A method for operating a steam generator comprising a combustion chamber having a plurality of evaporator heating surfaces which are connected in parallel on the flow medium side is provided. An object is to provide a steam generator which has a particularly long service life and which is particularly reliable. For this purpose, a flow medium is introduced into an inlet of a first evaporator heating surface at a temperature which is lower than the temperature of the flow medium introduced into the inlet of a second evaporator heating surface.