@Mr. V-I understand what your saying but as you state it is a problem, It has not been. Not for almost my entire career. So, Like I said I understand, but no problem here. I just can't stand any of the oven thermometers I have ever seen especially hanging out in my oven(s). From souffles to rare prime rib to pizza it works great. Thoery's are also great but the proof is in the pudding.

@DonnyG The problem with using a infrared thermometer is that it only gives you the temperature in a specific spot in your oven. Many auto mechanics use them to take the temperature of car parts, but in an oven you want the ambient heat, not the heat of a specific place in the oven. Granted a specific spot can be somewhat close to the ambient temperature, but you won't know with certainty, and in baking, that is pretty important. An oven thermometer, made for kitchen ovens, will give you the ambient temperature with a good deal of certainty.

When industrial meets Culinary. I used to work at a place that had a wood fired oven as the only element and heat source for cooking and to take the oven temp I found something called an infered pyrometer. It's shaped like a pistol and you just point it in the oven and and pull the trigger and it givesyou a reading. Can be found in tool catalogs. I've seen them as low as $25 or here for a little more... just to give you an idea. mine isabout 15 yrs old and still works great.

http://www.imarketcity.com/msprthwidsra.html

The best and most accurate is the Thermapen, it will give you a precise reading in 4 seconds as opposed to 20. It is expensive at around $85. And you CAN'T leave it in the oven sticking out of a piece of meat. Multiple online sources, but one would be King Arthur Flour.

This one has a nice big face and works for me. If you don't want it to become discolored try not to get grease on it as once burnt on creates for a dark colored stain. It has worked fine for me for about a year.

http://www.amazon.com/MIU-90069-Commercial-Oven-Thermometer/dp/B000JO0AHU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1288365363&sr=8-2