[njbchbum]

Having grown up with Jersey and then Maine lobsters and New England seafood I hafta disagree with the theories put forth re the bigger/older the lobster the tougher it is when cooked.

I have found that just as in cooking a 16oz steak vs an 8oz steak, bay scallops vs sea scallops, colossals vs small shrimp...anything overcooked becomes tough. But when cooked the appropriate amount of time...it will remain tender.

fred53 makes a valid point of soft shell vs hard shell. The 1lb soft shell [shedder] weight is more water weight than its hard shell 1lb counterpart because it is a hard shell that has just outgrown its hard shell and is now growing in to a new larger hard shell - with the vacant space within the soft shell filled with water. Thus cooking a soft shell 1lb for the same amount of time as a 1lb hard shell will result in over cooking and tougher lobster meat.