ChrisATX:
Cheap. If you source one, do so from one of the "big" houses that can provide tracking to true source of manufacturing.
Yeah. Many many options in the temp area though. Some of the instruments I work with are K-type, some are RTD...
Yep, instrumentation amps, etc. Been there with engine exhaust monitoring with thermocouples.
You know this, but procurement always raises hell when you have to purchase numerically beyond your initial requirement and your only excuse is to support the lifespan of the project and any extensions of same. But, amass not just parts, rather assembled and profiled and calibrated assemblies. Grad students come and go and continuity must be designed into the project. The environment hardware is collectively expensive but data becomes increasingly valuable as more is collected... Restarting an experiment ovrr may require tossing out the old datasets... Now, that would be expensive!