No crab is as good as it actually is, unless cooked LIVE.
King - cooked live is close to fresh live lobster.
Dungeness
Everything else, including blue.
You’re right. Got to be live going into the steamer.
I use a ten gallon steaming pot. Three inches of water in the bottom. A mesh screen four inches from the bottom. A layer of male Chesapeake Blue crabs, 7 inches between the points, heavily sprinkled with paprika, then well dusted with Old Bay crab spice, another layer of crabs, more paprika and Old Bay. Fill the pot steam for 12 minutes. Crabs come out crusty and spicy with the paprika and Old Bay. Add case of Rolling Rock and you’re set. Hot Damn!