Torres opened the scoring with a spectacular strike in only the third minute, cutting inside Michael Turner and curling a shot into the top corner.
Glen Johnson added a second with a shot that deflected off Turner then turned provider for Torres to hook home again.
Craig Gordon saved well from Daniel Agger and Maxi Rodriguez to maintain some respectability for Sunderland.
Liverpool's win went some way to erasing the memory of their painful defeat at Sunderland earlier in the season when Rafael Benitez's side were beaten by a Darren Bent shot that controversially deflected in off a beach ball.
Liverpool had laid down their intentions in the very first minute, Gordon reacting smartly to beat away Agger's volley after Dirk Kuyt had flicked on a Steven Gerrard free-kick.
Benitez left wanting more goals after win
It was an early sign of things to come and Liverpool opened their account in magnificent style as Torres stamped an instant hallmark of quality on the game.
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina found the striker out wide on the left and Torres cut inside Turner before bending a delightful shot beyond the reach of Gordon and into the top right corner of the Sunderland net.
Torres' wonder strike was followed by a procession of Reds chances, as Torres, Gerrard and Agger (twice) all shot wide and Javier Mascherano's drive was spectacularly repelled by Kieran Richardson's diving header.
As well as some wasteful finishing from the home side, Sunderland fans were also
grateful for some heroics from keeper Gordon, who brilliantly pushed away Rodriguez's header from a Gerrard corner.But the keeper was beaten again on 32 minutes when Johnson's fine first touch earned him a yard of space inside Steed Malbranque and set up a left-foot shot that deflected wickedly off the knee of Turner and beyond Gordon's reach.
It could have been so much worse for Sunderland in a first half totally dominated by a Liverpool team oozing with the confidence that had been so starkly absent for much of this season.
The performance was perfectly precised by a glorious Liverpool move five minutes before the break that saw them sweep across the pitch and set up Torres for a shot that smacked against a post, the Spaniard scuffing the rebound wide.
Amid the Reds onslaught, Sunderland managed only a single attempt on goal in the first half, an innocent Jordan Henderson shot flying harmlessly wide, and it was five minutes into the first half before the visitors forced their first corner.
Gerrard was at the fulcrum of the home side's overwhelming dominance, with Torres the chief outlet.
Only a fine last-gasp block from substitute Paulo Da Silva denied Torres his second following a move driven by Gerrard and involving another forward burst from the rampaging Johnson.
But Sunderland's partial resistance was ended on the hour when Johnson again claimed the assist for Torres to score his second.
Johnson looked certain to shoot as the ball sat up for him on the edge of the box, but he instead rolled a pass into the path of Torres, who calmly hooked past a prostrate Gordon and into an empty net.
The last time these sides met, Sunderland secured victory with a Darren Bent shot that deflected in off a beach ball, but not even that type of bizarre intervention could have saved the Black Cats here.
In fact, for the best part it was a case of damage limitation for Steve Bruce's side as the hosts totally dominated.
Only the departure of Torre
s, Gerrard and Kuyt spared Sunderland further pain as Liverpool eased off towards the end.Former Anfield favourite Bolo Zenden nearly grabbed a late consolation for Sunderland after coming off the bench to provide Reina with his only test of the afternoon.
The Spaniard was equal to the effort though, reacting smartly to keep out Zenden's right-foot drive and preserve a three-goal margin of victory that, in all honesty, flattered Sunderland.
The win moved Liverpool up to fifth, three points behind Spurs, though Benitez's side have played a game than their London rivals.
nd away win of the season after excellent play involving Babel, Pennant and Torres in the 87th minute. Sunderland came into this game having had their good start to life back in the Premier League halted by defeat at Wigan, while Liverpool were hoping to add three points to the four they already had before embarking on the job of ensuring qualification for the group stages of the Champions League against Toulouse on Tuesday. A hairline fracture of the toe meant the Reds had to do without their captain at the Stadium of Light. Gerrard didn't travel to the North East and his place was taken by Momo Sissoko, who partnered Xabi Alonso in the centre of the midfield. There were also first starts in the Premier League for Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin. Liverpool kicked the game off and started well. We'd had just 30 seconds when a loose pass gave Voronin a chance to score. The Ukrainian did well to muscle his way through the Sunderland defence, but he couldn't beat their goalkeeper Gordon, who made a fine save before the ball was scrambled away. Buoyed by that, Liverpool continued on the front foot in the early stages and two corners in quick succession increased the pressure on Roy Keane's side. Sunderland did manage to break in the 8th minute and Richardson's near post cross bounced dangerously off McShane and just wide. The Reds were back on the attack in the 11th minute when Xabi Alonso had a shot blocked, but they almost went behind in the 24th minute when Stokes, who had just come on for Richardson, broke free. It took a fine save from Reina to deny the Sunderland man. The game appeared to be drifting towards a goalless half time with neither side ready to seize the initiative. Sissoko's goal was just what the doctor ordered. Liverpool almost made it 2-0 on the stroke of half time when Gordon made what was to be the first of a series of saves from Fernando Torres before stopping the ball on his goalline. The second half started as the first had done, with Liverpool on the attack. It took another good Gordon save from the ever dangerous Torres in the 51st minute and the Sunderland stopper was busy again just minutes later when Pennant's shot needed saving. Roy Keane tried to change things when he replaced Dwight Yorke with Grant Leadbitter, but still the chances continued to come for Liverpool with Torres again getting in behind the home defence only to shoot tamely wide. Concern was growing that the Reds would be made to pay for not killing the game off and when Gordon made another brilliant save from Voronin in the 76th minute you feared a sucker punch. But the Ukraine international beat the Scot in the 87th minute to make it 2-0 and two away wins out of two for the Rafa's men.