Buy a live lobster. When picking out a lobster in a store, watch the lobsters in the tank and buy the one that is the most active. There are different ways to kill the lobster before cooking it. You can stab the lobster just behind it's eyes with a sharp knife so that it's spinal cord is severed or you can put it head first into a pot of boiling water. An easier way is to place the lobster in the fridge for an hour before cooking it. This will numb the lobster and they are supposed to feel less pain this way. The lobster's meat will be better if there is less trauma when it dies.

Fill a big lobster pot 3 quarters of the way with water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. You can make a broth to cook the lobster in by cutting some lemons in half, squeezing the juice into the pan and then adding the rinds to the water. You can also add some bay leaves and thyme to the water. These three ingredients go well with seafood. Let the water come to a hard boil.

Boil the lobster. Take the lobster out of the fridge and cut the bands holding its claws together. Drop it into the pot and put the lid on. Bring the water back to a boil and cook for 15 to 18 minutes.

Steam the lobster. Fill a large lobster pot with about 2 inches of water and add 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Put the lobster in the pot and put the lid on, closing it tightly. Let it cook for 18 minutes.

Remove the cooked lobster from the pot. You will know when a lobster is done cooking when it turns bright red and its tail curls under. Take the pot off the burner and let sit for 5 minutes before removing the lobster and serving. If you are not sure the lobster is completely done cooking then tug on an antenna. It will easily come off when cooked.