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Round my way hills tend to be steep, but short. If I can I try to use my momentum and mash a big gear up them. I've also been using this technique to do some lactic threshold training.
I'm all for keeping my momentum, I do my best to keep the speed up so i dont have to sit and twiddle in my easiest gear, i do all i can, standing, sitting, it dont matter, so i use whatever gear i need with whatever combination of spinning/pushing i need to maintain this.
I just find once you're sitting twiddling, i'm actually spending quite a lot of energy and only extending that amount of time i'm expending energy, hence i end up getting more tired.
Over time, using this tactic of just blasting them out has meant that on may day to day riding, even some rides in much bigger hills, the climbs are simply feeling a lot smaller.
I have no clue if it is more/less efficient, i don't know if it is my fitness, but when i go out riding with sit and twiddlers, each stroke piratically taking them from static to moving, i'm normally a lot fresher than them at the top.
Spinning definitely easier on the knees but if you are after speed then grind away.