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Get a Mortar and Pestle
Mortars and pestles are tools which have unfortunately been nearly forgotten in modern American kitchens, but they have been around since the stone age for a reason. They are one of the most useful appliances and require no electricity.
They easily smash garlic, nuts and other things (also automatically removes skins). This is much better than simple slicing because it squeezes out the juices and tastes of things.
You can also easily make paste (like pesto) and out of herbs and other simple ingredients. Many people use a hard-to-clean and expensive electric food processor to do things like this, but a larger mortar and pestle could get the job done just as easily.
Do not get porcelain mortar and pestles; they are non-functional and loud. I have two granite ones which work very well (see pic above).