How to use the Nutrient Paste Dispenser in Rimworld

The Matrix-inspired Nutrient Paste Dispenser in Rimworld is one of the most efficient ways to feed your colonists without using up too many resources. It doesn’t require any work orders, doesn’t rely on colonist cooking skill, and produces meals instantly from raw food. It may not improve anyone’s mood, but it will keep everyone alive and healthy, especially in low-resource situations.

Here is a guide to building and using the Nutrient Paste Dispenser in Rimworld.

---

Building the Nutrient Paste Dispenser in Rimworld

Gameplay still from Rimworld (Image via Ludeon Studios)

To build one, unlock two research projects: Electricity and Nutrient Paste. Once those are completed, you can construct the dispenser and its required component.

Here’s what the dispenser costs:

• 125 Steel
• 3 Components

Create Components at a Fabrication Bench using additional Steel.

Setting up the Dispenser

The Nutrient Paste Dispenser doesn’t work on its own. Place at least one Hopper directly adjacent to it. Place it with the tube side pointing toward the dispenser. The Hoppers hold raw foods that the dispenser will automatically pull from.

A few placement tips:

• Make sure it’s connected to power — it won’t work without electricity.
• Plan where the meal output tile (the one marked with a circle) will go. Colonists will stand there to collect food, so it’s best to have that tile easily accessible, such as near a dining area or kitchen.

---

Extra uses and considerations

The Nutrient Paste Dispenser also helps with

• Feeding prisoners automatically: Instead of delivering meals manually, you can build a dispenser inside the jail. It saves colonist time and keeps prisoners fed.
• Creating a stockpile before power loss: Draft a hungry colonist and have them use the dispenser repeatedly. After each use, forbid the meal they drop. By repeating this (pause and draft), you can build up a pile of paste meals for emergencies.
• Saving food over time: Paste meals require less raw food than fine or lavish meals, so they stretch your supplies longer.
• Drawback to remember: Colonists don’t carry paste meals with them. If they’re working far from the dispenser and get hungry, they’ll walk all the way back to use it. This can cause delays and inefficiency in large colonies.

---

This concludes our guide on the Nutrient Paste Dispenser in Rimworld.

Check out: Best tips and tricks to play RimWorld Odyssey