thermometers

Work fine-ish for masonry ovens. Don't see why they wouldn't work in a mud oven. FWIW, make sure you get one that goes up to (or over) 1,000 deg. F. (many don't) and you'll need the extra range.

Realize that the IR gun only takes surface temp and doesn't help much in figuring out how much heat is stored in the oven, i.e., how long it'll stay hot. For that you need temp probes inside the walls & floor, and/or some experience with your own oven.

ClimbHi
Pittsburgh, PA

Hi Gepp They are a great help and give a good indication, we use one for the wood fired oven only to show the students what sort of temperatures we are dealing with and they are good for taking readings before and after baking to see how much heat is used up. I have also found it invaluable for an electric  deck oven that is  quite inaccurate according to the dials and again ideal for varifying the temperatures that you are looking for in that case. Not a lot you can do with the wood fired oven other than leaving the door open  and scuffing the floor with a damp scuff to take some of the sting out if it is too hot. it can be a bit tricky getting the oven just right for when the dough is ready to go in to the oven.

The IR guns are getting cheaper all the time to which is good, i know the first one we bought was nearly $200 aussie dollars  but it was put to good use in the freezer and fridges as well as for the ovens, until some one decided it needed a new home. We have since bought a couple more and the price is falling. I saw one on ebay the other day brand new from Hong Kong very cheap.

regards yozza