Operating device for an electric cooking appliance , wherein the operating device comprises a sensor element device and a planar component carrier for arrangement of the sensor element device thereon, wherein: - the sensor element device has a housing , - the housing has a capacitive sensor element on its upper region or on its top side , - the housing has at least one electrically conductive connection from the capacitive sensor element to a lower region or to a bottom side of the housing, - the housing has on its lower region or on its bottom side electrically conductive elastic contacting material in the form of an elastomer, - the planar component carrier has a contact field in the region of the contacting material on the housing or underneath thereof, which contact field is applied as a coating on the planar component carrier, - the contact field is composed of electrically conductive conductor material and has an electrical connection to a further component on the component carrier, - the component carrier has a recess on the contact field at the location where the contacting material rests on the contact field, - the conductor material passes into the recess , according to the shape of the recess, characterized in that - the contacting material is located above the recess and has a larger extent than the recess, - the electrically conductive elastic contacting material projects beyond the bottom side of the housing for abutment on the planar component carrier , - the housing , in the assembled state, is pressed against the component carrier strong enough that the contacting material is pressed into the recess at least 5% to 50% of the diameter of the recess , wherein the contacting material at least partially rests on the conductor material in the recess . - the sensor element device has a housing , - the housing has a capacitive sensor element on its upper region or on its top side , - the housing has at least one electrically conductive connection from the capacitive sensor element to a lower region or to a bottom side of the housing, - the housing has on its lower region or on its bottom side electrically conductive elastic contacting material in the form of an elastomer, - the planar component carrier has a contact field in the region of the contacting material on the housing or underneath thereof, which contact field is applied as a coating on the planar component carrier, - the contact field is composed of electrically conductive conductor material and has an electrical connection to a further component on the component carrier, - the component carrier has a recess on the contact field at the location where the contacting material rests on the contact field, - the conductor material passes into the recess , according to the shape of the recess, characterized in that - the contacting material is located above the recess and has a larger extent than the recess, - the electrically conductive elastic contacting material projects beyond the bottom side of the housing for abutment on the planar component carrier , - the housing , in the assembled state, is pressed against the component carrier strong enough that the contacting material is pressed into the recess at least 5% to 50% of the diameter of the recess , wherein the contacting material at least partially rests on the conductor material in the recess . <EOS>