Hematite ore (i.e. common iron ore) is (re wikipedia) ~60% iron (doesn't clarify if by volume or mass).
So, ultimately, an ore processing pipeline that yields 5-6 iron ingots (i.e. 60% worth of a "cube" of iron) per iron ore block processed is defensible. For iron. Other ores have far lower yields. And, frankly, different processing paths.
I hope for a mod that doesn't implement a one size fits all ore processing pipeline, but actually has different processes (and ultimate yields) for the different ore types.
Aluminium should never be available as a direct ore, but be derived (as it is commonly) from bauxite, yield Alumite as an intermediate result that needs to be purified to yield aluminium.
More directly, the 3x yield of a simple grinder setup, requires a much larger initial investment in iron than, say TiC, you will need to build enough iron to construct, at the least, a pump and 5 steam engines, a grinder and the gearing to connect them all.
An alternative starting set might be a dc engine, fermenter, gas engine, industrial coil and grinder. Less gearing, but more saplings. The industrial coil is to act as a capacitor as the gas engine puts out more power than the grinder takes so the yield of ore per unit fuel would be lower than optimal.
At any rate, a "doable" way to achieve an easy ore tripling which most mods reserve for much MUCH more infrastructure investment and most don't even do.
ps. is there any "vegtable matter" that is easier than saplings to obtain? full stacks of saplings are not easy to arrange early game.
