Nutrient paste dispenser
Nutrient paste dispenser
Synthesizes nutrient paste from organic feedstocks. It consumes less ingredients and time than any other meal production method - but nobody likes eating nutrient paste. Accepts raw food, but not rough plant matter like hay.
Base Stats
- Type
- Production – Food
- HP
- 350
Building
- Size
- 3
- Placeable
- Y
- Power
- - 200 W
A nutrient paste dispenser converts raw food, placed in adjoining hoppers, into nutrient paste meals. The dispenser provides food in an on demand basis. As long as the dispenser is powered and there is food in a connected hopper, a hungry colonist or a colonist feeding a prisoner will operate the dispenser to receive one nutrient paste meal.
Colonists may eat food raw, but the “Ate awful meal” thought gives less mood debuff than the “Ate raw food” thought, and provides more nutrition than raw food alone.
Nutrient paste meals have advantages over meals prepared by a cook. The greatest advantage is that it is extremely efficient on food reserves. It only consumes 6 ingredients to produce a meal with 0.9 nutrition, whereas fine meal or pemmican use 10 ingredients to provide the same amount.
A second less important advantage is that nutrient paste meals never cause food poisoning, while meals prepared by a cook always have a chance of causing food poisoning.
Colonists will prefer eating a simple meal or berries instead of using the dispenser. Using a fueled stove, an electric stove or even a campfire provides better meals.
One hidden property of the dispenser is that it will act as a wall capable of separating rooms, accepting conduits and blocking temperature. This allows you to place hoppers in a refrigerated space to prevent rot, or to point a dispenser into a prisoner room where colonists can safely fill the hopper from outside the prison.