Originally Posted by
braslvr
I know nothing about cooking east coast crab, but Dungenness are simply boiled for 15-17 minutes in very salty water (1/4 cup/gallon). Easy-peasy.

I don't think you even need salt for east coast crab. The problem wasn't boiling or steaming them. The problem was getting them into the pot. There was an unfortunate incident with a crab running around the apartment where I lived for a while.