Probe thermometers are favored because they take more accurate readings, but in some situations, you have no choice but to use an NCIT. If your surface is fragile, dangerous, impenetrable, susceptible to contamination, moving, or out of reach, you need to use an NCIT. Some examples of these would be computer circuitry, gears, frozen foods, a conveyor belt, or air conditioning ducts. Keep in mind that NCITs provide only a surface measurement and cannot accurately read internal temperature. They also cannot read through materials. For example, if you point your thermometer through a window, it will only measure the temperature of the window and not the objects on the other side. NCITs cannot measure the internal temperature of food or the temperature of an oven. Remember that these are surface measurements only, so you cannot measure something if you cannot point to its surface.