying at least temporarily a progress of a working program having a plurality of steps in a cooking chamber by means of display elements (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26), which are all displayed at the same time on a display device during the course of the working program, wherein the respective current step of the working program is also displayed, and each step is selected from a first plurality of program steps determined by an operating mode of the cooking device, and a second plurality of instruction steps for prompting an operator of the cooking device to carry out a particular action, so that • the steps are divided up into at least two categories, on the one hand into program steps and, on the other hand, into instruction steps, and • at least one display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) is assigned to each step of the working program, wherein - each display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) presents at least one characteristic variable, in that at least one first characteristic variable characterizes display elements (20, 22, 24, 26) of the first plurality, and at least one second characteristic variable characterizes display elements (10, 12, 14) of the second plurality, and - the displaying of the respective step that is taking place during the course of the working program is marked by a visual highlighting of the respective display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) or a visual highlighting of the area of the display device, in which the display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) is displayed, wherein the display elements (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) appear in the sequence in which the corresponding steps are activated during the course of the working program in one row or column on the display device following initiation of the working program. • the steps are divided up into at least two categories, on the one hand into program steps and, on the other hand, into instruction steps, and • at least one display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) is assigned to each step of the working program, wherein - each display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) presents at least one characteristic variable, in that at least one first characteristic variable characterizes display elements (20, 22, 24, 26) of the first plurality, and at least one second characteristic variable characterizes display elements (10, 12, 14) of the second plurality, and - the displaying of the respective step that is taking place during the course of the working program is marked by a visual highlighting of the respective display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) or a visual highlighting of the area of the display device, in which the display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) is displayed, wherein the display elements (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) appear in the sequence in which the corresponding steps are activated during the course of the working program in one row or column on the display device following initiation of the working program. - each display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) presents at least one characteristic variable, in that at least one first characteristic variable characterizes display elements (20, 22, 24, 26) of the first plurality, and at least one second characteristic variable characterizes display elements (10, 12, 14) of the second plurality, and - the displaying of the respective step that is taking place during the course of the working program is marked by a visual highlighting of the respective display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) or a visual highlighting of the area of the display device, in which the display element (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) is displayed, wherein the display elements (10, 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26) appear in the sequence in which the corresponding steps are activated during the course of the working program in one row or column on the display device following initiation of the working program.