Method (S1-S11) for operating a household cooking appliance, having - a cooking chamber, - at least one food treatment apparatus having multiple parameter configurations (S q + S q+1) for treating food located in the cooking chamber, wherein the food can be treated locally differently by means of at least two parameter configurations (S q, S q+1), - wherein the at least one food treatment apparatus comprises at least one microwave apparatus for introducing microwaves into the cooking chamber and/or at least one radiant heating element for introducing thermal radiation into the cooking chamber and - at least one sensor directed into the cooking chamber to determine measured-value distributions < V > of a surface property of the food, wherein, in the method, - the at least one food treatment apparatus is operated for a predetermined time period (Δt) with one of the parameter configurations (S q) in order to treat food located in the cooking chamber, - following expiration of a time period (Δt), a measured-value distribution < V > of a surface property of the food is determined by means of the at least one sensor, - a quality value is determined from the measured-value distribution < V > and, - if the quality value does not meet a predetermined quality criterion, the food treatment apparatus is subsequently operated with another of the parameter configurations (S q+1), characterised in that - the quality value is determined from a difference between two different scalar variables, in the form of different average values (x arith, x med), calculated from the same at least one measured-value distribution < V >, wherein - the different average values (x arith, x med) originate from the group comprising a modal mean, a median value, an arithmetic mean, a weighted arithmetic mean, a geometric mean, a weighted geometric mean, a harmonic mean, a weighted harmonic mean, a quadratic mean, a cubic mean, a logarithmic mean, a winsorised mean, a quartile mean, a mean of the shortest half, a Gastwirth-Cohen mean, a moving average, a Hölder mean, a Lehner mean, a Stolarsky mean. - a cooking chamber, - at least one food treatment apparatus having multiple parameter configurations (S q + S q+1) for treating food located in the cooking chamber, wherein the food can be treated locally differently by means of at least two parameter configurations (S q, S q+1), - wherein the at least one food treatment apparatus comprises at least one microwave apparatus for introducing microwaves into the cooking chamber and/or at least one radiant heating element for introducing thermal radiation into the cooking chamber and - at least one sensor directed into the cooking chamber to determine measured-value distributions < V > of a surface property of the food, - the at least one food treatment apparatus is operated for a predetermined time period (Δt) with one of the parameter configurations (S q) in order to treat food located in the cooking chamber, - following expiration of a time period (Δt), a measured-value distribution < V > of a surface property of the food is determined by means of the at least one sensor, - a quality value is determined from the measured-value distribution < V > and, - if the quality value does not meet a predetermined quality criterion, the food treatment apparatus is subsequently operated with another of the parameter configurations (S q+1), - the quality value is determined from a difference between two different scalar variables, in the form of different average values (x arith, x med), calculated from the same at least one measured-value distribution < V >, wherein - the different average values (x arith, x med) originate from the group comprising a modal mean, a median value, an arithmetic mean, a weighted arithmetic mean, a geometric mean, a weighted geometric mean, a harmonic mean, a weighted harmonic mean, a quadratic mean, a cubic mean, a logarithmic mean, a winsorised mean, a quartile mean, a mean of the shortest half, a Gastwirth-Cohen mean, a moving average, a Hölder mean, a Lehner mean, a Stolarsky mean.