In an operating device for a cooktop with a liquid crystal display with two LCD plates, on the top of the lower of the two LCD plates is directly applied a microcontroller in the form of semiconductor chip, for example using COG technology. The semiconductor chip not only controls the LCD, but there are also provided capacitive sensor elements located on said LCD that are evaluated by the semiconductor chip, so that an independent module is formed. The module can be connected by suitable electrical connections to the cooktop and can at least partly or completely control the same.