[Craig T]

Married to a woman from Johns Island, South Carolina, I get my share of crab feasts. We use blue crabs, not Dungeness, but ALWAYS prefer steaming.

The only reason to boil is if you want to add a lot of spice or seasoning. Adding spice to the water seams to embed the flavor of the spices better.

We have a crab steamer, but I suppose you could set some ceramic bowls in the bottom of a pot with a good lid and a inch or two of water. The bowls will keep the crabs dry.