[jyl]

Are you doing meats or real baking?

For meat, I find the simple dial-type meat thermometers last long enough. Calibrate them in boiling water, they're often wrong by as much as 20-30F, sometimes you can twist the dial to recalibrate. A good buddy uses a fancy electronic probe with a remote digital display and an alarm, it's nice too.

For real baking - no idea. I draw the line at baking cakes and pastries, and you should too. Be a man, man! Start standing up for yourself now, it won't get any easier later.

P.S. I've never had luck with the oven thermometers that sit uneasily on the rack. They always fall over backwards.