Stainless steel oven thermometer.
When the subject turns to analog oven thermometers and cooking in wood fired ovens; you will find out, if you haven’t already, that measuring temperature with these great self standing stainless steel thermometers is done/useful only when the wooden door is closed – that’s when temperature in the cooking chamber evens up for baking or long time slow roasting and so on. Otherwise there isn’t point to measure atmosphere inside while firing or when the entry door is opened because logically the temp is very different at vault level vs. bottom floor. Carbon burn-off gives you high pizza temperature reading, 
that’s when all the walls turn from black to white color (or to red color if the oven is build out of old red solids.) These meters sell for about 10 to 15 bucks in chef shops, I have about 150 of them left at the moment to give to my customers. I bought them for good bulk price from trade show in Brisbane.
If you prefer a fancier oven thermometer, or as another option although not at all necessarily needed, then take a look at digital thermometer.
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I’m trying to build my first primitive clay oven and want to know if I can insert a brass well for a thermal probe or how to mesure temperature without opening the door? Any help? Although these self standing stainless steel thermometers are practical too, I just want to experiment some more.
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Hi,
I have a tradional oven built with 2 oil drums packed in insulating cement giving 2 ovens heated in one firing with 2 shelves in each drum cooker.
My themometer is similar to the one in the photo except it reads temperature on the back side of scale and has needle indicator.
Temperature is measured by placing the backside of the themometer on a baking tray.
Problem with this thermometer kind, because it is faster acting or responding the temperature charge, is you have to open the oven door to read the temperature.
How can a wire be fitted to the back of the themometer and threaded through the door to connect to fixing it inside the oven and what kind of wire and connecters are required?
If this is possible it would be graet and I would buy a second thermometer and have one outside of each drum.
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Robert, I think that the type of thermometer you are looking for is called a gas actuated thermometer. They usually have a long cable with probe attached to the end. This would make a very nice addition and useful tool for the oven because you can install the probe directly inside of the oven but allowing you to place the dial anywhere you like on the outside. You can find them easily enough by searching the web. They can be pricey but I have seen them on ebay for around $150. I will be using an old boiler thermometer on mine that I found on ebay for $35.