Grumpy_Mike:
I'm new to the wiring/electronics part of arduino,
You need to amplify the signal using operational amplifiers. With such a low voltage signal these need to be very good operational amplifiers.
you indicate "amplifiers" plural, are you suggesting I'd need to run the voltage through multiple op amps? The thermocouple has just a one wire analog voltage, so would one (appropriately specced) op amp do the trick?
Any way, at .95c per unit for something like the LM358 I think this is the track I want to at least try before giving up and settling on the max chip.