Lobsters can cost as little as US$5/lb when on sale. Best tasting, sweetest lobster I ever had was at a lobster shack by Rockport, MA. Somehow they are not as flavorful when served in a restaurant, or bought from the supermarket. Must be the liquid it's cooked in at the shack, which serves nothing but lobsters all day long. The liquid had hundreds of lobsters cooked in it every day, so must be extra flavorful.
Oooh, a big whole claw!
For most painless way to kill a lobster, reference this link:
My all time favorite way to eat lobster is Ginger Scallion style, even though it's a lot of work and stinks up the hosue. First chop the lobster into pieces, then dust with flour and pan-fry till cooked. Stir fry some ginger and scallions in a wok, throw in the cooked lobster and give it a toss. Enjoy!
Note that no salt needed as the lobster has been in salt water in the tanks.