Method for operating an electrical cooking device, in particular an electrical cooktop, wherein: - the electrical cooking device has an operator control device with an operator control panel and with sensor elements disposed below the control panel, - the sensor elements are switches of the operator control device, - a switch with an ON sensor element is an ON switch for the electrical cooking device, - by approaching or placing a finger onto the operator control panel above a sensor element an operating function of the related switch is triggerable and said operating function is triggered if, by said approaching or placing-on of the finger to the sensor element, a signal which has a signal strength greater than a first signal strength is generated on the sensor element and detected by the operator control device, wherein a signal strength is increasing with a decreasing distance of the finger to the operator control panel, wherein - in a first step in an OFF state of the electrical cooking device at least one of the sensor elements in case of generation on the sensor element and detection by the operator control device of a signal by approaching or placing-on of a finger onto the operator control panel above said sensor element with at least a second signal strength of said signal, which strength is less than the first signal strength, the operator control device is caused to optically mark at least the ON sensor element of the ON switch by illumination, - in a second subsequent step by placing the finger onto the operator control panel above said optically marked ON sensor element of the ON switch with generating and detecting a signal having a signal strength greater than the first signal strength, the electrical cooking device is switched on such that the operator control device optically marks a plurality of, in particular all, sensor elements of switches by illumination for a possible subsequent operation of the switches formed by the sensor elements by approaching or placing a finger above onto the operator control panel, characterized in that in case of generation and detection of a signal having the second signal strength on any sensor element exclusively the ON sensor element of the ON switch is optically marked by illumination. - the electrical cooking device has an operator control device with an operator control panel and with sensor elements disposed below the control panel, - the sensor elements are switches of the operator control device, - a switch with an ON sensor element is an ON switch for the electrical cooking device, - by approaching or placing a finger onto the operator control panel above a sensor element an operating function of the related switch is triggerable and said operating function is triggered if, by said approaching or placing-on of the finger to the sensor element, a signal which has a signal strength greater than a first signal strength is generated on the sensor element and detected by the operator control device, wherein a signal strength is increasing with a decreasing distance of the finger to the operator control panel, wherein - in a first step in an OFF state of the electrical cooking device at least one of the sensor elements in case of generation on the sensor element and detection by the operator control device of a signal by approaching or placing-on of a finger onto the operator control panel above said sensor element with at least a second signal strength of said signal, which strength is less than the first signal strength, the operator control device is caused to optically mark at least the ON sensor element of the ON switch by illumination, - in a second subsequent step by placing the finger onto the operator control panel above said optically marked ON sensor element of the ON switch with generating and detecting a signal having a signal strength greater than the first signal strength, the electrical cooking device is switched on such that the operator control device optically marks a plurality of, in particular all, sensor elements of switches by illumination for a possible subsequent operation of the switches formed by the sensor elements by approaching or placing a finger above onto the operator control panel,