Liverpool's £24million record signing - rested from the Premier League side that faced Birmingham on Saturday - was given his first taste of League Cup football and responded in magnificent fashion.
He twice put Liverpool back in front after Reading had responded well to setbacks either side of half-time and, after the home side had levelled for a second time through John Halls, put the game beyond Reading with two more sublime finishes.
These two had met at the same stage of the competition last season with Liverpool winning a 4-3 thriller in the first ever meeting between the two sides.
And this tie always promised to be equally as entertaining from the moment that Torres was dumped on his backside by Andre Bikey's crunching tackle inside 90 seconds.
It set the tempo for the opening exchanges and was the forerunner to a fascinating battle between Cameroon international defender Bikey and the former Atletico Madrid star .
Reading dominated the early possession but wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring when Leroy Lita headed a Halls cross straight at Liverpool's debutant keeper Charles Itandje.
The miss was swiftly punished as Yossi Benayoun broke the deadlock with Liverpool's first real chance of the game, evading challenges from James Harper and Bikey before unleashing an unstoppable drive beyond the reach of Reading keeper Adam Federici.
The home side responded swiftly to deservedly haul themselves back on level terms - and again it was a sublime finish as American winger Bobby Convey thumped home a fine left-foot volley from Nicky Shorey's deep centre.
The tricky winger nearly added another on the stroke of half-time when his half-volley was blocked following a storming run and cross from centre-back Bikey.
That cameo capped a fine first 45 minutes from Bikey, who was clearly intent on giving Torres a rude welcome to the competition.
Bikey roughed up the Spanish striker, who looked fed up by the half-time whistle, but who had earlier seen a threatening turn and cross fly just wide of Federici's post.
And Torres finally got the better of the Reading defence five minutes into the second half after Emerse Fae was robbed by Sebastian Leto, who sent Torres clear.
Michael Duberry raced back to try and block but the Spaniard showed superb composure to slide a shot into the bottom corner.
The goal didn't spare Torres from continued close attention from Bikey, who was booked for clattering the striker on 51 minutes but who later accused Torres of diving after he collapsed under pressure from the defender.
Reading were level again though on 64 minutes with Halls stroking home at the second attempt after Liverpool had failed to clear Shorey's dangerous corner.
But yet again, the visitors edged ahead and again it was Torres who provided a stunning finish.
Substitute John Arne Riise skipped past Fae in the right-back position and rolled an inviting pass into the path of Torres, who thumped a side-foot finish into the top corner.
The classy finishing was the difference between the sides on the night, but Leroy Lita was within an inch of the most spectacular strike of all when his stunning overhead kick from the edge of the box produced a fingertip save from Itandje.
It was an effort Torres would have been proud of, but the Spanish striker had the last word when he sprinted clear on to substitute Steven Gerrard's through ball and danced round Federici to roll home and complete his hat-trick - his sixth goal in as many starts for Liverpool.