Obviously you don't have to use bowls, an old pickle/sauce jar works too. You don't really have to wash it either, just put a drop of soap in it, bit of water, shake for 2 seconds, and rinse.
Not only is garlic not always cooked, but even when cooking, it makes a difference if you slice it vs mincing it. The more you damage it before cooking, the sharper the flavor.
Peeling enough garlic for a 7 person dinner is actually quite time consuming.