I have a garlic roasting thing but I've never gotten around to using it; I think my Dad sent it one xmas and he loved using his. Smashing garlic under a knife is messy and you have to clean the board or counter. There are times when I slice garlic, depending on how it's being used. Like I said, I grow the very large garlic so the skin is robust and it comes off easily. And when I grow garlic here and harvest every spring I have enough to last me all year. It keeps well in a dark area stored in a paper bag.